A Brief Word on Compromise

I’m happy to be back visiting my long-time allies at Allon Media as they continue work on several projects including Anterior Review. As I watched credits being added to the silent vignette, Hammer, for the purpose of film festival presentations, we discussed the scripting process, funding, and unwavering vision. What makes a film like Hammer work? Clarity and assertiveness! Before the water-down process of compromising begins on a set, the compelling saga of production must be a concrete wall. Hair, make-up, the size of the hammer, the amount of blood, the numerous takes, all of these things must remain accurate and pointing toward the original vision. Keep the compromising to a minimum. Once you begin to stack up one compromise on top of another, takes begin to become just “good enough,” and what seemed to be off the mark only by an inch at the moment becomes a three-foot gap at the end. “The compromises that you have to make in film are just part of the beast, and it had gotten to a point where I just didn’t feel like I wanted to do it anymore.” -Gene Hackman -Contributing Blogger, Arthur Mhan