Things I’ve Learned as a Moviemaker

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)