Interviews

Woody Allen: A Screenwriting Legend

The following is an excerpt for FilmCraft: Screenwriting by Tim Grierson © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group. All Rights Reserved. Few film artists have been as prolific, talented, and utterly dismissive of their body of work as Woody Allen. “When I’m home lying on my bed and I’m writing something, I have these incredible ideas,”…

Interview with David Hare: Screenwriter of The Reader and The Hours

“When I talk to the young I say, ‘Things are always worth trying.’ I don’t think there’s anything more exciting in life than discovering a gift you didn’t know you had. And it might have gone undiscovered.” About David Hare Heralded as a playwright, screenwriter, and director, Sir David Hare has enjoyed a professional career…

The relationship between the director and casting director is crucial: Interview with Mike Leigh and Nina Gold

Casting is a vital part of the creative process in any production and the relationship between the director and casting director is crucial.  The relationship between Mike Leigh and Nina Gold is a wonderful example of how a multi-award winning, uncompromising director, with a unique, individual approach, finds the casting process so important, that he…

An Interview with Producer Marc Samuelson on Casting the Movie Wilde

Marc Samuelson is part of the rare breed of a truly successful independent producer, making British films that regularly receive wide distribution and critical acclaim along with box office success. Casting is one of his first priorities in any project. MS: With WILDE (1997), I wanted to make an honest film about the reality of…

Interview with editor Stephen Mirrione

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Stephen Mirrione. Winning the Academy Award for editing Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic (2000), Mirrione’s portfolio includes Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), and The Informant! (2009). He has also edited Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006, with Douglas Crise), and Biutiful (2010); George…

Five Minutes with Comedy Genius Steve Skrovan

We figured Steve Skrovan, the multi-hyphenate producer-actor- writer- director-comedian, would have some insights for our readers, and we certainly were correct on that front.   My favorite movie is… Dr. Strangelove, a funny, biting satire on a big subject that is still relevant 50 years later. The most important quality in a filmmaker is… the ability…

Psychology: the Fallback Career for Filmmakers?

The best piece of filmmaking advice I have ever received was… “Just Keep Shooting.” Filmmaking is a process that you must practice in order to improve.  When I was younger, I made the mistake of viewing each project as the magnum opus of my career, not realizing that it was only a stepping stone in…

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MasteringFilm, powered by bestselling Focal Press authors and industry experts, features tips, advice, articles, video tutorials, interviews, and other resources for aspiring and current filmmakers. No matter what your filmmaking interest is, including directing, screenwriting, postproduction, cinematography, producing, or the film business, MasteringFilm has you covered. You’ll learn from professionals at the forefront of filmmaking, allowing you to take your skills to the next level.