To be honest, I didn't know how to reply to that.  My favorite director? Well, of course, all filmmakers have favorite directors .. or do they?  I couldn't really come up with one, and when I answered that I didn't really have a favorite, he seemed surprised and very incredulous.  The more I tried to explain, the more I felt unsure of myself.  There are many directors whose work I admire, but I can't say that any one is a favorite over another.  I can't say with certainty that I've seen all the films of those directors either, and there are some films I love without being more than vaguely aware of who the directors are.

I'm drawn to the films of M. Night Shamalyan, Tim Burton, Stephen Speilberg, Ang Lee, Yimou Zhang, to name a few.  I like some of the films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Hayao Miyazaki, Ridley Scott, and Blake Edwards, too.  I like the limited number of movies I've seen from Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, Stanley Kubrick, George Cukor, Robert Wise, but a favorite director?  I couldn't say.

Why am I drawn to one movie or the other?  Sometimes it's the story, sometimes the writing or the acting or the cinematography.  Sometimes it's each piece fitting so nicely together as a whole, and sometimes it's the director who makes it all shine.  And so I think, for me, it's the storytelling that brings me back , the particular way of telling the story, the point of view.  It can be the story itself or the acting or the directing or the characters  or all of the above.

When I was a child, the question would've been answered with hesitation .. George Lucas.  After my disappointment with the prequels (and I liked the prequels but realized Lucas no longer held the esteem he once did with me), I've come to the conclusion that the story succeeded despite his best efforts .. although his direction made the story into what it was, it was the story itself that I came to love, the characters in that story that drew me in .. there was something lacking in the way the story was told in the prequels & that's what I'd found so disappointing.  Was it the fault of the director, the screenplay, or something else?  Was it simply a particular preference of mine?

So what do you think?  What draws you to a particular film or a particular genre?  Do you have a favorite director, or are you like me, perplexed at how to adequately answer that deceptively simple question?

I joined Paige S. as production assistant for the weekend and helped a bit moving furniture around and dressing the set with the art director.  Only two of the main cast (Karen and Brandon) were on set the first day, but the next day Brandon was there along with close to a dozen extras.  Yet everything happened pretty much on schedule, and I have to say that every person there was very professional and took his or her roles in the production seriously.  Everyone seemed to have a good working relationship.  I would love to work with any of them on future projects.  The hours were really long (especially for the director as she was up late every night problem solving for the next day's shoot), and it was *so* hot & dark on set while shooting, but every single person took it in stride.  Not one complaint was heard, and spirits were surprisingly high.

Having worked briefly as a PA on another short I'd already come to realize the importance of sound.  Now I understand, too, the importance of lighting and of craft services!  Not that I understand sound or lighting (too much technical info. for my brain to absorb), only that I am amazed at the way the light changes the look & mood on film (or in this case, DV).  I'd always been aware, but it's completely different to witness the transformation in front of you.  And we were lucky to have artist Irvin Stafford serving up lunch on Saturday.  The crew were still speaking about Irvin's burgers the next day.  Good, plentiful food and the availability of water, soda & coffee definitely helped keep everyone energized throughout both days.

Watching, in person, the set up of a scene and then watching it unfold (both on monitor and in front of the camera) was more informative and educational than reading what someone else has written about that process.  It's incredible the amount of detail that a director has to keep straight in her head (and the lack of sleep she gets).  Props to Sharifa for being organized enough to do all of that (and then some).  Someday I hope to direct a web series I've been planning, but I realize I'm not quite ready for that yet.  There is a lot of preproduction that has to be done!  (I've finally started writing the story out; that's a start at least.)

For now I'm enjoying the learning process on Sharifa's film.  In one scene sheets and a pillow had to be straightened between takes.  So I get to add pillow fluffer to my resume.  ;)   I had the opportunity to help with makeup as well.  Applying makeup to cover up tattoos can be unsettling if you're not sure what you're doing.  Luckily, it looked great on camera!  

At this moment in time, I'm helping a friend with research and whatever else she needs as she gathers the players for her first film out of film school.  The help I give is all long-distance, but I'm thrilled to have this opportunity.  Despite my lack of experience she's kept me involved along the way.  

I'm sure there must be others like me out there so I plan to share any insights I gain or simply random film-related thoughts.  :)