Personality In The Many Roles Of Filmmaking

This post was inspired by the Daily Prompt: The Show Must Go On:

If you were involved in a movie, would you rather be the director, the producer, or the lead performer? (Note: you can’t be the writer!).

I would not be the lead performer, because I am a bad lier and therefore a bad actress. Also, I don’t like being the center of attention, unless I am dancing on stage and all the lights are blinding me from the audience and my mind is lost in dance. 

I would not be the producer, because I’d rather be in the creative side than the business side of things.

I would not be the director, because I am very indecisive and I would basically have to make every final decision there is to make which would be an impossible task for me, and it wouldn’t feel right to me to be the boss of everyone on set.

I would not be the writer, because wordpress says I can’t be the writer, and because my fantasy related creativity is lacking in my brain. I can’t just come up with a story out of nowhere. I guess this is why I am a bad lier too.  I am a better non-fiction writer.

So, none of the above fit my personality.

In my life, I have made 5 short films and a commercial and have tried a little bit of many different roles. The two roles I would rather be involved in a movie are not options in the prompt but I’m going to make them options:

1. DOP (Director of Photography) – I prefer being behind the scenes and in control of the visual/artistic/technical aspect in a movie. I am a very “visual” and artistic (rather than creative) person; colors and patterns and aesthetics are always a preference for me before function. I think it is amazing how placement of the frame and lighting can control the feel of the movie. Cinematography is a technical way of being artistic, which is perfect for my brain. I love Wes Anderson movies for this reason (and many others).

2. Editor – The role of an editor is almost the same as a DOP, you get to be artistic in a technical way, behind the scenes but they both use different tools to achieve their purpose. For one you need a camera and lighting equipment, for the other you need a computer and software. Also, they both happen at different stages of the filmmaking process but both are really important. I think I can even say that editing might be more important. Bad editing in a good movie, would make a bad movie. In cinematography you can get away with more. Being an editor would suit me really well too, because you don’t have to be involved with a lot of people. It fits my artistic, technical and introvert personality, plus my love for movies.

In fact, if it wasn’t for my drastic decisions and change of life before my 20s, I would probably be making a living as a film editor, I was on my way to be one.

What about you? Who would you rather be if you were involved in a film?