Posted by John Badham on Dec 20, 2013 | 1 comment

A picture on the day of shooting on my film, Nick of Time.

So you have not had the benefit of rehearsal beyond what you might have gotten done in the auditions and callbacks; or what you worked out with the actor over dinner.

You’re now standing on the set promptly at call time, 7:30 a.m.

That’s your first mistake.

You will be seized by the AD and frog-marched to the DP who wants to know what’s the first shot. You don’t know, do you? Because you haven’t rehearsed with the actors. Then the prop man comes over to ask if you want a ballpoint pen or a lead pencil in the scene and the line producer comes up to say that they’ve lost the next location.

When will you talk to the actors? Oops. Too late! The juggernaut is rolling. You may have an idea of camera placement but you really need to pull the cast out of makeup to work it out, find the marks, show the crew, and send the cast back to get dressed.

Oh, stop right there! Are you thinking you don’t need the actors on set to place the camera? Don’t do it! I’m telling you. Even if the star sends word that she’ll stand wherever you tell her, don’t believe it. She will screw you. She’s not evil, she’s not out to cause a problem, it’s just in her nature. When you’re all lit and she gets called to the set, she’s guaranteed to look at the mark you set for her and say, “No, I wouldn’t stand there.” Argue with her you will… and lose you will. Now you’ll have to wait for a little re-light, a big loss of momentum, and a couple of layers of enamel are ground off your teeth.

If you think I’m kidding, give it a go.

Instead, get to the set early. Forty-five minutes before call ought to do it. Go to the makeup trailer and corner sleepy actors in their chairs. What you talk about doesn’t have to start out like anything more than a “good morning, did you sleep OK?” kind of hello.

What do you see? Relaxed people? Confident people? Frozen smiles? Thousand-yard stares? Their eyes will tell you all you need to know. The grimace and the “deer in the headlights” look are sure signs they’re worried about today’s work. No matter how confident they looked on other days, today’s scene may be the one that scares them. Now is the time you’ll earn some of that paycheck. This is when you get to play therapist, coach, and friend.

“How are you feeling about the scene today?” is always a safe ques¬tion to follow-up with. “When you were thinking about the work last night how did you see playing it?” Take advantage of what your talent brings to the party. You cast her because she had a good handle on the part. Listen to her. (And make sure you chat with everyone for a minute or two. Don’t neglect the day player. She may only have one line but she is more nervous than anybody.)

You hope that each actor’s vision agrees with yours. If it does not?

Do not panic. There are three possibilities:

It’s really interesting and you can use it with your idea or instead of your idea.
It’s the same idea just spoken in different words.
It’s a terrible idea for any number of reasons.

Let the actor explain herself, don’t jump in and say, “That’s wrong. That’ll never work.” If you jump on her idea without at least looking like you’re considering it she will get defensive. When actors get defensive they get emotional. When they get emotional their egos get in the way. When their egos get in the way, there is no talking to them.

The best thing you can do is listen with interest. Sincere interest. Remember, this is just a discussion, not a demand. Most of the time the actor thought of this idea last night or this morning and just wants to air it out. Stay open-minded and keep saying the mantra, “What if she has a good idea?”

Whether the actor’s idea is good or bad, say something like, “That’s really interesting, I never thought of it that way before. Tell me more,” and make sure you always focus the actor on the action.

You have to allow the actor time to express herself. Really hear her out before you say, “Wow, that’s so interesting because I had thought it might play this other way. Tell me more.” Hopefully now you have a dialogue going that will lead to an understanding of the best version of what you’re both thinking, not a monologue from you.

Remember, actors don’t trust directors; they are used to being run over roughshod by them. You always have to ask yourself, “What if they’re right? What if there is something here I can use?”

If there is nothing useful and an actor’s idea is harmful, you need to search for clues about what’s really bother¬ing her. Very often you’ll discover the actor is being thrown by some¬thing very minor: a stage direction, a particular line of dialogue, a wardrobe or prop choice. So “tell me more about how you see the scene” is not pampering and manipulating her through the process; it’s the therapist’s time-tested way of getting to the bottom of the problem.

By listening, you not only get the actors’ thoughts but you have an enormous relaxing effect. They get to see your face, not just on the set amongst a horde of other faces. You’re there to ask about them, not to give orders. Suggestions maybe, but not orders. It’s a lot like the doctor coming to check in with you in the hospital just before you have your appendix out.

Of course it’s better to have these conversations privately before you get to the public forum of the set. Giving actors an audience to play to can be stressful, humiliating and performance-provoking.

For me, some of the most constructive times that I ever had to direct an actor was at the audition, it’s a somewhat calm place in which you may sit and make adjustments and really see what he is like as an actor. Then, when he shows up on the set, I can say, “Hey, do you remember the work that we were doing in the audition? Keep going that way.” I find dropping in on costume fittings gives me other opportunities to talk about the character and the scenes.

On the day, find opportunities to connect and rehearse with your actors and your set will run a whole lot smoother.

Editor’s Note:
For more advice from John Badham, be sure to take a look at his new book, John Badham on Directing, which we reviewed here. Additionally, be sure to check out his helpful video interviews he conducted with MFM writer, Justin Pugh, including: Crucial Topics from the Book, What Inspired You, and The Modern Era of Filmmaking.

John Badham

John Badham is the critically acclaimed director of dozens of cinematic and television movies, including: Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, Point of No Return, The Stakeout, and Bird on a Wire.In April 2005, he became head of the directing program at Chapman University, where he continues to teach. His first book, I'll Be in My Trailer: The Creative Wars Between Actors and Directors, features some of the most helpful (and sometimes hard-learned) lessons of his 37-year career.