Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541878
OUTLOOK FILMMAKING This year saw healthy box office growth for Hollywood, thanks to such global hits as Lilo & Stitch, A Minecraft Movie, Jurassic World: Rebirth, F1, How to Train Your Dragon, Superman, Sinners and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. But the industry still faces strong headwinds from the ongoing decline in post-COVID theatre attendance and the uncertain economic outlook. Here, some leading directors talk about the challeng- es of post and their views on the future of the industry. JUSTIN LIN Fast & Furious franchise, Star Trek: Beyond, Last Days Lin made his directorial debut in 2002 with Better Luck Tomorrow, a low-bud- get indie crime drama, which he also co- wrote, co-produced and edited. The film debuted at Sundance to critical acclaim and launched his career. Since then, Lin has become one of the most successful directors in Hollywood — and the go-to car-chase and car-stunt filmmaker of his generation — by steering the long-run- ning Fast & Furious action series into a multi-billion-dollar global mega-franchise. STRENGTHS: "I feel when we first start, you buy into this myth of auteur film- making, where you have to know every- thing, and that every shot was designed before you shoot, and then when you go into post, every cut is already made. And I think with age and maturity you realize that's the stupidest thing. Part of filmmaking is about evolution, and so post to me has become a joy again, and I'm very lucky to have close collab- orators like [editor] Dylan Highsmith. Dylan's part of my development process and part of my pre-production, because having my editor there, I don't have to say things ten times, and we hang out and talk about the film, and that helps along the way, so that when we get to post, something that we talked about eight months ago at lunch, we can bring up. So, it's become much more malleable, because you want to take advantage of growth and the wisdom that you learn along the way. And so, to me, post is the reward of all the hard work. It's not easy, but it's saying, 'Why did we embark on this journey? And now that we have all this footage, let's not lose sight of why we're making this movie.'" WEAKNESSES: "I think sometimes it's the isolation, and this is where the whole idea of test screenings comes in. When I was younger, I was always like, 'I hate test screening because, you know, I'm a filmmaker. If you don't like it, too bad. That's my movie!' Then you get older, and you realize that test screenings can really help, and there's something really magical about the experience of sharing your film. It's, of course, also very scary as a human being. You're sitting in a theater with a thousand strangers, and you can't manufacture laughter. When people laugh, or they gasp, or they clap, those are all organic reactions. And for the big studio films, like Fast & Furious, you do a ton of tests and really get to see what is working and what doesn't. But especially in a small indie, like my last film, Last Days, I wish I could have had more of that test audience interaction, just to be able to sit back and sometimes take the hits. Sometimes bask in some- thing that worked. But you don't get that, and I think that is a weakness. We tried really hard to have screenings and bring in people that have very differing perspectives on faith, on life, and we did have some really great conversations. I just wish we could have had more." OPPORTUNITIES: "The great thing about post is it always gives you that opportu- nity to make things better, and I think I've been in the business long enough now where I could tell you that me liking a movie or not is actually secondary to the intent of the filmmaker. There could be a film I watch, and maybe I didn't like it, but man, they committed to something, and I love that. So that is something I'm always striving for. I don't think we're making films to try to please everyone, but you're trying to hopefully have a point of view, and now we're living in such a polarized DIRECTORS OUTLOOK 2026 BY IAIN BLAIR Leading directors address the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing the world of filmmaking Lin says test screenings, like those on Last Days, can be valuable to a filmmaker. Justin Lin