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Exerpts
from an interview for Wim
Wenders answers questions about filming commercials. CR - Your filmic method and approach have undoubtedly changed as the budgets have become higher - with perhaps a greater emphasis on visuals over narrative. Is a commercial the ultimate in stylistic presentation? WW - Method and approach have certainly changed over the years, but because of curiosity, for learning not for budget reasons. I have always made very low-budget and even no-budget films in between bigger productions. It's deadly if you think that once you've worked with a certain kind of budget you cannot ever go under that again. It's the worst approach to filmmaking. It's pompous and megalomaniac. Which of course is one of the dangers and traps of my profession..... .......For the rest of your question I have to disagree radically. The narrative has become more and more the driving force of my work and the visuals ALWAYS have to serve the narrative now, not vice versa any more. I found myself too often in the editing room cutting out the most extravagant visual stuff when I realized it was rather an obstacle to the storytelling, not an asset to it. I feel rather similar about commercials: As much as they emphasize "style", all the style of the world is down the drain if you're not sure what you're trying to tell. That doesn't have to be a linear story, but there's got to be a purpose and a conviction that'll just have to carry every frame. And isn't that just another description of "narrative"? CR - How do you feel about creatives writing commercial scripts referencing your work? Are you willing to pastiche your own work? WW - Movies have been the cutting edge in imagery for a long time, but not so much anymore. Commercials and video clips often are way out there today and influence filmmaking more and more. So I take it as a compliment if creatives are actually referencing some of my work. After WINGS OF DESIRE, for instance, there was a whole wave of clips based on that film's catalogue of images and ideas. It means that for once you were a little ahead of your time. Look at the endless imitations of PULP FICTION, even years afterwards. I feel reassured if films can still provide that resource, every now and then. And NO, I'm not willing to repeat myself. CR - Did anything new evolve out of editing or filming or did the commercial stick to the storyboard? WW - The storyboard was slightly adjusted during the shoot, mostly due to our spectacular location in Iceland that just offered some angles that nobody could have come up with at the drawing table. And then we left out some shots in the editing and concentrated the story a little bit more on our main character. Less turned out to be more, as usual. |
CR - Is there some other way you see commercials developing other than the established format? Is there something specific you would like to create commercially? WW - I like commercials that are not dwelling on the product. I'd love to do something that never even shows it. No pack shot, nothing. Not that such an approach has never been done before, I just never had the opportunity. And I never had the chance, yet, to dream up something just by myself. Fat chance, you might say. CR - Some of my favorite scenes from your movies are the long, languid passages of life - how do you adept your filmic language to the contemporary quick-cut small-screen rhythm? Does poetry still have a place in cinema? WW - Some of these "languid passages" drive me bananas, in hindsight. Others have kept their purpose and withstand the test of time. I'm not opposed to quick cuts if the narrative calls for it. THE AMERICAN FRIEND had some scenes that are very fast-paced, even by today's standards. Poetry doesn't have to be "slow". But poetry can't really be "loud". I don't just mean sound volume. (Although I find that mostly rather detrimental.) Cuts can be too loud as well. CR - How does the creative collaboration with Robbie Müller work and how important is it to work with him as DP on commercials? WW - Actually, CARLING PREMIER was our first experience together on a commercial. I have done all my work in that field with other cameramen. But Robbie and I go back a long time. He shot my first narrative short film, when I was still a film student, exactly 30 years ago. We've learned a lot together. Which means we're not relying on what we've learned, but rather on continuing to explore what we don't know yet. What I most like about Robbie is that he is still scared and can't sleep at night thinking about tomorrow's lighting problems. CR - Are you going to direct more commercials? WW - Yes. |
