Douglas Sirk, Linda Darnell or: What They Don’t Teach You in Film School

I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the best directors in Hollywood. On location and in the studio it’s always fascinating to collaborate with gifted directors and then sit back and watch as the actors breathe life into my pages.

Linda Darnell, studio portrait

I’ve worked with directors who act as Freudian psychologists to elicit the proper emotions from actors. I’ve also seen directors who are more results oriented. They tend to block the actors—deeply choreographing their movements—thus treating actors like expensive props. I’ve witnessed directors bully actors into submission in order to get what they want. And I’ve seen directors who will sit down with their actors and spend endless hours discussing, analyzing, and torturing character and back story in order to excavate the core of the character’s soul. (more…)