The Tim Ferriss Show #312: Joseph Gordon-Levitt — Actor, Filmmaker, and Entrepreneur
Redford's Markless Reassurance
- Robert Redford whispered to Joseph Gordon-Levitt: "I never hit my marks."
- That small, human moment freed Joe from obsessing over technical details and let him act naturally.
Plan Less, Watch More
- Spielberg often avoids detailed shot lists to watch actors first and decide how to shoot.
- Great directors balance planning with spontaneity and adjust shooting to actors' performances.
Jaws' Shark Became Scarier By Accident
- The failed animatronic shark on Jaws led Spielberg to hide the shark and use the fin for menace.
- That on-set failure produced a scarier film through improvisation.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) is an actor whose career spans three decades, and ranges from television (3rd Rock from the Sun) to arthouse (Mysterious Skin, Brick) to multiplex (Inception, 500 Days of Summer, Looper, Snowden). He made his feature screenwriting and directorial debut with Don Jon (Independent Spirit Award nomination, Best First Screenplay). He also founded and directs HITRECORD, an online community of artists emphasizing collaboration over self-promotion. HITRECORD has evolved into a "community-sourced" production company that publishes books, puts out records, produces videos for brands from LG to the ACLU, and has won an Emmy for its variety show HitRecord on TV.
Enjoy!
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