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“PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND” writer-director, Daniel Barnz
I wish I had ten percent more of less worrying about time. Time is every filmmaker’s enemy, and of course you have to worry about getting everything you want. But worry too much, and that’s time you’re not thinking about whether you’re actually getting (or got) it. It’s wasted mental energy.
Here’s what I did to help myself: For months before we began shooting I wrote down in a big book everything I wanted from every moment in the film. In between setups I’d force myself to stop worrying about everything else (time included) and reexamine those notes. Keep the pace fast! Ask for fog! Geeky though it was, the book saved my ass. It’s too easy to forget too much in the stress of We Need to Move On-ness.
But mostly what I did to help myself was: I got the right people to work on the film. People at the top of their game (acting, producing, designing, shooting). And they made sure everything was right when it needed to be right. We fit square pegs into round holes a hundred times a day. I only wish I’d spent less time worrying about it.
[PREMIERE SCREENING: Sunday, Jan. 20, 2:30 pm — Racquet Club, Park City]
