Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/551510
24 CINEMONTAGE / SUMMER 2015 CineMontage: What makes you two good collaborators with each other? Oren Moverman: I met Alex on The Messenger and we connected instantly over music. We spent a lot of time just talking about music, our lives, everything but the movie. We actually work very fast — so we can spend more time talking about other things. He's such a pleasure to talk to and a great guy to hang out with, so we set up that environment in the editing room. Alex Hall: I've been very lucky to work with amazingly smart and talented filmmakers who love to collaborate. There are no bosses; everybody is working together toward this common thing, and allowing for discoveries along the way. It makes it exciting. Oren takes that to a whole other level — seeking everyone's input and incorporating it into in the work. He intentionally sets up situations that could completely fail or lead to some transcendent moment; he calls them "accidents," but they're not really. There was a scene early on during the The Messenger shoot. I was concerned by something in the dailies and wrote to him, "It feels like this is a mistake; maybe you want to reshoot it." He just wrote back, "I love mistakes." That's actually a big part of Oren's method, what gets him going, creating those moments where things could completely fall apart or some magical discovery could be made. Within the language of contemporary cinema, he wants to make something a little different; something challenging but with heart — not just an academic exercise. So within that, our relationship has always been one of pushing each other. Throw out the rules and preconceptions of what's "right" or "good." Be as bold as possible. Try things. OM: Alex lays down the foundation. He shows you the possibilities already in the assembly. I like to be in the editing room, mostly because Alex makes it so much fun, but also because I like the process. It's very collaborative. I don't ever pretend to know what the right thing to do is. It's always about finding it. We shoot in such a specific way; every shot is the entire scene. We never shoot in fragments or classical coverage. I react to the assembly, and come up with some ideas that are buried in the experience of shooting them. It sounds simple, but there are people who achieve a level of craft where it doesn't become explainable. I think Alex is that guy now; he's so instinctual and experienced that he can show you things without