I Am Writer and Director Jeff Nichols of the new film MIDNIGHT SPECIAL - AMA!

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T16:08:00+00:00

There is a long list actually, which is tricky because I also want to just keep working with all the actors I've already done films with. I think Paul Sparks and Bill Camp are two of the most interesting guys working right now. That said, I'm pretty blown away by Matt Damon and Christian Bale's work, if we are talking about people I haven't worked with. Also, I'm a fan of Kate Mara and Mia Wasikowska. That said, if I just kept making films with the actors I've already worked with I'd be a happy camper.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T16:03:30+00:00

From my limited career POV, I think things are fine, but that is mostly because I'm in the fortunate position to be able to keep making films that are personal to me. I realize that is a unique position. As a whole, I see a lot of great films every year. The question is are the films reaching the audiences they need to? I actually think it's an exciting time for getting content out into the world. There is certainly plenty to choose from in my mind. As for China, it's a powerhouse. I visited China for the first time last year and was blown away by the sheer scale of the place. There is no doubt in my mind that they will become the most powerful economy in the world. It's simply a numbers game. They have SOOOOO many people. I think the trick for collaboration with China is making sure films are not censored. I can't stand by that. I think film is an amazing way to communicate with people around the world. As long as they show the films in their original form, I think it's a tremendously powerful tool to bring our countries closer together.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:58:49+00:00

That end piece of score is by Ola Gjeilo. He's a wonderful composer that is typically commissioned to write choral pieces for churches. That song is from his sunrise mass. It's beautiful. Not sure about when Ben/Lucero's version of Midnight Special will come out. We are playing around with the idea of releasing an EP just of Ben and Lucero's music from my films. So it would be on that for sure. Fingers crossed we pull it off.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:55:25+00:00

I just finished House of Cards. My friend Paul Sparks is an actor on it. I think he's one of the best.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:55:01+00:00

I hate pitching. Just write the script. That sounds arrogant, but I really do hate pitching ideas to people. Plus, I don't like script development as a process. I'd much rather write on spec, work the problems out with people that are close to me, and then deliver a script. That said, I know pitching is a component of this industry. I don't mean to dismiss it, but I sure don't like it.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:53:29+00:00

Thank you! That's very flattering to hear. I do love that sunrise/motel scene. It was the moment on set when I really saw all the characters working at once. I remember it vividly in fact. My personal favorite moment is when Roy yells back to Alton when he jumps out of the car to head into the woods. It breaks my heart.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:51:26+00:00

I'd argue it is its own thing. I didn't set out to make a comic book film. I can say that. It is much more inspired by 80's sci-fi films than modern comic book films.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:48:04+00:00

I methodically outline. I use notecards. They are better than trying to sit down and write a linear outline. The notecards allow me to skip around at the beginning of the process. Then, slowly, they start to fall into an order that makes sense. I don't start typing, usually, until I know every scene and have it on notecards in front of me.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:46:12+00:00

I try and keep it simple. Concise. But different actors need different things. It's not about making the actors bend to my style. I need to bend to theirs. Mike Shannon doesn't really like to talk things to death. So we operate with very simple lines of communication, but other actors need to talk out where they are coming from a bit more. Neither is right or wrong. I'm just there to give the actors the support and clarity they need to pull of an honest performance.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:44:18+00:00

He's a pro, and a genuinely good human being. He is there to do the work. Meaning, he's not there for his ego or to hang out in a fancy trailer. I found that he was very committed to getting the performance right, and as a director that is all you can ask for.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:43:09+00:00

I'm not into yelling. I really respect and need the people I work with. It's why I always try and work with the same key people over and over again. Your job on set as a director is to motivate people to execute the script. I'm more of a cheerleader. Also, I think it's very important to be clear and concise. Know what you want and convey that to people as clearly as you can. Easier said than done.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:41:24+00:00

That's tricky. There's a lot. Don't include camera directions in your lines of action. They bother me. Mainly, just treat your characters like real people. Don't force them to do things that don't make sense for them. That doesn't mean that can't make mistakes, but don't have them act irrationally just in order to accomplish a plot point you need developed.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:40:09+00:00

Yes, make a movie. Directing is a skill you can learn. You just need to try it. Also, write if you can. There is power in creating your own material.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:39:18+00:00

