Sometimes too many things on the set serve as too big of a distraction, but the fact that Christopher Nolan doesn’t allow chairs on his set is kind of hard to get past initially. Once it’s been recognized just why this is though one can possibly agree with Anne Hathaway and a few others that have worked with Nolan that it’s to the benefit of the production. As a lot of people know by now, Christopher Nolan is a guy that is capable of making a seriously great movie. His style is usually enjoyed by a lot of people and the fact that he can hook a person in and keep them entertained for a while are big reasons why people keep going back to his movies. But the idea that he doesn’t allow chairs, or cellphones, or even water bottles onto his set is something that might make a lot of people call him a bit nutty since eventually people need to have a seat, water is usually good to have on hand, and, well, cellphones aren’t exactly a big deal on the set and aren’t a huge loss when one is working. After all a cellphone can be a huge distraction in more than one way since getting a calling during filming or providing some other form of distraction isn’t all that conducive to filmmaking unless it happens to be part of the scene, though it’s not bound to happen that a director will film an actor taking an actual personal call unless they really want to showcase a bit of realism.
But while a ban on water bottles might sound odd it’s kind of practical really since when people are standing around and have nothing to do for the moment a water bottle can be another distraction as people have been known in many situations to play with them, crinkle them, or do just about anything to keep themselves entertained. So yeah, a water bottle isn’t exactly a great idea for a set, though chairs is something that might have to be taken on a case by case basis since like it or not, some actors that have a hard time standing might need a seat between takes, but otherwise Nolan says no to them for the same reason that a lot of bosses might. If you’re sitting you’re not working, that’s a true statement of just about any workplace save for those that require a person to sit down AND work. With Nolan however, he doesn’t want his people thinking they can just park it as it might give way to getting out of the headspace that an actor needs to remain in so as to keep their role straight and their focus absolute.
It makes sense in a way since trying to get into the swing of things after sitting and relaxing for too long can be kind of difficult. But while some folks might think it’s perfectly okay, others might argue that it could possibly be harmful in a way since if one looks at it, actors that are elderly or need to rest every so often do kind of need a seat that they can collapse into when needed. One might tend to wonder if Nolan would think about this, but the hope is that he would at least allow any elderly cast members, or those in need, to rest on set in some way. After all a director does need to take care of their actors and allowing them to come to harm or suffer that much discomfort might not cause a lot of people to feel as though they’d want to come back. So far those that have worked with Nolan would gladly come back it sounds like, though his no chairs policy has to be a little tough sometimes. But hey, actors suffer through more than the need to stand or lean against something in a lot of movies, so this isn’t exactly a hurdle. It is interesting to find out just how particular a director really is however when it comes to their set and what kind of rules each one of them imposes on the actors and crew. Keeping people constantly busy isn’t such a bad idea really since it keeps them focused and on track. It also makes them a little more grateful at the end of the day that they have a place to go where they can relax.
A lot of directors have their own style and their own rules when it comes to their sets, but this is one of those that has gained attention lately possibly because of Nolan’s popularity and because it’s not a quirk that’s widely shared with a lot of other directors. Plus, it’s likely that it’s not something that a lot of actors would really stand for, no pun intended. Okay, maybe it was.
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