In the last few years alone, Ava DuVernay has created the TV series Queen Sugar, directed the mass incarceration documentary 13th, and united Oprah, Mindy Kaling, and Reese Witherspoon for a new adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time. So it goes without saying that any aspiring filmmaker would be lucky to receive advice from DuVernay. Fortunately, the director has already spilled her best tips for all of Twitter to see.
In a new post, the woman who helmed Middle of Nowhere (a 2012 film in which DuVernay also explored the consequences of our current prison system) shared advice she once sent via email to a rising filmmaker. And who knew that having a clean pair of socks on set would be so vital to one's filmmaking career?
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"Just came across an email I sent to a new filmmaker last year who sought advice on shooting her first feature," wrote DuVernay. "Maybe it can be helpful to someone else out there. xo"
The advice includes tips on how to keep a set running smoothly:
"Know your crew members by name. They are the lifeblood of the film."
"Never tell an actor it was good if it wasn't."
"Laugh and keep a warm atmosphere. We're making movies not splitting the atom."
DuVernay also adds some tips for self-care while on set. That includes making sure one "hydrate[s] throughout the day." However, my personal favourite DuVernay life hack is this one:
"Change your socks at lunch, makes you feel like a new woman."
You can read the rest of her killer advice in the below tweet:
Just came across an email I sent to a new filmmaker last year who sought advice on shooting her first feature. Maybe it can be helpful to someone else out there. xo pic.twitter.com/e64y1jDaLl
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) November 26, 2017
Obviously, the most important stuff on this list has to do with making sure everyone is well-respected on set, happy, and working towards the same goal. After all, if every person working in Hollywood followed her advice to the letter, every set would be as cool as A Wrinkle In Time's.
With her post-lunch fresh socks, DuVernay is challenging Hollywood to be just a little bit better.