Pro Cinematographer On What Separates Great Actors From Everybody Else - Andy Rydzewski

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#film #movies #cinema

[davedupey]

"Don't be a dick and be prepared." Great advice for every aspect of life.

[AshPragasam]

This guy's empathic abilities are through the roof

[dantespimp]

I don't blame actors for needing their personal space. I work retail at a clothing store. While my experience is nowhere near the movie set experience, I'm still putting on a performance in front of strangers on a daily basis (being super friendly despite being shy and nervous, being informative despite me not knowing the answer all the time, and acting confident despite me being so insecure). Interacting with so many people on a daily basis gets mentally/emotionally exhausting though. By the end of the day or during my lunch break, I don't want to talk to ANYONE lol. I just need time to recharge my batteries.

[errhka]

So glad he acknowledged the difficulty of bunkering down and learning lines plus the attention seeking near celebrities. It can be brutal and it's awesome he tries to do his part to make it as easy as possible for them - sounds like a true professional in that respect.

[sohndustin]

I’ve helped record auditions in a casting office for a CW show. I remember seeing this one actress (reminded me of Lily Rabe) had the magic “it” thing. Especially after hearing the same repetitive sides over a hundred times, but she managed to breathe new life into the words like they were conjured from their own thoughts and you couldn’t help but pay attention, and it felt like what I was witnessing was too good to be seen for free. But even after all that, I could immediately tell the actress wasn’t the right fit for the particular role she was auditioning for. And then the show didn’t even go to air.

But it taught me that rejection doesn’t have to be a reflection of your skills or your worth. There are so many other factors at play.

[zacklarez]

I've worked with him. Superb DP. Handles himself great on set and his work is solid. Hiring him as DP is money in the bank.

[OlgaKuznetsova]

As an actor, I really, really appreciate you saying that if the actor is getting a lot of info on how to do a take, you won't overwhelm them with additional instruction on the first take. Seriously, thank you!! Sometimes, it gets so complicated when you have to process a ton of new information on the spot! You

[MrDanroche]

This dude sounds about as professional as it gets. Don’t know anything about ‘the business, ’ but his approach to the craft grabbed my attention and kept me listening to the end

[mehze]

As an actor, ive always bonded more with cinematographers than directors or actors. This guy deserves a billion likes for his sensitivity.

[liquidbraino]

9:00 They're not just carrying a lot in terms of hitting their marks; getting the blocking right - they have to be able to live truthfully under that imaginary circumstance; allow themselves to be open & vulnerable, even devastated. And this is after they've had several different people RUN up to them sticking things in your face like a make-up brush; then a light meter; then someone runs up to you with a tape measure to measure the EXACT distance from the tip of the lens to the tip of your ACTION!!!!" They scream at you. That actor may have just spent the past fifteen minutes doing emotional preparation for the scene and you just took them out of character by screaming at them.

But that's exactly why Clint Eastwood treats his actors like horses. And by that I don't mean he bull whips them into submission - if you have loud noises or even fire on set, and you're working with horses - the horses will freak out and run or buck you off their back; ruining the scene. He doesn't scream through a bullhorn, it's a very quiet set; they use radios with earpieces so you don't hear a lot of radio chatter or noise on set - but you'd BETTER be paying attention. He's a great director because he's also a great actor.

[carlchilders]

My takeaway: an unprepared actor and the ramifications of that lack affects everyone.

As an actor and producer I know how much time goes into planning shots, which is connected to line items costs, equipment needed, and schedules. I mean, it’s incredible.

You don’t know your lines? It can change the whole flow of a day, money, workload, and on and on.

Prepare your ass off. Then prep some more. If you drop a line it’s cool, stay professional, but don’t freaking show up unprepared. That’s just selfish and crappy.

Ok. My two cents.

[jeremiahgallagher]

Bless this man, I hope he works forever on whatever he wants. People rarely think of the actors' job in this way- he's 100% right. A ton going on, every take, sometimes for 15+ hour days for weeks or months. That being said- they're usually the best days ever and you wouldn't want to be anywhere else, doing anything else. It's not coal mining. But the empathy and understanding is very much appreciated indeed

[JayBenedictBrown]

One of the least obvious things about the challenge of acting is what an actor sees during a shoot. From the camera in, things look real. From the actor out, one is staring (or trying not to) at cameras, lighting trees, three guys on a dolly, anyone on set moving around, etc. In theater the actor stares out into a black void. That’s much easier than film work.

[stevekasan]

i can speak as an actor, im glad that Andy said it is about the prep work, but, also mentioning that we get told A TON of things. I had to do a walk and talk for a feature called Zoonotic just recently which had about 8 pages of dialogue, plus specific action, marks, playing to camera, knowing what the other character is going to say, and, the fact that we have a schedule to maintain & not wanting to go over.
Filmmaking is hard work and its more than just saying lines to camera.
Thank you for this interview and with Andy just putting it out there everyone has a tough role. Everyone pulls their own weight.

[graceandmarvellouswonders]

I love how, when he talks about being professional, being prepared, putting in the work and not being a dick actually applies to anyone’s job and how that contributes to them being successful

[Lithilic]

I appreciate the humility the man has for his role and the empathy for those he works with. I think that reflects a great respect for the art.

[josephvanwyk]

Film Courage - would be great to interview more directors, chief sound mixers, cinematographers and 1st ADs. It helps getting their perspectives on everything.

[RichardWrightFirth]

Worked with Toby Stephens on Black Sails. Consummate professional, great guy, confident and powerful on camera. Prepared but often had his sides in his back pocket to have a quick peek before a take. He had stacks of dialogue and always being rewritten last minute. Always had time for people. Being prepared is key for any actor, but, myself included, it’s always possible to have a brain malfunction at anytime! I had word salad on a particular line, just wouldn’t come out! I had said it about 30 times perfectly on the reverse shots 🤷‍♂️. Seen tough guy actors puking in their trailers with nerves and another crying on the phone to their spouse because they dried on camera and couldn’t get the speech out. Can be tough. I think sometimes over rehearsed can be as a bad as under prepared.

[hudsonasher]

This guys voice is so calming and I love it

[ranggasaktibudiputra]

Connection between a cinematographer and actor/actress is just like a soundman and instrument player. A good communication for the greatest output from both part is needed