Julia Stiles Never Lets Them See Her Sweat

The actress steps behind the camera to write and direct Raving

by Jennifer Straus | Published February 3, 2007

SCREENWRITING

Julia Stiles Never Lets Them See Her Sweat
The actress steps behind the camera to write and direct Raving
by Jennifer Straus

Julia Stiles directs Zooey Deschanel on the set of Raving.

When you're a director embarking on your very first project, it might seem intimidating to have your work backed by one of the world's top fashion magazines. But this is just how Julia Stiles found herself both writing and directing the short film Raving, which premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival in April and aired on The Sundance Channel in May.

The film is the first in Elle Magazine's new film series, "Elle Fashion Stories," and stars Bill Irwin and Zooey Deschanel in a tale of two lonely New Yorkers who form an unexpected bond after a chance encounter on a street corner. Using an article entitled "The Dress That Changed My Life" as the seed for her screenplay, the 26-year-old actress set about creating an intimate, character-driven drama that would challenge preconceptions of a fashion mag-produced film. Over the course of making the short, Stiles has acclimated easily to the role of writer-director and has quickly embraced the unique challenges inherent in moviemaking from the other side of the camera.

Jennifer Straus (MM): How did you get involved in Elle's film series and how did you go about writing the screenplay for Raving?

Julia Stiles (JS): The editors at Elle wanted to produce a short film, and they asked me to write and direct something. They knew they wanted it to center on the impact of clothing, but that was it. I wanted to tell a story that would go deeper and be something unexpected from a fashion magazine, so I started to really think about the idea that an article of clothing could change your life. I thought, "No, it can't!" Then I was intrigued by the idea that it is not the actual object, but what it represents-the memories attached to it, the person who wore it, the story behind it-that gives an article of clothing its significance.

MM: How did your acting background impact your style as a director? Was it helpful when it came to working with your two leads?

JS: I started coming up with the characters first and then the circumstances that would bring them together, so I naturally approached directing from a character-driven perspective. I think, as an actress, I know how much fun it is to be given a scene to play as opposed to a speech telegraphing who you are and where you came from. So I tried to write something my actors could have fun with. It's especially fun to play a scene where there is more going on than meets the eye, like where one character is lying or hiding something or trying to manipulate the other. That's pretty basic drama, but it works.

MM: Why did you decide to direct Raving? Did you have this in mind while writing the screenplay?

JS: I knew I was going to direct it because I could see it so clearly in my head while I was writing. I just wasn't sure the magazine would go for my story, because it's not what you would expect from a fashion magazine.

MM: Did you find directing to be more or less challenging than you anticipated?

JS: I absolutely loved every minute of it! I loved having to solve problems constantly. I loved collaborating with the production designer and cinematographer. I loved racing the clock but having to stay focused. I loved seeing the story evolve and take on a life of its own-to see it go from something I imagined alone at my computer to seeing it actualized by the actors and the locations. I loved being in the editing room and playing with all the possibilities.

MM: Are there any directors-those you have worked with or otherwise-who you particularly admire, or who influenced your directorial style on Raving?

JS: I really enjoy the slowness and simplicity of movies made decades ago, like Cool Hand Luke and Days of Heaven. There is so much expressed in pictures and so little in dialogue in these films. I like letting a story breathe and unfold and take its time to reveal why.

MM: What is your best memory of directing Raving?

JS: My best memory is from our third day of shooting, where we had three or four company moves in one day that were all dependent on specific levels of daylight. (It was my stupid idea to have the first half of the film be vignettes all over the city!) The crew had to haul all the equipment up five stories (there was no elevator) in a narrow, urine-smelling building on the Lower East Side, because we had no money for a lift. It was for the opening shot of Zooey on a rooftop next to the Manhattan Bridge, and I kept apologizing to the crew saying, 'Please, trust me.' Not a single person complained, and when they saw the beautiful graffiti on the roof and the Manhattan skyline and the river, everyone got excited. As soon as we got the shot, the grips and electricians raced all the equipment over to the East River for a shot that had to be at sunset. I remember these guys running with pieces of dolly track and clapping when we made it before the sun went down. There was that feeling of us being a team, and that they cared about my vision as much as I did. I was so happy.

MM: Your worst memory?

JS: The worst memory I have is of the day I lost a shot of Zooey at the sprinkler in a park, because we didn't have time to go to the location. I was really wedded to that image, but it probably wouldn't have ended up in the edit anyway, so things work out.

>> Things I've Learned as a Moviemaker

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COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

Comment by fashion girl on 4/05/08 at 12:39 pm

A nice short film, the movie begin to gain momentum after the man offer the girl a job and he start to raving.....

great film.....

Comment by bollyarm.in on 4/30/08 at 8:16 am

but here in http://www.bollyarm.in
we want to see her sweat

Comment by Fashion Magazine on 3/24/09 at 1:39 pm

She is cute!