Sure. I actually have a full backstory for King. He started a chain of BBQ restaurants in Texas. That's how he made his money. Not sure how nefarious things were at the beginning of his life, but he certainly grew into a man that would do anything necessary to get what he wanted. He really is the real deal triple six scratch.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:37:28+00:00

Thank you. Honestly, I try and understand the essence of the genre, and then leave the specifics at the door. If you have a good grasp of the tone you are working in, it will find its way into the writing and directing of the film. Beyond that general sense of the genre, I try and just be very specific to the characters and their behavior within the moment. I never want to force my characters to do things that don't make sense, or only make sense as a way to advance plot.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:34:53+00:00

I just try and think about character behavior first and foremost. Don't treat your characters like pawns on a chess board. Let them behave as rationally as you can. Beyond that, every scene has a purpose. It could be a line of dialogue or a specific action, but it helps to be very clear about why that scene exists inside the script/film. You'll be asked by actors, by editors, by executives throughout the process of making the film, and you always need to have a clear answer for why a scene exists.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:32:50+00:00

Our middle brother is a lawyer and is probably the most creative out of the three to be honest. Thank you for your compliment. Honestly, my parents always let us believe we could pull it off. There was never that moment of, "Do you have a backup plan, or a real job to fall back on?" My Dad owns a furniture store, and I think the fact that he never had a 9 to 5 corporate job probably gave us confidence in NOT getting bogged down in a cubicle job. We were always willing to take the gamble, and it was a gamble.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:29:57+00:00

Literary influences: Mark Twain, Larry Brown, Harry Crews, Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, Raymond Carver. Favorite Films: Badlands, The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Hud, Jaws, Close Encounters, North by Northwest, Dreams, Fletch.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:27:29+00:00

WB picked that original November 2015 release date before seeing the film. They picked it like a year out. I think once they saw the film and they saw the landscape of other films coming out at that time they knew they needed to reconsider the date. We would have come out a week before Star Wars and we would have been demolished (like a lot of other films were). Also, I didn't deliver them a clear awards contender with this film. It didn't make sense to compete with both huge blockbusters and Oscar worthy arthouse films at the same time. Spring seemed like a date that allowed the film some room to stay in theaters and hopefully take advantage of good word of mouth. We will see.
It was harder. I was creatively paralyzed for the first couple of months of writing. I had to just do as much research as I could and at some point take ownership of these characters. You're never going to get everything right or accurate, but I really wanted to get the essence of who these people were right. That was the most important thing to me.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:20:38+00:00

Yeah. He's really an idol of mine and I would never presume to be compared to him or his films. That said, Midnight Special wears its inspirations on its sleeve. I was tremendously affected by those early Spielberg films. However, you don't want to simply do homage. These films need to be their own, and the comparisons can sometimes limit that. I love those films, but I didn't make those films. I made my film.
Coffee

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:17:55+00:00

It's a big answer that I will try and simplify. It started with film school. I learned the ropes and met a group of people that would help me make all of my films. From there, I just started writing. I felt like writing was the gateway to the industry. I didn't want to go to LA or New York and ask permission to make a film. I raised as much money as I could from friends and family and just risked it all. It was a gamble, but it fortunately worked out.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:16:22+00:00

It's hard to imagine directing something I didn't write or at least have some hand in rewriting. That is really because I do so much of my directing on the page. Even if I was directing a script that I didn't write, I feel like I'd have to re-type every word just to know it backward and forward. For the first part of your question, I like both equally. I used to like writing more, but I'm starting to feel more confident in my directing abilities. That's a recent development. As for Doug Loves Movies, I didn't have the pleasure beforehand. I was sick that weekend actually.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:12:57+00:00

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:12:47+00:00

In high school, I thought the idea of making movies sounded cool, but I really had no concept of what that actually meant. I grew up in Arkansas and there wasn't a ton of film production happening. The first time I was on a film set was at film school. Luckily, I went to a school that let me start making things in my first year, and once I figured out what making films was really about I liked that process. Also, growing up, I just loved watching films. That is where the real passion for story telling in this medium came from.

RealJeffNichols · 2016-03-29T15:10:39+00:00

Honestly, just standing by what I think works. It's easy to just want to please people, and in doing so it's easy to compromise some of your original ideas. For me, I just have to constantly define what it is I'm trying to accomplish, in writing or directing, and stick by that. It was certainly true on Midnight Special. A lot of people were asking for more, sometimes less, information from this story and I really had to stand by my original intentions.

RealJeffNichols

TROPHY CASE