Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/19885
what I’m shooting and we discuss it, so he’ll notice stuff that’s maybe not quite right. “For instance, for the scene with the big stampede of cows, we used quite a bit of second unit footage, and he was able to tell me, ‘OK, I’ve got enough coverage now.’ He was the only person who knew. So he’s closely monitoring what needs explaining and exactly what I’m doing on set, and I’m entirely dependent on him.I’m talking to him the whole time, and he gets the footage I’ve shot and the next day he’s started cutting it. “So by the end of the shoot, there’s usually a rough cut ready about five days later.Then you slowly work through it, and you learn what your mistakes are. After the rough cut, we realized it’d be far better to have Dominic Cooper’s character arrive far earlier. So then you have to go back and figure out the puzzle again. In the end, we went back and did one shot,and we were able to get rid of two min- utes we no longer needed. So you gradually cut and cut and streamline the story.” POST: Who did the visual effects and how many visual effects shots are there? FREARS:“They were all done b y the Bluff Hampton Company in Soho, London, and the supervisor was Mark Nelmes.We used quite a lot, because this film really should have been shot over four seasons, which isn’t realistic . So a lot of the shots were taking leaves off trees, adding them back on, and doctoring landscapes. “For the big stampede scene, we had a lot of wire removal and people removal. Mark did a great job, and I quite like getting involved with the visual effects, although I don’t know much about it. But I love the re- sults.The same company did the stag in The Queen, and I was able to look at the scenes and get the stag to walk into the room.” POST: How important are sound and music to you? FREARS:“They’re so important to any film. I was lucky to work with composer Alexandre Desplat again, who did Cheri and The Queen, and he’s just brilliant. He gives me what I don’t know that I want, because I haven’t a clue (laughs). And he always surprises me.We did all the mixing at Pepper Sound.” POST: Did you do a DI? FREARS:“Yes, at Pepper Film with col- orist Adam Inglis.To be honest, I don’t know a lot about the DI process and I just sur- round myself with very good people who do, and I trust them more than I trust my- self. I’m definitely not a technical sor t of di- rector, but I love doing the DI and making all the little adjustments you can do now.” POST: Did the film turn out the way you hoped? FREARS:“As always, it turned out far bet- ter than I ever imagined. I’m always surprised at how my films turn out — that they’re so complete and that the characters are so be- lievable. I never know going in quite how the film will turn out, although you learn over the years what will probably work.” POST: Did you always want to direct films? FREARS:“(Laughs) No. I was bor n in Leicester, which is a rather boring town in the middle of England, to a middle class fam- ily, and I started working in the theatre and then just got lucky.I was working at the Royal Court Theatre and director Karel Reisz came to do this play, and when it collapsed he of- fered me the chance to work with him as an AD on his film Morgan. I’ll never know why he said that, because he then died, but he changed my life just like that. It was extraor- dinary, when I look back on it. I had no expe- rience. I’d never even been on a film set be- fore. So I just learned as I went along.” POST: How’s the film business changed since you began back in the ‘60s? FREARS:“It’s unrecognizable. First off, it’s a young man’s game.When I began, every- one involved was my age — and now I’m 69 and the oldest guy in the room.The pro- ducers on this — who’re all young — could- n’t believe how many old people were mak- ing this f ilm! (laughs). The truth is, I keep working because I’m tolerated. But I know very well that in a f ew years time I’ll no longer be tolerated. “There’s a few old guys like me still di- recting — Clint,Woody, Lumet, Ken Loach — but not many. And the technology, espe- cially in post with Avid and digital sound mixing, is a huge change. I think that filmmak- ing today is a much more hit-and-miss affair, and all the new technology sor t of encour- ages that approach, as you can sort of put it all together in post far more easily, whereas the films I make are made with great preci- sion. So that sense of craft isn’t as dominant as it used to be. But the new technology has certainly improved things so much.” POST: Is film dead? FREARS:“Probably, although we shot this on film. I always say,Why don’t we shoot this digitally? And they always go, because it’s too expensive for the budget. So I’ve never been allowed to shoot digitally, although I’d love to!” POST: Hollywood’s gone 3D crazy it seems. Any interest in doing a 3D film? FREARS:“It’s not really my kind of thing, but I thought all the military scenes in Avatar were great.The 3D there was amazing to me and less interesting when it was all the fantasy stuff.” POST: How’s the British film scene? FREARS:“Terrible, but then it’s been in crisis ever since I was born (laughs).There’s never much money and it’ s questionable whether there’s even a film industry there. I suppose I’m more of a cottage industry and I choose to see myself as a director for hire. I like receiving scripts and then making them.” POST: What’s next? FREARS:“I’m going to make a film in Las Vegas, about pro sports gamblers. I’m driving there tomorrow to meet some people. I love discovering these new worlds I know nothing about.” www.postmagazine.com November 2010 • Post 17 Pepper Post in London posted Tamara Drewe. The mix was done at Pepper Sound.