Cineformation’s Mike Leigh Masterclass on Wednesday 9 April 2008.

This fascinating evening with Mike Leigh, organised by Cineformation, started with a masterclass (aimed at local filmmakers) and went on with a preview of his marvellous last film Happy-Go-Lucky at Bristol’s Watershed Media Centre.

The film critic Nigel Floyd introduced Mike Leigh. The masterclass, in true Mike Leigh improvisational fashion, was given in the shape of a Q&A where the audience was the interviewer.

The questions were varied and interesting, but, since his seamless productions are notoriously script-less, a fair amount of questions related (in some way or another) to improvisation. As a result, perhaps what transpired most from the evening is that our perception of Mike Leigh’s improvisational style was somewhat flawed.

Indeed what we learnt is that, despite being very fluid, his method is anything but random. He told us that, to him, “all art is a synthesis of improvisation and order” (inspiration and structure).

He starts with an idea, a feeling, “a sense of possibilities”, and a wish to work with a certain actor or group of actors. For instance, he knew he wanted to make a film about an abortionist before the 1967 abortion act (Vera Drake). He also knew he wanted to make a film about Gilbert and Sullivan (Topsy-Turvy), etc.

When he has cast his actors, the creative journey of improvisation can begin. Despite giving a lot of freedom to his cast, he still plays god, in that they are told only what their character would know and nothing else. This long stage of improvisation (generally six months) and this information deprivation (which let them not be overloaded by information that could warp their characters’ truth) allow the actors to become deeply their characters and to react to whatever is thrown at them in a true and organic psychological manner. This sense of truth is very important to Mike Leigh. And thus, gradually, the story around the characters takes shape more and more (he said that he makes the film up as he goes along).

Scenes such as Vera Drake’s arrest were worked on during this improvisation period. After the actors had reached a stage where they knew in depth who their characters were, Mike Leigh subjected them to the shock of Vera’s arrest and the discovery (by her family) of her abortionist activities. The result of this improvisational work was explored and the best material was kept for the final “script”.

After months of work, he then writes what he called a “sort of shooting script” with no dialogue, just for him to fix on paper his vision of the film’s unfolding. The structure of all his films is very carefully considered. He added that to him a film was made in the cutting room and that shooting was only raw material.

The rehearsals with his actors make sure the final dialogues are finely tuned. He explained that he is not at all interested in actors’ improvising on camera (although he may very occasionally allow for it to happen). He insisted that the result of all these months of intense improvisation lead to a very scripted, rehearsed and classically shot film (at least it is the case for the great majority of his films).

He does not storyboard. Before shooting, he rehearses on the set with no one else but his actors. He runs all the scenes from top to bottom on location and there he can see all the narrative and filmic possibilities to be explored while filming. He makes decisions on most scenes’ structure, except in the case of longer, more complex ones. For these, on the day of shooting, he runs the scene with his cinematographer (for whom, as there is no script, it is the first time he knows anything about it), and they both make decisions about how to shoot it.

Despite Mike Leigh’s intense need for privacy to nurture and explore his ideas (no script, etc.), it can be said that, from beginning to end, his work method is highly collaborative.

Asked on the importance of sound in his films, he said that it was paramount for him and that he was very concerned with sound during shooting. As to him everything matters on set, he always wants to stay very aware of the sound recording.

Asked on financing his films, he acknowledged that it added to the difficulty of finding investors not to have any script and to refuse to discuss casting (for instance, to refuse to cast a Hollywood star in order to boost viewing figures). He said that a director should not compromise on what they want to do, but that on the other hand they should be very clear about their vision and motivations. He advised young directors not to do a film they do not believe in for financial reasons but instead to stick out for what they believe in.

Asked on actors’ egos, he explained that he only casts people that he likes working with and who have no inflated egos. He does not cast characters but actors. He always chooses “character actors”, people who display intelligence, creativity and kindness. As he relies very much on co-operation, egotistical actors are out of the question. It is actually quite apparent that he would not suffer fools or pretentious people gladly.

Since actors he approaches know nothing about the script or the character they will play, they need to trust him and also to be brave and totally open. He finds actors he wants to work with through “the usual ways”: plays, films, TV and tapes. He first meets them for a chat and then auditions them in relation to what he is doing.

Asked on his realistic technique, he objected to the term “technique” (saying that it means “to drill a hole in a wall”). On realism and naturalism, he said that his realism is not in his technique (nuts and bolts) but in his motivations. He wants to get to the essence of things. He added that his realism is a heightened and distilled one (as he deals with film and fiction). He does not see what he does as naturalism and described himself as a “tragicomic storyteller”.

On the digital revolution, Mike Leigh said that he still shoots on celluloid but also uses digital cameras for more flexibility (such as in the driving lessons scenes in Happy-Go-Lucky). The advent of digital grading makes the transition between celluloid and digital scenes look seamless.

Digital technology has also made it much easier to deal with potential sound problems at the post-production stage (he mentioned, for instance, how the scene of Vera Drake’s interrogation at the police station was spoilt by the noise of rain but was digitally rescued by his sound designer in post-production).

Asked on the similarities between Ken Loach and himself, he laughed and said that despite mutual esteem they were very different in their methods and themes. What they have in common is that they are British, that they both worked for the BBC in its heyday and that they deal with reality in their films.

He finished the session by talking about his youth, as the child of a dedicated NHS doctor, growing up in a working class area of Salford. He described how his love for films (any films of any genres) led him to study at RADA, work in the theatre and then for the BBC (which he described as very enlightened and liberal at the time). He worked there freelance, making eight or nine projects (Play for today), which helped to launch his career and his reputation as an important and deeply individual theatre and film director.

V. MARTIN veronique.martin@gmail.com www.myspace.com/cubicstone

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Author: Anon at 16:25 on 11.04.08 14 Comments | Leave a comment

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