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Topic: Customary for filmmakers to talk over their own movies at screenings?

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-06-2005 12:17 PM

I sort of enjoy the commentary tracks and the occasional "making-of" feature, but I usually watch'em once and that's it. The best commentary track I've ever heard is Ron Howard's on "Apollo 13." His attention to detail is amazing and you can just tell that he'd be a great guy to work with.

My 2nd favorite is the one on "Used Cars," which was Kurt Russell and Robert Zemeckis plus one other guy. It made an already hilarious film even funnier.

The "Spinal Tap" commentary (by the band members in character) is good too but it was so over-hyped as being the funniest thing ever, I was a bit let down by it.

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John Hawkinson
Film God

Posts: 2273
From: Cambridge, MA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 08-09-2005 04:23 PM

Even when you have the director there, or really interesting commentary, nobody stays for the credits. It's the only reasonable
approach. And remember, the director wants as many people to stay as possible, not just the die-hards.

I guess a hybrid possibility would be to shut down the projector and hold the credits until after the Q&A. Perhaps I'll give that a shot the next time it comes up.

Edit: or for those of us running changeover, let the speaker talk over the credits, then cue up the reel again to the proper point and play the credits with audio after the Q&A session is over.
--jhawk

[ 08-10-2005, 07:19 PM: Message edited by: John Hawkinson ]

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Jason Whyte
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 132
From: Victoria, BC, Canada
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 08-11-2005 12:49 PM

I cover the Vancouver and Victoria Film Festivals yearly and all films that play at the festivals with a Q and A afterwards remain playing with the lights down, with sound, all the way until the end and the Q and A begins after the final credit has hit. Audiences there are the rare sort that, you know, actually WATCH the credits instead of the mutliplex drones that appear to be allergic to them.

The last time the festival staff killed the sound was in 2003 at Victoria where the volume was turned down on the film at one screening which was a part-musical. Many in the audience groaned at this and then the projectionist forgot to turn the volume back up for the next show! That has since never been done.

Jason

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Jon Morgan
Film Handler

Posts: 60
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 08-14-2005 02:40 PM

I expected this thread to be about the director talking DURING the movie, which is something I have sadly witnessed as well.

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