Some of the greatest minds in history have tried to figure out what makes us laugh. Sigmund Freud, for example, wrote a whole book on the subject: “Wit and Its Relationship to the Unconscious.” But of all the theories, one of the most compelling is: Tell the Truth. This simple but eternal comedy technique is on full display in Narelle Nash’s award-winning comedy, “The Actor.” Nash, herself an actor and a booking agent, has dramatized the audition process as she has lived it. What’s especially nice about the tell-the-truth method is that anyone can use it. We all have experiences that–with a bit of distance–are hilarious. Negative experiences seem to work best. As the old Spanish proverbs, “If you want to make someone laugh, tell him your troubles.” You’ll find an interview with the Sydney-based director following the movie.

Interview with Narelle Nash

MMM: What made you decide to become a film director?

Nash: I was at the time a frustrated actor waiting for the phone to ring and had started to think about creating my own work, but had zero experience and zero access to funds for expensive shooting equipment. Then one day I came across an article on Facebook from Mark Duplass (of Netflix fame) that changed my life. The headline was ‘There’s no excuse not to be making films on the weekends with your friends’. It was then I learnt that there was a whole movement of smartphone shot films taking place. Previous to that I had not even imagined that I could use my iPhone to make a film that would be taken seriously. So that planted the seed that maybe making my own short film was something that I could actually do.

MMM: How did you develop your filmmaking skills?

Nash:  No training/experience, I just picked up an iPhone and started filming. A couple of films later, I’m still figuring it out.

MMM: Are there any filmmakers whose work influenced you?

Nash: Steven Soderbergh, for obvious reasons.

MMM: How did you come up with the idea for this movie?

Nash: I once read that if you are writing for the first time, write what you know. I know about being a frustrated actor, so I wrote that, basing it partly on my own experiences and that of my actor friends. Turns out there was quite a bit of comedy gold there. I then wrote the characters specifically with the people I cast in mind. I wanted the film to be good but I also wanted to give my friends a vehicle to showcase their abilities, in the hopes that it might help further their acting careers in some way.

MMM: Could you say something about scripting the piece?

Nash: Most of it was scripted, but some of it was definitely improvised on the day. I favour a collaboration style with actors. Some of the best moments in my films have come out of giving the actors room to improvise their own ideas. Comedy especially lends itself to that.

MMM: Where did you find the actors?

Nash: They were all good friends who are also actors, except for Mark Grant, who played Adam. He’s an IT guy and partner of one of the other actors. He had never acted before in his life. Of course, a lot of people thought he was the funniest.

MMM: Could you say something about your approach to directing?

Nash: I let my actors make their own choices in terms of their characters’ motivation and tend to give them quite a bit of scope in their interpretation of those characters. The only time I really steered their performances was if I needed them to be more in line with my overall vison for the film and the story I was trying to tell. But mostly when it comes to direction, I am of the opinion that you cast good actors and then get out of their way.

MMM: Was it difficult to direct yourself?

Nash:  It was definitely stressful at times and a big learning curve. One of my actors Nathaniel doubled as my assistant director (AD) and that was certainly helpful for my first film. I recommend it for other first-time filmmakers.

MMM: Why did you decide to shoot using a phone rather than a traditional camera?

Nash: Mainly for its accessibility and practicality. I had no idea how to use a ‘traditional’ camera and would have had to get in a whole crew for that, whereas I wanted to see what I could create on my own with virtually no budget.

MMM: What gear did you use in addition to the phone?

Nash: I used a camera tripod and actually taped the iPhone to it. Lighting was lamps I brought from home that we put baking paper over. The only professional external equipment I used was a Rode lapel mic. If you’re thinking this all sounds very amateurish – it was! At that stage I was so new to mobile filmmaking I wasn’t even aware of all the devices that exist. Recommend gear – some form of professional sound equipment, definitely. You can get away with a lot of things in indie filmmaking and some things can be fixed in editing, but never poor sound. Ever.

MMM: During the production did you encounter any unexpected problem?

Nash: Yes shadows. Oh my god shadows. Lighting was something that I hadn’t imagined being such an issue that held up filming, because its always shifting/changing and we didn’t have professional lighting equipment. Also, just things like batteries dying on laptops and of course on the phone itself, running out of space. Solving these unanticipated issues required patience, taking the time to move the lamps around and adjusting the curtains to different positions until we hit the sweet spot.

MMM: If you could do it over again, is there anything you’d change?

Nash:  I’d be more organized in terms of preparation for things that can go wrong, and I’d be more assertive as a director. I was so conscious of not wanting to take up too much time of my actors (who were working for free), that I underestimated their call times. Instead of watching all the takes back on playback, I took a “should be fine” approach so we could keep filming moving along. Some of the takes ended up not being fine (due to a sound issue, etc), which in some cases, left very few useable takes to choose from.

MMM: “The Actor” was your first production. Have you followed it up?

Nash: My second film “#SELFIE” is currently on the festival circuit. It’s a short horror about a young woman’s social media obsession and reality converging. It was a lot of fun to shoot.

MMM:  Do you have any advice that you might give people who are thinking about making their first movie?

Nash: Just do it. Grab your friends and your mobile and get together to make a film. Just use professional sound! If you don’t have any friends in the acting industry, put a call out on social media/audition websites for people wanting to collaborate on a short film. I guarantee you’ll get a response; there are always enthusiastic people out there learning and wanting to expand their experience.

 

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“The Actor,” winner of a Bronze Award at the International Mobile Film Festival, has been chosen as a Mobile Movie of the Week by the editors of MobileMovieMaking.com