The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

The Whale with Darren Aronofsky and Greta Gerwig (Ep. 398)

Dec 23, 2022

Darren Aronofsky and Greta Gerwig discuss Aronofsky's film "The Whale," exploring the motivation behind the 4:3 aspect ratio, the adaptation from the play to the novel Moby Dick, and collaboration with Brendan Fraser. They talk about creating a magical atmosphere using lighting and production design, finding the perfect actor after a 10-year search, and the advantages of shooting in a single location. The podcast also touches on working with a film composer, setting the film in 2016, and the visual style.

44:58

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Episode guests

Greta Gerwig

Darren Aronofsky

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Quick takeaways

Darren Aronofsky discusses his motivation for using a 4:3 aspect ratio in 'The Whale' and the connection between the play, his adaptation, and the novel 'Moby Dick'.

Aronofsky emphasizes the importance of capturing emotional truth through camera angles and lighting when shooting in one location for 'The Whale'.

Deep dives

Summary of the Podcast Episode

In this podcast episode, director Darren Aronofsky discusses his film 'The Whale', which tells the story of a reclusive English teacher named Charlie who is struggling with severe obesity and attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Aronofsky talks about his approach to adapting the play into a cinematic experience and how he worked with the actors to bring out the emotional truth in their performances. He also discusses the challenges of shooting the film in one location and the importance of finding the right camera angles and lighting to capture the intimate and heightened moments of the story. Overall, Aronofsky reflects on the process of making the film and emphasizes the importance of creating something real and captivating.

Introduction

2min

Rehearsing and Filming a Low-Budget Film

16min

Creating a Magical Atmosphere in the Apartment

2min

Creating a Fake Reality in Film

13min

Finding and Working with a Film Composer

3min

The Advantages of Shooting in a Single Location

4min

Shooting Order, Theater Experiences, Setting the Film in 2016, and Visual Style

6min

Director Darren Aronofsky discusses his new film, The Whale, with fellow director Greta Gerwig in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, Aronofsky discusses the motivation behind the film's 4:3 aspect ratio, the textual references between the play, his adaptation and the novel, Moby Dick, and his collaboration with lead actor Brendan Fraser. The film tells the story of Charlie, a reclusive English teacher whose guilt over abandoning his wife and baby daughter has led to a years-long eating disorder that now threatens his life. Faced with mortality, he attempts to make amends with the daughter he left behind. Please note: spoilers are included. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/Events/2023/January2023/TheWhale_QnA_1222.aspx

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