How I Write Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar: How Train Dreams Became a Film | How I Write
Jan 28, 2026
Greg Kwedar, filmmaker who builds immersive, human-centered films, and Clint Bentley, visual storyteller focused on place and craft, discuss learning filmmaking through film study and shared taste. They talk about playful experimentation, one-frame solutions that unlock scenes, honoring a book's spirit in adaptation, immersive on-location research, and balancing impulse with patient revision.
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Build A Mental Archive Of Films
- Building a mental archive of films expands what you can invent as a filmmaker.
- Revisiting silent and early cinema reveals risky techniques modern work often avoids.
A Stick Solved A Frame
- On a burnt forest set, Adolfo placed a curved burnt stick between camera and actor to frame Joel and solve an empty composition.
- That improvised stick echoed Tarkovsky and deepened the scene's grief and visual meaning.
Create A Career Mission Statement
- Write a mission statement for your creative career to filter projects and stay true to your goals.
- Use it to decide which opportunities align with your artistic identity over time.
