Small Talk with Director Duo Wolfberg
Welcome to CINQ's 'Small Talk', an interview series spotlighting directors, DOPs, and other talented crew. In the latest interview, director duo Wolfberg share their thoughts on directors cuts, discuss script preferences, and reveal the number of photos on their phone.
Q> Do you spend more time behind the computer or on set?
Wolfberg> Each project is a different scenario. Sometimes, we spend two days on set and months in post-production; other times, we get four days on set, and it’s almost finished by the time we leave the editing room. The final output is usually the same: 45 seconds.
We recently completed a project produced entirely remotely; the agency and client stayed by their lake in Zurich while we were locked in a stop-motion animation studio in Prague, watching paint dry for four days. No wrap party this time either :( But it was for a good cause—a social service film—so the entire budget went behind the camera. Instead of fancy hotel rooms, we furnished a room on set.
Q> What is the difference when filming in different cultures?
Wolfberg> Working far from established production hubs is always an adventure. For example, in Cuba, where the generators run out of petrol—and so do the petrol stations—but the right fixer can open doors to any location. Or in India, where each light arrives separately by public transport, and extras step into main roles when your talent doesn’t show up on set. With producers on diazepam, you get a wide range of opportunities to improvise.
Q> What do you think of director cuts?
Wolfberg> We prefer not to do that; it’s always best if all parties agree on a version that works, using the best material we’ve shot. However, there are moments when "advisors" who haven’t been involved up to this point suddenly emerge, asking for an Imagine Dragons sound-alike—and that’s when we go with the DC.
Q> How do you handle competition between directors?
Wolfberg> When we lose a tender to another director and the result is pleasantly surprising, it’s definitely better than seeing a wasted opportunity. We live in a wannabe artist bubble; perhaps it’s more valuable to receive a thumbs-up from a mother-in-law who randomly saw it somewhere than from the people with whom we exchange likes on social media.
Q> Do you prefer when the script is locked or just a rough synopsis?
Wolfberg> It's complicated. If the script is good and talented directors are brought in, they will probably all deliver a good film. However, when the script is only a rough idea or a bit unclear, the agency receives several different directors' perspectives. In these cases, the result can be something unique, as the directors are pushed to go further in their interpretations.
Q> How many projects are you able to handle at once?
Wolfberg> Good question. There are always only two situations: either there's no work, or there are four tenders all at once. In that case, the real world has to disappear, and you find yourself jumping between Louis XIV's era and gen-Z vibes in your head.
Q> What about film or commercial festivals?
Wolfberg> People are often surprised when you tell them that ads have their own festivals. Anyway, it's a great opportunity to meet your virtual friends from the game in person. Winning an award is always a nice ego trip, and the crowd there is definitely more spontaneous than at the PPM.
Q> Book or film?
Wolfberg> Computer games are made into films… sometimes we get overwhelmed. With an overload of media content trying to get our attention, there’s a tendency to mash up styles. This can lead to great results, but other times it ends up as ridiculous conceptual art, and then I reach for a book.
Q> You are directing duo, who risks more?
Wolfberg> The one who says, let's do it in camera.
Q> How many pictures are on your phone?
Wolfberg> At the moment, there are 14,182 pictures. I used to delete the bad ones on the plane or during the six-hour pack shots, but since I have a kid, I’ve given up.
