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Things I’ve Learned as a Moviemaker
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| Platoon |
From Dede Allen
More than anyone, Dede taught me about structure and performance. It was like learning how to ride a bike. I was constantly falling off before. But now I could hold my balance and sail down the street… wheeee!
From Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone used the verité of documentary style in the films that we worked on together. He liked the naturalistic effect of handheld cameras and roughly hewn scenes to enhance the sense of realism and provoke the audience. Oliver shoots a lot of material and his writing is very dense. You have to plow through a mass of story before you reach the heart of the scene and it is very easy to get lost. Oliver taught me how to find the essence of the scene and once you’re there, hang onto it.
From Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott has a remarkable visual lexicon. He can translate scenes and emotions into textures, colors and spatial arrangements. I had been to arts school and trained as a sculptor and so to watch Ridley take a narrative form and through sheer visual inventiveness and a good score, transform it into something magical was the closest thing to alchemy I’d seen.
From Robert Towne
Robert Towne is a walking tour of Hollywood. Apart from being a great storyteller—both on and off the printed page—he is an erudite guide through the history and politics of the studios. He has weathered many challenges in his career and I respected his candor, his wisdom and his great generosity of spirit. He loved the editing process because it was the final rewrite and it opened up a Pandora’s box of possibilities—all of which we explored.
From Neil LaBute
Neil LaBute has nothing if not a point of view, and I find that extremely appealing. He is far from being a misogynist, although the darkness of his themes might suggest it. He likes to explore the brutality in relationships, but he is an absurdist in the vein of Jean Renoir or early Buñuel. He’s really a bit of a moralist at heart, although don’t tell him I told you so. I love his work, partly because it is so unapologetic. But also because it has wit and deals with a side of human nature which isn’t the usual stuff of films. His enthusiasm for movies and theatre is contagious. He’s very intelligent and one has to be intellectually tenacious to keep up with him.
Filmography for Claire Simpson
Possession (2002)
Town & Country (2001)
Jakob the Liar (1999)
Without Limits (1998)
The Fan (1996)
Black Beauty (1994)
The Mambo Kings (1992)
State of Grace (1990)
Hell High (1989)
Tequila Sunrise (1988)
Wall Street (1987)
Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)
Platoon (1986)
Salvador (1986)
Reds (1981)
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Posted 05.15.08 | News/Commentary | 1 comment
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