Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/613047
www.postmagazine.com 27 POST DECEMBER 2015 OUTLOOK DIRECTOR O working with on a project that filmmaking is a process of acceptance, and post pro- duction involves more acceptance than any other phase of production. When you're writing, you have this complete and utter freedom to dream up whatever you want. You don't have to think about any of the limitations. Then when you're prepping and directing, you're now con- fronted with those limitations and you're doing everything you can to conform the screenplay to what is possible, given the schedule and budget. And then finally you're in post, and face to face with all the limitations of the film you shot and the time and money you have left, and sooner or later you have to just let it go. That's the big weakness of post — that you can't actually fix everything in post. There's only so much you can do with the materi- al you have and the resources left." OPPORTUNITIES: "Obviously post gives you all the opportunities in the edit and sound mix, and with the addition of mu- sic to really craft and sculpt the material, and the DI's a great place for that, too. I actually try to get the film as close as possible to what I want on the day, and then I look at the DI as a way of enhanc- ing that and shaping that, but I don't actually like to manipulate things too gra- tuitously, although it's very tempting with all the stuff you can do now to an image. I'd rather have it be as close to what was shot, as I feel, 'That's the movie we made.' And it's easy to forget that audiences are going to watch the film and look at it in a very different way from us." THREATS: "It's always about time, which is the main threat to moviemaking in general. And when you have an accel- erated post schedule and manage to deliver swiftly, it's maybe not a good thing for you, as everyone now expects the same thing every time. Look at how fast we did Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, which was just 10 months from the time we started shooting 'til the day we released it. That's insanely fast! And I feel really sorry for everyone who's going to be held to that standard afterwards. We showed that it could be done, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's a huge amount of pressure." OUTLOOK FOR 2016: "It's sad there's less variety because the middle's being squeezed out, and the gap between big and small movies is growing faster and faster, and the margins are getting nar- rower and narrower. It seems to me that story and character are now finding their place in smaller films — and migrating to TV — while spectacle and aesthetic are becoming the driving forces behind all these huge movies. The other thing I see happening is a renewed interest in film, meaning celluloid. When we did Edge of Tomorrow last year, film seemed like it was on its last legs; it was very difficult to process, the mags were breaking down, the equipment wasn't being maintained — but now there's been a real resurgence of interest from a lot of filmmakers. I think what will happen more is a hybrid of both film and digital, like we used on Rogue Nation, where we shot on film but used the Alexa for some sequences and the night stuff. Obviously digital's here to stay, and I love all the technology and choice it offers you, but I don't think film's dead. I think there's room for the two technologies to co-exist." I like to tell everyone I'm working with on a project that filmmaking is A PROCESS OF ACCEPTANCE, and post production involves more acceptance than any other phase of production." — McQuarrie Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation