May 22, 2012

Things We’ve Learned as Moviemakers

Chris Kentis and Laura Lau | Published February 3, 2007

Chris Kentis goes underwater for Open Water.Photo: Lions Gate Films

Moviemaking is truly a labor of love.

It takes a long time to make a movie. You spend months getting the script just so. You spend months in production, getting all the footage you think you need. Then you go into the editing room—and there, you start from scratch again.

Making a film is a continual process of discovery, evolution and refinement.

It takes a lot of perseverance, but along the way it is important never to lose touch with that which led you to want to make the film in the first place. Hopefully, that initial inspiration will infuse your film, and carry you through difficult times.

You have to be confident.

On our first film, we sometimes found ourselves intimidated by the many professionals around us, because they had more experience than we did. We learned that we must have the confidence to not know, to be open and, at the same time, to make decisions based solely on our personal vision.

Right or wrong, you have to honor your vision of a film.

You can never second-guess what an audience will like—so make what you like.

Making a movie is a huge challenge, but living your life well is an even greater challenge.

The film is a reflection of who you are, but so is the process by which you make it.