FS: How and when did you discover your love and talent for film?

In college we experimented with super 8mm. It was also a time of Fellini, Bergman and Truffaut. The combination was intoxicating. Two years at California Institute of the Arts gaining a masters Degree in film exposed me to both the fundamentals of the craft and the wide scope of world cinema. Here I made several short films which demonstrated my talent and vision for film.

FS: How did your career unfold?

After film school, I worked as a stills photographer and editor. One of my classmates and I decided to chuck it all and partner to make a feature. We raised the money with help from Roger Corman and made The Great Texas Dynamite Chase. My partner was the director and I produced. Since I see myself as a director, I spent the next several years in LA directing plays; works by Sam Shepherd, Thornton Wilder and Samuel Beckett. I wrote screenplays and finally sold a piece to the Disney studios, Little Foot, which was made into a TV movie and for which I received a Writers Guild Award for best teleplay. I was asked to produce a film with Dick Shawn titled Good-Bye Cruel World. The director and Mr. Shawn had an "artistic falling out" so I replaced the director and made my first feature. Next came three films for Cannon as part of their Fairy Tale Series, Rumpelstiltskin with Amy Irving and Billy Barty, Sleeping Beauty, with Tawnee Welch and Morgan Fairchild, and The Emperors New Clothes with Sid Caesar and Robert Morse. I followed this series with C.H.U.D. II for Vestron pictures, which starred Gerrit Graham and Robert Vaughn. In 1989 in South Africa I directed the night of the cyclone with Kris Kristofferson and Marisa Berenson. In 1991 I began teaching at NYU where I eventually became Chair.

FS: What do you enjoy most about your jobs as a film educator and a film director?

Teaching is rewarding because if two or three of my students go out into the industry and make marked changes, I will have made a difference. Also the students at NYU are very eager and clever which makes the dialogue in the classroom exciting and sharp.

As a director I am constantly honing my skills helping actors breathe life into a script. I also maintain an understanding of the technological advances being made in then film and television industry which influences my role as a teacher and a chair.

FS: What filmmakers have inspired current work and career choices? What films had the biggest impact?

Akira Kurosawa and Jean Cocteau were my two biggest influences. They taught me to be simple and to engage in interesting stories. Ikiru and Beauty and the Beast rank as two films which have influenced and enriched my understanding of cinema.

FS: What current filmmakers do you respect the most? How do you think they got to be where they are today?

Terry Gilliam, Werner Herzog and Michael Apted. They all had perseverance and demonstrated good work ethics to maintain such vibrant and long careers.

FS: You have an education in both theater and film. How did your theater background help in your post-graduate education?

Theatre is an ancient art, one in which the written word is sacred and the work of the director to assist actors to find the proper interpretation holds true as keys to directing film. Casting solid actors and respecting the scripting process helped me make decent early work.

FS: What lessons from your formal education have remained as vital keys in your current success?

Communication skills, networking, research and passion for the process.

FS: What did you dislike about your education? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

What I learned after graduate school cannot be taught in the academy, only in the field. These include coverage, shooting ratio, pace and patience.

FS: Describe a typical day for a film director on a film shoot.

He or she is the first one on set. When the actors and crew are together, the first shot of the day is blocked. The actors then go to wardrobe and make-up while the AD oversees the dressing and lighting of the set. The actors return and the camera rolls. When the scene is right, the camera can move. When the coverage is complete, the company can move on to the next scene. During lunch the director consults with the AD to write the call sheet for the next day. The afternoon proceeds as the morning. At the end of the day, when all the scheduled scenes have been shot, the AD calls for wrap. After wrap the director meets with key crew personnel and goes to see the dailies from the previous day.

FS: Describe a typical day as a film educator.

Each day is different depending on which days one has a class to teach. The day could be teaching, prepping a class, student advising or departmental service work. Many teachers are on campus for periods of time whereas as chair I am in my office or in class all week, which makes me very accessible to students, faculty and staff. This is important in that ours is such a large department and I am interested in addressing questions, challenges and problems as early as possible so they don't get blown out of proportion.

