Directors on Directors: Davide Gentile Meets Marco Grandia

Davide> Oh wow, I didn’t expect the call to go like this…  That has to be your photo in the article haha. How do you do magic with that on your head?!

Marco> It is fucking annoying. I can only look through the mouth, and if there's big studio lights then I'm almost blind. I don't know why I came up with this… I have a tendency to make things really complicated for myself. What about you, Davide, any interests outside of filmmaking?

Davide> Well, I used to skydive, as a hobby. But I stopped as my mom worried too much. I really liked it, though, it was my way of getting out of my head and not thinking about anything else. And I miss it sometimes. I guess acting or performing for you is similar - both are ways to escape reality and do something else.

Marco> Yeah, true. Skydiving, that’s cool. I always love the shots of people jumping out of aeroplanes. I think hobbies are an interesting way of staying inspired. I enjoy magic for that reason and I often combine that with theatre. Both are about playing with reality, creating something that doesn't exist, which is the same in making a feature or making a short film. 

Davide> Exactly. Since I stopped skydiving, my focus has been on creating the type of lifestyle where I have more time for myself and for my people. I want to chill, read, just live my life, so I have reduced the speed of my life since my first feature film three years ago. I am trying to find a balance to avoid being driven crazy by work schedules. That way, when opportunities arise I have a better chance of feeling inspired. 

Finding that balance has been difficult, because I was not always a director. Before film worked in many, many jobs. My first job was a pest controller, I killed rats and cockroaches. Then I was a football commentator. Becoming a director is just something that has happened over time. I found I was good at it, and then it became a passion, but before that, it was just an opportunity, I guess.

Marco> What was the opportunity? How did it come about? 

Davide> Well I was football commentating in London, and I found out about this platform where clients were sending briefs to filmmakers from all around the world. I signed up and did my first one which cost me 300 Euros, I think, but I ended up winning 2000 Euros. That was a lot to me back then and I hadn’t found the process too hard – it actually came easily to me. So I kept going. Eventually I got noticed from production companies which is when everything started to become more professional. But it was completely self made. I never studied directing or film, not at school or anything. How about you? 

Marco> Yeah, I never studied directing or attended film school either. But, saying that, I knew from the age of 12 that I wanted to do something with cameras. I didn't know exactly if that meant being a cameraman or a director, all I knew was I wanted to use a camera. I was skateboarding a lot at this age, so I started making skateboard videos when I was about 16. My first big project was filming my friends skateboarding and this got me noticed. I started working for television, making extreme sports type of programs about surfing and snowboarding and skateboarding. Then I began making music videos. 

When I started making music videos, I learned about the technicalities and intricacies of filmmaking. I learned how editing can form a story and change the way you feel or respond to a film. And, like you Davide, I just figured it out along the way. And I experimented a lot with different styles. Teaching yourself a new skill will always mean making mistakes, but you also find your own signature style along the way, which cannot be taught at film school. 

Davide> Cool. And how did you end up making the big celebrities sports films? You’ve worked with Messi a few times, right? 

Marco> Yes I have, for a few commercials. My first introduction to working with celebrity sports stars was through a friend who had made a website for a famous football player in Holland who wanted to make a documentary about football, so I went for it. A year later, I’m shooting the global Adidas campaign with Beckham and Messi and other big stars from back then. I’d say it was my commercial with Kobe Bryant and Messi for Turkish Airlines that elevated me to a certain status. 

The trickiest part about working with football players and sports stars is helping them act well on camera. I always have choreographers on set who help me direct the talent in a way that looks natural. For example, Messi is a great football player, but if I’m shooting an ad with him I have to be super clear in my directing so he knows how to perform on camera. I’ve done this for 15 years now, and having these choreographers on hand definitely makes it easier to direct sports stars and celebrities. 

Davide> I guess it's also a question of time, because on those kinds of sets, you don't have much time to shoot. And you’re working with non actors which is something I understand. I like to use regular people whenever I can. Actually, in my feature film, the two main kids were not actors, they were scouted in the street!

Marco> Ah, yes, the kid in your film was good! 

Davide> Yeah, he was brilliant. We auditioned 600 children but none of them were what I was looking for so the film was due to be cancelled. Then four or five weeks before the shoot, I was walking in the street and this kid just ran in front of me, and I was struck by inspiration. They were perfect. But, when you don't have real actors there can be unique problems because they aren’t familiar with being on set and on camera. However, I think it’s the responsibility of the director to build a natural, trusted environment in order to get the performance that you need. 

Marco> Definitely. It’s down to the director to motivate everybody on set and to ensure everyone has the freedom to do their job to the best of their ability. For example, I don't know a lot about clothing, so when working with a stylist, I will give them a brief and grant them the freedom to interpret it how they see fit. You must give people the freedom they need. For this reason I think it’s really important to have a great relationship with your first AD.

Davide> I agree. First AD’s are so important. But above all, I think you must have a good relationship with yourself. Because if (or when) something in your creative process doesn’t go right – whether it’s the script, the production, the set, the storyboard, whatever – you must be sure of yourself. I tend to create family around me on a project because I function better as a human being that way. So the relationship with first AD and DOP are super important. 

Marco> Absolutely. It’s important to be surrounded by the right people and feel comfortable saying “please help me” if you have no idea how to approach something. Knowing when to ask for help is crucial. It’s a bit like being in a band, you have the bass player, which I can compare to the first AD, who keeps things organised and creates a structure. Then you have the director, who is the frontman, and the producer, who might be the guitarist… 

Davide> The editor is the drummer… 

Marco> Ha ha… that’s right. You need to all work together to create a harmonious work environment. You, as director, set the tone, together with the producer and the first AD and the DOP. In terms of creating an atmosphere on set, being honest is the best approach. 

Davide> It’s got to be collaborative. As long as you explain things and conduct yourself in a good way, which is why the first AD is important – they help with managing relationships on set… What else helps facilitate your process? Is there anything you are super focused on getting better at right now? 

Marco> I think the whole AI development is quite interesting. I have learned how to work with Mid Journey and, in doing so, have discovered a lot of interesting programs. I’d say I’m following the AI movement pretty closely because I believe there are certain aspects that could prove to be super useful. Take backgrounds, for example, if you need the Grand Canyon as a background, and you got a shot with a helicopter flying through it, you can create it in AI, almost similar to what a post production company would have done five years ago. I also recently used AI to clone a voiceover of a famous person. I said what I wanted to hear in their voice and then applied the filter over the top of it and it was spot on, the same thing. It's really scary… But it’s going to be really difficult to get close to human emotions using AI. We’re pretty close to realism, but not really. I still see it as a computer animation. 

Davide> Hmmm, I'm not really a technological guy. My priority is storytelling. I want to keep digging into my emotions and experiences, new areas of the heart and the mind, to find better stories to tell. Right now, to be honest, I want to get some dirt on my hands, you know what I mean? Because, in commercials, everything is beautiful, everything is clean, everything is polished. So you get used to looking for perfection, but I’m beginning to understand there is no such thing – it’s all perception. I would like to explore this, changing my style to reflect this realisation. Capturing life for what it is, without that kind of commercial filter that I apply sometimes for certain jobs. 

Marco> For sure, I understand, it’s important to follow the inspiration. I wish you all the best with your next project, Davide. It was nice to meet you.

Davide> You too, Marco. All the best.