I don’t expect to see this new film Battleship. But I loved this insight from its director. Peter Berg gives his actors slightly scary challenges. Here’s his reasoning:
“Remember Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?” he asks.
“Sundance liked to move. If he stood still and tried to shoot he couldn’t hit anything. If he was allowed to move he could hit it.”
It’s like that with actors, he explains. “Nervousness sets in. It’s best to shake them around a little bit. Just say: ‘It’s ok, try something stupid, you’re not going to get in trouble.'”
This makes loads of sense to me.