Comment by Wedding Gown on 6/17/09 at 1:35 pm

I could really recommend you Polyvore.com. Its a website with all the latest fashion, and you have the ability to make you own collage’s. It’s really fun and easy if you want to create an outfit that you want to buy, because all of the clothes is in stores or in online stores.

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Comment by Leona Millenium on 4/03/10 at 11:42 am

The crew had to haul all the equipment up five stories (there was no elevator) in a narrow, urine-smelling building on the Lower East Side, because we had no money for a lift. Pretty stupid.
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Comment by cole on 5/06/10 at 10:59 am

I absolutely loved every minute of it! I loved having to solve problems constantly. I loved collaborating with the production designer and cinematographer. I loved racing the clock but having to stay focused.
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Comment by bell22 on 5/26/10 at 10:24 pm

There is so much expressed in pictures and so little in dialogue in these films. I like letting a story breathe and unfold and take its time to reveal why. She is gorgeous.
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Comment by Fashion Jewellery on 10/29/10 at 7:42 am

I did not even expect her to be so sweet! She is a real start and behaves like an ordinary human.

Comment by bell22 on 11/04/10 at 12:25 am

I think Elle Magazine is the best fashion magazine here in my home country. I’m going to watch this movie once they released it worldwide. Thanks.
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Comment by firmalar on 11/25/10 at 6:22 am

What they did actually for opening shot?

Comment by huntington beach shutters on 1/27/11 at 2:48 pm

I love Julia Styles so much, she’s just extraordinary.

Comment by aircraft for sale on 2/09/11 at 5:58 pm

I love her movie save the last Dance and The Prince and me.

Comment by Registered Manager Jobs on 2/23/11 at 3:01 pm

Julia is a powerful woman, probably someone you can look up to.

Comment by Care Assistant Jobs on 2/23/11 at 8:19 pm

I’ve been looking for this film and can’t find it anywhere. Can anyone help please?

Comment by Graphic Design on 2/23/11 at 8:22 pm

I was made to watch it by my girlfriend (don’t know where she got it sorry) and actually really enjoyed it. Good directing debut

Comment by Budapest on 3/06/11 at 7:09 am

Nice article and beautiful blonde girl on the picture!

Comment by Sparklers on 3/11/11 at 3:28 pm

Julia is such an amazing actress. She might even have a talent in directing.

Comment by Melaleuca on 3/18/11 at 5:38 pm

She is really beautiful. I love her role in The Prince and Me.

Comment by Johnson Smith on 3/21/11 at 7:53 am

Julia wrote a letter to the director of La Mama Theater when she was 11 years old, for getting auditioned which later brought her with roles in Matthew: School of Life and The Sandalwood Box etc.

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Comment by ann arbor carpet cleaning on 4/08/11 at 12:44 pm

Julia is really talented and beautiful in her own way.

Comment by chevrolet yedek parça on 4/14/11 at 2:53 pm

Hope to see more movies of her soon… She’s seems to be in hiatus right now.

Comment by Brian on 4/25/11 at 12:27 pm

She also is an ex-vegan, occasionally eating red meat. She says she gave up veganism after she developed anemia and found it difficult to get proper nutrition while traveling. table lamps lighting

Comment by Roof Cleaning Tampa on 4/29/11 at 8:00 pm

Seeing the royal weeding yesterday reminds me of Julia’s movie.

Comment by Pressure Washing Tampa Florida on 5/09/11 at 9:52 am

I love Julia.....

Comment by aloe vera drinks on 6/22/11 at 1:42 pm

Not a single person complained, and when they saw the beautiful graffiti on the roof and the Manhattan skyline and the river, everyone got excited.

Comment by doryh41 on 11/09/11 at 2:29 am

Wow i really enjoyed this interview with Julia Stiles I could feel how passionate about the project she was. I particularly like the question “what was her best memory” as she describes how the crew raced around with all the equipment to get all the shots done and never once complained but gave her 100% commitment and felt her passion for the shots to. Looking forward to more great posts like this thanks for sharing.

Comment by prendas de natal on 11/20/11 at 10:59 am

I only recently watched the movie, it was really interesting. This young lady is not just a good-looking girl, she is also very talented.

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Comment by Ex girlfriend on 12/02/11 at 4:15 pm

Seeing the royal weeding yesterday reminds me of Julia’s movie.

Comment by Robin on 12/09/11 at 2:21 am

Julia is stunning and I enjoyed the reading the Interview given by her. I have not seen the film but would love to see it.

Comment by rescue marriage on 12/10/11 at 3:12 am

I remember seeing her in the movie O and save the last dance. Save the Last Dance was a nice movie. She is amazing on screen. Good to see she’s doing a bit of directing now as well.