Q) What is your process for directing a film? How a Screenplay Influences the Whole Process of Filmmaking?
" First, I come up with the idea in my head and obsess over it for a long period of time. While many of the projects inside my head never become complete enough for me to put into production, the ideas that resonate with me from start to finish are the ones that I decide to go through with, “Enter the Room” being near the top of that list. After the idea really works in my head from start to finish, I begin to write the script. While I rarely run into writers’ block since I already have the idea pretty well cemented in my head at this point, I often overindulge and repeat myself too often while writing.
Once the first rough draft of the script is complete, I review it over and over, cutting it down and fine tuning it until I feel very confident that it is ready to go into production. Once the script is ready, I create mass postings through various websites on the Internet. First, I hire my assistant directors, production managers and production assistants. Then comes casting, sending countless emails, reviewing tons of actor/actress submissions and holding many auditions, calling back the top actors/actresses, casting the best ones for their respective roles, holding rehearsals (I usually hold 2-4), hiring the best cinematographer, gaffer and location/sound experts, scheduling shoot dates, capturing all of our footage for the shoot and locking down the picture in Post-Production. I edit for a living, so I take care of post-production for my films, which is my favorite part of the filmmaking process. Once the film is complete, I begin sending it out to film festivals as I am now doing with “Enter the Room”."
Harry Waldman
Q) How do you work with actors to create the best performances?
"This has definitely been a work in progress as I don't have a film background or any real acting experience, but I have had multiple actors tell me that my extensive written notes help a lot. Each actor/actress I cast receives a few pages giving a backstory on the character, I include a "Scene by Scene" analysis, and I give written notes after each rehearsal. Holding a few rehearsals before my film shoots has also really helped my cast feel prepared once we begin filming, and I have rarely ran into any acting hiccups during shooting."
Q) What are the Essential Factors you take care of while making a Short Film?
"While I believe that there are so many important aspects to making a short film, I do think that the script is arguably the most important one. I think it is the area in which you have the most control regarding the overall quality of the film. If you have a compelling narrative, backed by interesting characters and an intelligent script, as long as you don't drop the ball in multiple areas, the film should turn out well. On the other hand, if you rush your idea and script, you are going to have a serious uphill battle to climb. With that being said, I think that the quality of actors/actresses, cinematography, score, editing, sound quality, etc. are all very important and should not be overlooked.
In addition to the technical aspects of a quality film, the movies that have the longest lasting impact on me are the ones that push me to the edge from an emotional standpoint, particularly films that contain a strong final act."
Q) " Enter The Room " was very successful as a Film Festival Short Film. What you preferred most while doing a film like " Enter The Room "?
"This was my first professional film and I really enjoyed the whole process, but if I had to choose my favorite parts, editing would be number 1. Editing is really when you get to see the film come to life, and I was so pleased with how the film turned out after a number of rounds of edits, especially considering that this was my first film and I wasn't really sure what to expect.
Writing the script would be second for me. I have always enjoyed writing and while this story is based on a tougher time in my life, it was very liberating to get it off my chest and writing the dialogue for the characters was so much fun, particularly for Brian.
Third would be the film shoot, mainly for watching the actors perform.. While I don't like shooting as much as editing or writing, it is incredibly satisfying to watch actors/actresses bring your story to life and I couldn't be happier with how Peter and Rich played out their respective roles, as they are not only very talented, but also were a really good fit for their characters."
Q) Which filmmaking techniques are you most comfortable using?
"For writing, I definitely have a specific, very up tempo wordy style that I favor and my characters tend to be very intense and confrontational. While I feel pretty good about myself as a writer, I do sometimes worry that I follow too specific of a writing formula and hope that my writing style doesn't become stale in the future.
As for cinematography, music and editing, I have become very comfortable utilizing quick cuts to match certain songs, darker grading/coloring, and extreme colors to convey certain tones. I have often been told that I have an authentic filmmaking voice, but similar to my writing style, I don't want to get stuck in the mud, repeating myself over and over. Regarding cinematography, I am trying to explore with longer takes that involve more motion in my future projects. "
Enter The Room Poster
Q) How often do you watch your own work to evaluate and improve your directing skills?
"All the time. I have lost count of how many times I have watched my films through the editing process, but I am sure that I have watched "Enter the Room" at least a few hundred times. It can become a bit redundant to watch my films over and over, but I do believe that I would improve as a filmmaker at a drastically slower rate if I didn't watch them so many times. For my films, I don't set a specific date that they need to be finished. I just want to come as close as possible to achieving my vision before finalizing my films."
