Tug of War

I'm wondering as I sit and ponder the idea of getting pulled in one direction by the Kazan quote immediately below and in quite an opposite direction in the opinions of the last crew I worked with. I don't think it comes down to absolutes. That's a new idea. Nor do I think I am as far removed from the violent struggle suggested by the title of today's entry as I would like to think I am. It would be quite foolish for me to think that I will soon be in harmony with a crew, that I will magically surround myself with sycophants. Yet I think it worthwhile to pursue a balance of preparation and sensitivity to schedule, while retaining the integrity of the director's primary task.
I'm tempted to start throwing the Kazan quote around the gaffers, grips and cameramen with whom I routinely work. I'm quite certain it would be anything but an invitation to discuss the virtues of taking one's time on set and feeling your way through subtle material.
They admitted to me that they had never worked with actors that got better as more takes were shot. In the commercial world, the first take or two is all you get before the actor has nothing left and starts pushing it out. I've seen this to be the case with inadequately trained actors. Even with that admission of seeing the actors go deeper under my direction, they remain convinced that I worked very inefficiently. I have to admit that it stings. I'm being careful of jumping entirely over to their way of thinking. Doing so would drain much of the life from the work. However, understanding that keeping the crew behind you through respecting the limits of thier patience, particularly when they are not getting paid, is essential to building a career as a filmmaker. In any case, I could certainly sharpen my previsualization, shot planning and set communication skills.
Stumbling across the Kazan quote the other day got me thinking in terms of vindication. I don't really need to be vindicated. Though I must admit that I really would like everyone to get together and love the hell out of me, praising my genius and hailing my body of work.
Back to the metaphor of this entry's title -- I'm not letting go of either side of the rope, I'm trying to let go of being the rope.

Ciao,
Signore Direttore