FS: How important is communication between all creative elements within a film project? How have your collaborations informed and influenced your career?

Communication is the oil in the engine. Without it any film production would grind to a halt in short order. A director should use every means to enhance, encourage and facilitate communication.

Teamwork is the bedrock of production and that is why a director's interpersonal skills are tested as a collaborator. As important as the contributions of the director are, one must not overlook the contribution of other artists integral to the process. No one person makes a film. Director Sidney Lumet states that in production he is "in charge of a community that you need desperately and that needs you just as badly. That's where the joy lies, in the shared experience."

FS: You have received several awards and honors including three CHRIS awards? Can you tell us more about the CHRIS award?

This is an award we won several times for our series on African American Painters. An award out of Ohio, the committee must have been enamored of our series as we won whenever we applied.

FS: You have worked with a number of high profile actors including Kris Kristofferson and Robert Vaughn. What qualities of these and other actors have positively facilitated your job as a film director? What aspects do you look for in a good actor and what aspects would you like to avoid?

A professional actor is one who is eager to please the director and at the same time service the character. All actors with whom I have worked displayed these characteristics and made the process exciting and artistically rewarding. Sid Caesar in particular was one of the most generous actors with whom I have worked as he would often give another actor a key bit or line which in the end made the scene work best.

What I like to avoid is a "star" or "prima donna." These are actors who can give a director a look which says "I am the star, I can make you bend to my will, so don't mess with me."

FS: C.H.U.D. II stands out as a unique directing choice compared to the rest of your film resume. How do you feel about this project now? How has it influenced your creating process? How did you personally and artistically benefit from this experience?

All my projects have been educational and rewarding. Some have been more stressful than others, and they were all a challenge. C.H.U.D. II was a particularly satisfying experience as I was eager to stretch myself and try to blend the comedy and horror genre. In this effort I feel I achieved my goals.

FS: In what ways is documentary film important to the education and definition of culture?

What I have learned about documentary is that it is like fiction in that one has to tell a story. In the case of the documentary, much of the story is discovered in the shooting and the editing, whereas a narrative is created primarily during pre-production which includes the screen writing.

FS: Can you dispel any common myths about film directing and the industry in general?

It's mostly hard work.

FS: How is the job market right now in the film industry?

The film industry is very healthy. LA is still the main playground, but production in Canada, NYC and Europe is up.

FS: What would you consider the five most important specialties in the film industry?

Screenwriting, assistant camera, script supervision, art direction and editing.

FS: What positive and negative trends do you see in the film industry today? What do you think the future of the industry looks like?

On the plus side films are America's chief export and many opportunities exist. On the down side the new digital technology is causing some tension. I am concerned about copyright, watermarking and preservation. I am not convinced digital technology has addressed these issues satisfactorily.

FS: How can prospective art students assess their skill and aptitude for film and determine their fit in a film program?

Its all in the gut. Those who want it have to grab it. Perseverance, passion and talent are the keys. Luck is also a big factor.

FS: What factors should prospective students consider when choosing an art school?

The faculty, the facilities and the schools exit strategies.

FS: How available are internships in film?

At NYU we have a relationship with over 900 companies in the tri-state area. Film companies love, love interns.

FS: What specialized computer programs do film and video professionals typically use? How important is it for graduating students to be well-versed with these programs?

Students should know AVID editing, Final Cut Pro editing, Movie Magic Budget and Scheduling.

FS: How has the popularity of the Internet affected your profession?

Mostly by e mail and speedy research capabilities.

FS: Is there anything else you can tell us about yourself, your career, or the profession that would be interesting or helpful to others aspiring to enter and succeed in film and video?

Find the balance between assertiveness and aggressiveness. Ones a turn on, the other a turn off.

FS: Any final words of wisdom?

See as many classic films as you can. Your work will stand on the shoulders of Kurosawa, Bunuel, Ford and Fellini.

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