Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster
Originally uploaded by Ewwwwwwww.

Wednesday night, the grad film school had the pleasure of hosting Jodie Foster for it's weekly Chair's Workshop series.

The small room was packed, so we (myself & spy) had to view from the projection booth.

Ms. Foster talked mostly about directing actors, and her views on the various aspects of filmmaking. Purely fascinating, and so sure of herself, she came prepared with index cards and lecture outlines! Very impressive, she's a natural. It's clear that she really thought about what she wanted to say and made a succinct presentation.

What I found fascinating was her 'three levels' of a performance:
-the physical (the blocking, the movement, the appearance of the character)
-the feelings of the character
-the trajectory and ultimate destiny of the character throughout the piece.

She also showed clips from her favourite movies, and taught about the various directors she's worked with, and her directing foibles.

Most of the examples she gave came from The Silence of the Lambs, which I feel is a letdown compared to her work in Contact.

All in all, a thoroughly engaging, fun and educational experience from the awesome Jodie Foster.