Christopher Nolan is a perfectionist, as several reports indicate while reporting on various features of his latest Greek epic, The Odyssey.
Now, in a latest interview with Variety, the director offered more glimpses into his goal of achieving foolproof filming.
Weighing in on IMAX camera – The Odyssey was the first film shot wholly on such a special camera – which is capable only of shooting no less than three minutes of footage at a time.
Given such a limited time, the cameras had to be reloaded continuously, even during scenes.
But should an emotional scene be taking place, the constant switching of the camera reels would impair the tempo.
Therefore, Nolan joked he came up with a trick, though unusual.
“When I say, ‘Cut,’ this bell goes off and everybody grabs a cigarette or scratches their a**,” he told the outlet.
The filmmaker explained, “It’s a word you don’t want to use if you want to maintain some tension. There’s a sacred space between ‘Action’ and ‘Cut’ on a film.”
Nolan, instead, opted to quietly stop the shooting, then reload the camera and keep the spark alive on set.
He explained his approach is akin to live stage performance, where the tension is the crux and the emotion needed to stay alive.
“You want everyone instinctively coming together, freeing up their conscious minds and doing great work at the same time instead of peaking at different points.”
“The harmony you need is like a stage performance,” the filmmaker concluded.
The Odyssey is in theatres.
