Guest Post by Melissa Kent
I have edited more than 20 features and TV movies with credits that include “The Virgin Suicides,” “Four Christmases,” “The Age of Adaline,” and “American Pastoral.” Back in 2004, while watching “Sex and the City,” I noticed that the episode was directed by their editor, Wendy Stanzler. A light bulb went off: “If she’s directing, maybe I could too.”
Cut to many years later when I realized, “If not now, when?” It was time to take some concrete steps.
1. Learn More About Actors and How to Communicate Effectively
My limited experience of working with actors was when they recorded ADR. Not since my days as a Theater major at UCLA had I directed performances, so to learn more I read Judith Weston’s books, “Directing Actors” and “The Film Director’s Intuition.” To my surprise, she refers to a documentary I edited, “Francis Ford Coppola Directs The Rainmaker.” Eleanor Coppola had shot 85 hours of Francis working with the actors on that film, and we cut it down to a 30-minute documentary for HBO. I am forever grateful though that I got to watch all 85 hours of a master at work. I took two of Judith’s acting and directing workshops to learn how to communicate with actors constructively and also to empathize with them since we did much of the acting ourselves.
2. Learn from Others by Shadowing Them
Through mutual friends, I met a few directors who let me shadow them on set, including Daisy von Scherler Mayer. Daisy has become a tremendous mentor, dispatching advice and encouragement in equal measure.
3. Find or Write a Script
I contacted various short screenplay competitions and asked to read their finalists. Through the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition, I found the funny, touching, and moving script, “Bernie and Rebecca,” by John F. Harris. It is about a couple after a blind date who imagine a not-so-perfect future together. It was an opportunity to direct a lifetime’s worth of ups and downs in just 14 minutes, within an overall comedic tone. I contacted John to pitch my take on his story and he agreed to give me the rights to the script.
4. Find the Right Producer
Rights in hand, I interviewed a few producers and was graced to meet Mary Pat Bentel, an experienced indie producer, who signed on and introduced me to amazing talent like DP Nicole Whitaker and casting directors Meg Morman and Sunny Boling.
Francis Ford Coppola has said that a director is a decision-making machine. Going into production was an almost endless series of decisions about casting, location, design and tone. But it all came together.
We did a three-day shoot. My experience as an editor helped me be extremely efficient with shot selection and also to think on my feet as the days unfolded. I would never give the editor only a single shot, so we added macro shots of hands and eyes to intercut, which became some of my favorite moments.
5. Head to the Editing Room with Great Collaborators
While watching the dailies I would sometimes think, “I wish they had done it this way,” and pretty much every time I would then hear myself on the dailies making the same request. Realizing that the flash forwards would work intercut with the main footage was an enormous relief, since I had dedicated 30 percent of the shoot to them. I screened it for friends to get feedback as soon as possible. Once picture was locked, it could not have been more fun to collaborate with some of my favorite colleagues who composed the music (David Carbonara), designed and mixed the sound (Christopher S. Aud), and color-timed the picture (Maxine Gervais).
6. Screen for Audiences on the Festival Circuit
It has been an incredible journey, screening from Hawaii to Edinburgh. Being there as audiences really lean in, listenm and laugh is a great joy. The biggest difference attending fests as a director compared to an editor is that editors can stay in the background. Being the one in the spotlight for Q&A’s and giving interviews took some getting used to.
7. Keep Going
What’s next? I’m on the lookout for a feature script to direct and feel ready to take on that challenge. In today’s environment where more TV series are looking to hire women directors, I’m totally game. In the meantime I will continue to edit movies, which I absolutely love doing.
Melissa Kent was recently honored as Best Director, Short Film at the Glendale International Film Festival. “Bernie and Rebecca” is an official selection at upcoming festivals in Carmel and San Jose, CA; Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Naples, FL; Charlottesville and Alexandria, VA; Berlin, Milan, and the Big Apple Film Festival.
