Directing

A few weeks ago in my theatre class we were assigned to think about ideas for our student film that will be shown in the college's theatre around Christmas time. Today we were supposed to say our ideas aloud to one another. Nobody had any. Nobody even wished to talk or throw ideas out there. I had to be the one to ask exactly what everyone was thinking, what genre they wanted to do, if they had a chance to play any type of character what type of character would they be, etc. Because nobody had many answers for this I decided that I would have to be the one to take charge- which I kind of knew would happen anyway. I already had in my head that I was going to be the one to direct this thing. It was something I really wanted to do once it was announced considering there really are not that many female directors out there. I was inspired to learn a few months ago that Carrie Preston (best known for playing Arlene Fowler on the television series True Blood) has not only directed a few movies in the past, but she recently took her passion for directing and after six years came out with the movie That's What She Said. Preston and her husband, Michael Emerson, have always been an influence to me when it came to acting but to learn that she was a director made me have an even more huge ounce of respect for her.

I sat up on a desk and started to take notes on what a few people were saying for what this movie could be about, when another guy in the class, aka Mr. Pumpkin Patch who I have mentioned in my previous blog posts, sits up on the desk opposite me with a pen and paper in his hand, (basically imitating exactly what I was doing) and thinks that he is going to take over.  Now I am all for having two directors, more than likely a film will require more than one director at times. I am all for having two directors if I can be selfish and be one of them, but what I am not okay with is having a 2nd director try and outdo the original and try to make her look like an idiot. I am a person who usually never takes charge, and the one time I do someone just has to be rude and criticize everything that I am saying. I get that criticism is a part of life but to criticize something as minor as "We can go down to the basement of the theatre and pick out our costumes if your character requires something you cannot find in your closet"  is just not right. I am taking a chance directing here, and I will not have some loony toon ruin my experience. 

He even had the audacity to say to me after class that HE will be the one doing most of the directing and that HE will only need me for directing certain parts of the film. I will not stand for this. I have put up with a lot when it comes to the theatre world but this is not going to happen no matter what he thinks. I will not be the person to sit back and be told what to do when it comes to making a student film, especially by some guy who's only motivation is to try and make me look foolish.

All of us started throwing ideas off of one another after awhile and now we have the premise of our movie, and it will have puns! Next Wednesday we will be going to the theatre and looking for costumes along with start the writing of the script.