Discussions About A Career In Cinema: Alexander Payne, Director
In this video interview, Oscar-winning writer-director Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways, The Descendants, Nebraska) reveals his attitudes towards hiring collaborators, managing the filmmaking lifestyle, and technological evolution. Payne’s valuable insights include how the success of his collaborative relationships grows out of the quality of the questions filmmakers ask one another.
0:00 – Choosing a cinematographer
2:14 – It’s like casting
2:55 – A DP’s work is different with different directors
3:18 – What a director wants in collaboration
4:29 – What are looking for from the people you hire – craft, artistry, the ability to get along
5:15 – The quality of the questions we ask each other
6:34 – Managing your career from a financial standpoint; low overhead
8:08 – Personal relationships
9:14 – Technology – the director’s job is not changed
11:39 – Technology, editing and post, and the human brain