Q) How has technology changed filmmaking in recent years, and in what ways have you adopted new methods in your productions?
"The change to digital filmmaking is what really allowed for my filmmaking career to take off. Before the age of digital filmmaking, I would not have been able to afford to make my own films, as they are self funded. And while I edit for a living and believe I am pretty good at it, if I had to edit the way filmmakers did before the digital age, I do not know if I would have been able to pull it off.
Streaming services have also changed the industry pretty significantly over the past few years. While I am somewhat concerned for movie theaters and bigger budget films, a lot of my favorite films are medium to low budget indie films and I want to continue to create my passion projects for a while.
As for new methods for my productions, I started filmmaking when digital was already popular and streaming hasn't affected me because I am newer to distribution, but I assume that as I continue to make films, I will adopt new ideas and strategies to help me on future productions."
Q) Which films are your favorite? Who inspired you to become a Filmmaker?
"Christopher Nolan was the first film director who I specifically followed. I first watched one of his earlier films, “Memento” at a friend's house in 7th grade. It was actually his parents' recommendation, and I was a rebellious kid, so I was skeptical. I was quickly proven wrong, and while I was confused by the twist ending, I was also very intrigued and immediately wanted to watch it again. I forgot about the film for some time, and about 2 years later, I stumbled into it at a Blockbuster. I became so obsessed with the movie that I watched it 5 nights in a row, learning something new every time as Christopher Nolan dropped so many Easter eggs throughout the film. In general, I really prefer to watch new films and I often get tired of repetition, but "Memento" is one of the few films that I can revisit over and over without ever becoming even slightly bored with it. Due to the ingenious plot structuring, smart script, incredibly complex characters and insane twist ending, "Memento" is the first film that I became obsessed with and is still my favorite film to this day. When I saw “Batman Begins” in theaters a few years later, I was blown away by the darker, more serious tone that the film went with and saw Christopher’s name in the credits as the Director shortly after the film ended. That was the moment that I learned of the influence that a director can have on a film and have followed Nolan closely ever since.
There are so many other directors who I follow, but I would say that some of the others who have definitely had an influence on my work include Danny Boyle, David Fincher, Gaspar Noe, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Akira Kurosawa, John Carpenter, Satoshi Kon, Michael Mann, Brian De Palma, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. I have had a number of family, friends and acquaintances compare my filmmaking style to David Lynch after watching “Enter the Room” which I take as a gigantic compliment."
Q) What tips would you give aspiring filmmakers who are just starting their careers?
"First and foremost, I would not recommend becoming a filmmaker unless you absolutely love doing this and breathe it day in and day out as I (and a handful of filmmakers I have met) do. It is a long, expensive and stressful journey that often doesn’t come close to giving you back what you put in from a financial/recognition perspective. But if you truly love doing it and receive the level of satisfaction that I do from working on and completing your films, I think you should continue to push forward and hopefully things will work out. Even if they don’t, you will always have something to be proud of and no one can take away the satisfaction that you receive from completing your passion project.
Second, understand how competitive this industry is, never expect anything and never act like you are owed something. Unless they had some incredible connection, even the best and most successful filmmakers on planet earth had to start at the bottom and grind it out in order to get to the top. Be professional, kind and courteous to others, and always do what you say you are going to do. The film industry is very oversaturated and you need to do everything in your power to present yourself in the best light
Third, just do it. I slowed my career down at times by stressing over trying something for the first time and not taking initiative, giving myself various excuses. Of course, you should plan ahead as much as you can, but studying is never the same as actually getting out there and doing it. Accept the inevitable fact that you will make mistakes, be flexible and move forward and you will learn from your mistakes and improve as you go.
And last, just remember to enjoy the process and don’t focus too much on the endgame. I am currently editing my first feature film “The Corridor Crossing”, which I shot last spring/summer, and post-production is taking me a lot longer than I initially anticipated it would. I could obsess over this fact and make myself go insane, but I have instead decided to understand that this was my first feature film, so it is okay that I couldn’t properly estimate how long it would take to edit the film and simply enjoy the journey, which has been an absolute blast so far, despite all of the unexpected hurdles that I have faced to this point."
Harry Waldman
10) What is your Dream Project?
"My dream project is an animated film idea (I am obsessed with animation and hope to make many animated films in the future) that involves a young adult (based on myself) who loses his mind due to being locked in his apartment during the beginning of the pandemic. All of his personality types and emotions (Based on "Inside Out") work together through a handful of intense and intimidating trials in order to get his morale up and prevent him from doing anything too drastic. (Throughout the film, he contemplates committing suicide, and his personalities do everything in their power to prevent this from occurring)"