WORRIED ABOUT THE SURVIVAL OF YOUR WORK AND YOUR PRODUCTION? PRACTICAL TIPS ON HOW TO RESTART, EARN AND RETURN TO THE CINEMA.

For several years now, I have never stopped working. This is how I imagine for you, the first real forced break. From the moment I woke up, my thoughts turned to my creations, but only today I realized something important and disconcerting at the same time.

I was having my usual coffee and I realized I was really worried about a number of things. It was not the usual coffee flavored with enthusiasm, a new idea for a screenplay, it was not next to an agenda, a phone call or a storyboard for a video project. On the cup I saw the words Lexotan, on the sugar bowl Minias and instead of biscuits two beautiful dumplings of lansoprazole 30 and I assure you that I am not an anxious guy.

For the first time, I realized that this apocalyptic situation had reset my thoughts or better had them flattened on a well-defined position “I can not do anything, until this situation passes I have to stand still, hopefully passes soon”. Totally at the mercy of fate.

At best I had to wait for the video message to the nation of Conte with the same frenzy with which I was waiting for the race of Luna Rossa in the sailing world championships. But he didn’t mention us.

I missed the set, the crew, the smiles, the angry, the insecurities of the actors, the call of the producer, my job, my daily life in short. Not to mention my lost earnings.

I read on the board of a friend director of photography this article:

https://www.monitor-radiotv.it/w/riaprono-i-set-in-danimarca-e-svezia/

I summarize on behalf of my shiny and vibrant eyes:

–   People at a distance of 4 meters

–   No crowds at all

–   Working shifts

–   Casting online

–   Meals in single portions

I said to myself: finally! Something is moving, something is possible! But my enthusiasm was dampened by a series of local objections and contextual insights that I went to look around. The situation was not encouraging, even when I telephoned with friends who were experts in the sector.

It appeared that:

Under these conditions, it’s impossible to shoot here. Neither the big producers nor the most well-known actors would be willing to run the risk of contagion and follow these, the whole chain. Among the most common objections:

–   How do actors act so far apart?

–   How does a trolley move?

–   How do you make up an actor?

And the last remnants of enthusiasm are extinguished by lapidary union communiqués where it is said in clear letters that until there is a vaccine or a cure for the COVID-19 the sets must remain stationary.

At this point, I saw outside the window and the lettering Lexotan stood in the sky dragged by the Frecce Tricolore.

But before returning to that catatonic state of invertebrate I remembered who I am and what I do in life: the writer, the director and the creator of video content in general with several years of set behind.

What I am about to say might not please those who will remain excluded from this reasoning but it is what more concrete and decisive can be proposed today in order not to fail a sector (and its derivatives, for example those who need a commercial, a video clip or a fashion film) as important as that of film and television production.

You can go back to work as long as we partially, first authors, reset the cinema as we know it today.

It is clear that if we consider only the forty-year-olds who run and kiss Muccino or The Great Beauty of Sorrentino, I agree that this cinema can not be done at the moment.

Do you know a director named David Fincher? If you don’t know who he is, you just need to know some of his movie titles:

–   Seven

–   Fight Club

–   The curious case of Benjamin Button

–   Zodiac

–   Millennium, men who hate women

–   The social network

And believe me, many other movies.

Would you say it’s a boring or unsaleable theater? The answer is certainly no. So, in the vast majority of his films, his direction is 90% made up of fixed and panoramic rooms.

You could tell me: “however, its contents are the most dynamic and engaging there is, so you don’t need big machine movements”. And you’re absolutely right.

Then I bring you as an example the movie (not his) titled Circle, Find at the bottom of the original trailer. A movie of 2015 by Netflix.

Well, all the people present are impaled and stopped throughout the film on their position, in fact in the circle, for the duration of the film. I assure you, the film is very engaging.

Practically what do we already deduce from these two examples for the problem of post covid?

In the first case, we can turn to a fixed camera then only with the operator after the photography director has positioned the lights and make small machine movements, such as an overview or a zoom.

In the second, we can write a compelling story with our actors at a safe distance.

But I add: why not take advantage, given the emergency, the techniques of independent cinema (capable in some examples of making excellent films even sparing) and then shooting with light equipment such as digital SLR cameras on light media such as sliders or trolleys that the operator himself can move alone?

Without considering the equipment of remote and related heads managed all remotely.

What about the makeup? We write stories where the trick is the basic one so that an actor himself can make it himself followed by a makeup artist if necessary.

Can I make a reflection? We learned during this emergency to consider medical heroes, pharmacists, nurses, clerks, couriers, etc.

Are we really sure that our actors want to stay at home rather than abide by these arrangements to go back to acting? Maybe, but maybe we disrespect them in the first place in thinking it without asking. As a director I would go back to the set tomorrow without fear and without thinking of being at risk if security measures are taken around me based on what I advised.

And I repeat, with definitely lower production costs.

Don’t take it because we prefer to stare at the coffee on the couch while our bank account and our sacrifices of years of hard work go up in smoke?

I wanted to share this insight with you in the hope of helping you.

I leave you with a phrase of a great master inviting you to share this article if you liked.

As always you can consult my website at www.massimofalsetta.com or contact me for any need.

Cinema is the “how”, not the “thing”. A. Hitchcock