Fox Movie Channel

I love it when a plan comes together by Marie

Hey, it's Marie Burke from USC's Theatre school, and I am delighted to tell you about the experience on my first Life After Film School show. Along with fellow students Brian and Gabe, I got the privilege of interviewing the director of The A-Team, Joe Carnahan.

The Shoot
Being on the set was amazing! I had never been on such a large (yes, to me it was large) set before, so it was exciting to see what goes on behind the scenes of LAFS. It helped that prior to this filming, we were able to go to a previous show and see how things were run. But what I appreciated most was just how smooth things ran and how everyone worked together from the set up to the finish.

Some of the first people I met on set were Stacey and Jessica, and it was great to chat about how they got connected with the show and doing Hair and Make-up. Everything felt more personal than I had expected from picking the wardrobe to practicing the questions with Josh, and like Lauren said, that beautiful Craft Services table (chocolate-covered fruit definitely helps a jittery soul).
 
While I may have started out nervous on my way to the shoot, and while watching another interview beforehand, each person I encountered on the set had a plan and made sure that everyone was on the same page. Lights, sound, cameras, production, the guests... among it all, I felt at ease and couldn't wait to interview Joe!

The Director
The point of LAFS is that as students, we get to interview filmmakers about how they got to where they are now in their careers. On this first show interviewing Joe Carnahan, I realized that while the goal behind the camera is to make sure everything is running smoothly, the best part is getting to talk to the talent who are simply normal people living their dreams in big ways.

 



When Joe walked on set, I wasn't sure what to expect, but from watching some of the clips from one of his very first films, Blood, Guts, Bullets, and Octane, I realized he was probably a pretty hilarious guy who loved to have fun in his work. He turned out to be just that, glad to meet a couple of students and answer their questions. I didn't feel intimidated at all. It seems many times, we can develop ideas of what directors, actors, producers, and writers can be when they get to a certain point. But it's encouraging to know that when you take away all that distance of the camera and the screen, you can have a normal conversation learning about the passions, failures, strengths, goals, and hard work that these artists (many who were in film school themselves).

As an actress, what I was most interested in knowing was how the cast worked together on the set of The A-Team. Joe explained how his vision differed a bit from the 70's TV show that the movie is based off of, and how the main actors (Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, and Rampage Jackson) worked together and brought their own qualities to their characters. What especially destroyed any image I may have had of "Mr. Joe Director of Big Fox Feature Film Carnahan," was when he shared about how he tried to make the actors feel comfortable on set even serving as a DJ taking people's song requests. Awesome.
I already love action films, but the interview with Joe Carnahan tuned me in even more to the film, and I can't wait to see it when it comes out. To quote Hannibal, the leader of The A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together," and it definitely did for this first shoot on the set of Life After Film School!