From: "zoe & kia" <tree_huggers_greenies@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 11:52:12 +1000
Sender:
owner-whalerider05_rap@ituws1.itbcorpweb.det.nsw.edu.au
Hi there tree-huggers- greenies (I like your
name!),
1. How long does your research take in making a film?
Always much, much longer than I'm ever paid for! I
say to my students that they can't do too much research. But there also comes a
time when you have to stop researching and get on with the making.
I happen to love research it's what makes sure
the film (or book, or lecture) is as true to reality as it can be and also makes
sure that audiences can trust what you've done. I think audiences deserve the
best that a filmmaker can provide and you need research to do this.
There's almost no aspect of filmmaking that
doesn't need research. This is true for both documentary and
drama.
When you're making a film you usually leave the most
time for 'development' and 'pre-production' which is when the research all takes
place. The 'production' (shoot) and the 'post-production' (editing) periods take
about half the amount of time - and the shoot the least time of
all.
2.
Do you get frustrated with trying to express your techniques?
This is an interesting question I've never
thought about it before. I think
that like most filmmakers (and writers) I try to keep my options open. So I
might film a scene in several different ways, or write the same paragraph in two
or three slightly different ways. Then, when it comes to editing, I have several
different options to express what I want to say and I chose the best. I always advise my students to show
their films (or essays) to other people before they've completely finished and
get feedback. This is VERY important in filmmaking during the editing process,
the various different 'cuts' (similar to drafts of a written piece) should
always be shown to a group of people who don't know the story to see if the film
makes sense to them. The filmmakers can be too close to really
tell.
3.
How much time goes into creating techniques?
Before a shoot, that is in the pre-production
period, many filmmakers will do what's called a "technical recce" (recce stands
for 'reconnaissance) to try out the technology or a technique and find out in
advance if it works. You usually don't have time during the shoot. And creating editing techniques is often
what takes the most time during post-production. Filmmakers also go and see lost
of movies to get new ideas and then adapt them to their own needs.
I sometimes find it incredible just how much time
it takes to make a film even a short one.
4.
What was your biggest difficulty in Whale Rider?
My biggest difficulty was, I think, with the
actors. I thought Keisha Castle-Hughes and Rawiri Paratene were so much better
than everyone else that the others seemed a bit wooden at times. I also thought
that the constructed whales looked very constructed obviously the result of a
very low budget. It makes me think while I am watching it that if only a tiny
bit of the huge budget of Lord Of the
Rings could have been added to the budget of Whale Rider it would have helped Niki
Caro make a slightly better-looking film. And, of course, while I am thinking
this, I drop out of being involved in the narrative, or story, of the film. But
not for long. I still love the film. My favourite part in when
Pai is singing her song for Koro and he isnt there. I cry everytime and I
must have seen this film at list 6 times!
Hope this was helpful - I enjoyed your
questions.
Best wishes,
Jane
