Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/432224
www.postmagazine.com 25 POST DECEMBER 2014 OUTLOOK DIRECTOR O OUTLOOK O OUTLOOK DARREN ARONOFSKY Noah, Black Swan, The Wrestler Writer-director Aronofsky fi rst made a big splash when his debut low-budget feature Pi won the prestigious Direc- tor's Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Since then he's made such eclectic fi lms as Requiem for a Dream, the ambitious sci-fi epic The Fountain, The Wrestler, the Oscar-nominated Black Swan, and the biblical epic Noah. STRENGTHS: "There are so many, from the edit, of course, to the mix, to the score and the DI. They're all amazing tools you have in post which can totally transform your fi lm. And it's always sur- prising just how much all those steps can change the material." WEAKNESSES: "I don't know that there are real weaknesses, except maybe that you have this grand vision for how your fi lm will look and sound, and then the real- ity of what happens to it after post, when it arrives in the local theater, hits you. For instance, I love mixing. We mixed Noah in Atmos and did some great, fun, cool stuff with the mix, but it's tricky because you're not getting Atmos in that many theaters yet, or home theaters. But I think that as people start to hear it more and more, they'll realize just how great it is. But then the reality is also that most people now will end up watching your fi lm on an iPhone with a pair of earbuds, or on a plane with a pair of shitty earphones, and that's a little upsetting. But that's the new reality and you do the best you can and mix in Atmos and 7.1 even though most people will just have a stereo experience." OPPORTUNITIES: "The DI process is a huge opportunity and has completely changed the way fi lms work, as you can do so much creative stuff now, like guid- ing the audience where to look in a shot, and cleaning up stuff that isn't working. I love the DI and what it can off er you." THREATS: "[Laughs] That's easy — all the craft services. The problem with post is that there's a lot of sitting around, and then you just start snacking and eating and getting fat. I wish there was some way I could use weights or exercise during the mix and stay healthy. I guess the other threats are the usual ones — lack of time and money. I think there's more and more of a push to speed up the whole post process now, because all the new technology makes it look easier, but of course it's not. And you need that time to refl ect and think about your fi lm." OUTLOOK FOR 2015: "It seems like Hollywood's doing really well with the big budget superhero franchise fi lms, so we're going to keep seeing those, while on TV we're going to get a lot of great dramas and series that are a bit edgier. When I started, there were lots of indie fi lms still getting into local theaters, but now it's much tougher and a lot of that type of content has moved over to TV. But look at last year — it was by far one of the most interesting and diverse years for fi lm in a long time, and I hope that the trend continues in the next year." They're all amazing tools you have in post which can TOTALLY TRANSFORM YOUR FILM. And it's always surprising just how much all those steps can change the material."