Notes on Film Making

I am reading a book these days which titled “On Directing Film” by David Mamet. I have read only two lectures but I have learned a lots. The second lecture is a discussion about making a scene in a classroom.

I want to share some of my views I learned from the book:

1. Divide the story in beats/ideas. Work on first idea then second then third and so on.
2. Tell the story in cuts. Divide a scene in cuts. Literary explanation of the scene will kill our film. This is also main work of a director i.e. constructing the shot list from the script.
3. What is a character in Film making?
It is just habitual action, what a person does in pursuit of the super objective, the objective of the scene.
4. The Mechanical Workflow of the film = Mechanism of dream
5. The toughest thing in writing, directing and editing is to give up preconceptions. Always do things the least interesting way and you make a better movie.
6. Don’t rely on acting to tell the story.
7. How do we keep audience attention?
Certainly not by giving more information but by withholding informations—by withholding all informations except the information the absence of which would make the progress of the story incomprehensible.
8. Establishing ---not things but make the audience wornder what’s going on by putting them in the same position as the protagonist.
9. Follow the principle of KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid
10. Don’t let the protagonist tell the story. You tell the story; you direct it. We don’t have to follow the protagonist follow around. We don’t need to have anybody’s “back story”. All we have to create an essay just like a documentary.
11. Follow the protagonist only if that is the best way to tell the story.

I will be glad to get feedback/comments. On the basis of which I will post some more of my views on film making.

Enjoy watching films!