Comments on: What the Hell is a Co-Director Anyway? http://womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/ from a feminist perspective Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:47:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Slumdog Slight? « Tree Town Cinema Club http://womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-1564 Slumdog Slight? « Tree Town Cinema Club Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:07:34 +0000 http://www.womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/#comment-1564 [...] Melissa Silverstein mentioned this too in a Women & Hollywood blog post about [...] [...] Melissa Silverstein mentioned this too in a Women & Hollywood blog post about [...]

]]> By: SolShine7 http://womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-950 SolShine7 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:18:00 +0000 http://www.womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/#comment-950 Good question! I was wondering the same thing. The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) has been getting some Oscar buzz for Best Documentary and I wonder if the co-director Thavisouk Phrasavath is getting the same amount of respect as Ellen Kuras. Good question! I was wondering the same thing. The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) has been getting some Oscar buzz for Best Documentary and I wonder if the co-director Thavisouk Phrasavath is getting the same amount of respect as Ellen Kuras.

]]> By: Claire http://womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-947 Claire Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:35:00 +0000 http://www.womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/#comment-947 Here's an <a HREF="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brad-balfour/director-danny-boyle-crea_b_146064.html" REL="nofollow">excerpt from a Q & A with Danny Boyle</a> where he discusses the role of co-director:<br/><br/>Q: Having a co-director, Loveleen Tandan -- what was that about? <br/><br/>DB: Loveleen was the casting director, who did an amazing job. It was quite a big cast, and I didn't know anybody, virtually no one. And I realized that I needed her on the set. She wants to be a director as well, and she can do it, you can tell. It wasn't just for the kids -- who only spoke Hindi -- it was for everything, really. And I could test things against her, culturally, and stuff like that. When I knew I wanted to make a mistake, do something incorrect, because you do do that -- films have their own logic which isn't applicable to the country necessarily. Then I sent her off to do the second unit.<br/><br/>The second unit had been shooting very badly, and then I realized, I should send her out with it... As soon as I sent her out with it, the stuff that came back was like fantastic. So we called her "co-director" because she deserves it. [She] and the first assistant director, this guy called Raj Acharya, and the guy that did the live sound, Resul Pookutty -- they were very special for the film. Here’s an excerpt from a Q & A with Danny Boyle where he discusses the role of co-director:

Q: Having a co-director, Loveleen Tandan — what was that about?

DB: Loveleen was the casting director, who did an amazing job. It was quite a big cast, and I didn’t know anybody, virtually no one. And I realized that I needed her on the set. She wants to be a director as well, and she can do it, you can tell. It wasn’t just for the kids — who only spoke Hindi — it was for everything, really. And I could test things against her, culturally, and stuff like that. When I knew I wanted to make a mistake, do something incorrect, because you do do that — films have their own logic which isn’t applicable to the country necessarily. Then I sent her off to do the second unit.

The second unit had been shooting very badly, and then I realized, I should send her out with it… As soon as I sent her out with it, the stuff that came back was like fantastic. So we called her “co-director” because she deserves it. [She] and the first assistant director, this guy called Raj Acharya, and the guy that did the live sound, Resul Pookutty — they were very special for the film.

]]> By: Anonymous http://womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-945 Anonymous Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:57:00 +0000 http://www.womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/#comment-945 I think it's possible that two or more people can have deep collaboration on directing a movie, but there's a reason beyond male dominance that people are reluctant to have multiple directors on nominations. Film is an industry full of vanity and people who get a credit without work because they gave money or is connected. Producing is full of this where the bimbo or himbo or relation or good ol boy gets a producing credit because they have a powerful person buying it on the backend. I'd rather maintain the reluctance than have a pile-on situation where a kid gets a credit because his daddy or sugar daddy got it for him while the real director did all the work. It's like what happens in academia, where people attach themselves to publications without work. Directing is a powerful position because the buck should stop there and diluting that recognition shouldn't happen. I think it’s possible that two or more people can have deep collaboration on directing a movie, but there’s a reason beyond male dominance that people are reluctant to have multiple directors on nominations. Film is an industry full of vanity and people who get a credit without work because they gave money or is connected. Producing is full of this where the bimbo or himbo or relation or good ol boy gets a producing credit because they have a powerful person buying it on the backend. I’d rather maintain the reluctance than have a pile-on situation where a kid gets a credit because his daddy or sugar daddy got it for him while the real director did all the work. It’s like what happens in academia, where people attach themselves to publications without work. Directing is a powerful position because the buck should stop there and diluting that recognition shouldn’t happen.

]]> By: Tristin Aaron http://womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-944 Tristin Aaron Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:05:00 +0000 http://www.womenandhollywood.com/2008/12/what-the-hell-is-a-co-director-anyway/#comment-944 This is such an important story. Kudos on breaking it! This is such an important story. Kudos on breaking it!

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