Beyond the Frame

Nelson Carvajal, of Free Cinema Now, muses on what it is to be a director:

The purpose of a director is to have a passionate vision for something. No matter what camera instrument you have at your disposal—what the hell are you trying to show me? Or provoke in me? Why should I watch your images?

[…]

It’s going to be your fervor and sense of purpose that points the camera toward something worth showing. 

Couldn’t be simpler.  That process of constant self-examination should be in every director’s repertoire.  Is this really the best shot?  Does it need to be this long?  Is this shot even necessary?  It’s that process of reduction that makes a career worth noticing.

~ü