Editor Mimi Calzada took to the Austin Film Festival carpet to speak with writer and director Jeff Nichols about his work on “The Bikeriders” and advice for student filmmakers seeking to make a living in Hollywood.
The Daily Texan: What was it like being both the writer and director of “Bikeriders,” and did you prefer one role over the other?
Jeff Nichols: I’m a writer first, partly because it comes first in the process. That’s the thing I have the most time for. As a director, you’re fighting budgets, you’re fighting time, and it feels like you’re trying to hold the world together as you try to get things right. As a writer, you actually have time to sit and think and process. That’s why I don’t change a lot when I’m on set because the person that wrote those words down, they thought about it more than the person on set. When you talk about the most rewarding, I love the screenplay. I love the work I put into the structure of the screenplay. But directing this movie was (also) a blast. I got to make a 1960s biker film. Who doesn’t want to do that with the greatest cast in the world?
DT: Was it intimidating to work with such a star-studded cast?
JN: Oh, no, I wasn’t intimidated. When you work with people that good, everybody’s there to make something special, something that sticks around, so we definitely all felt like a family. I love the people I work with. I love the crew that I work with. I love these actors. A lot of them I hadn’t worked with before. But no, I think intimidation is the wrong approach. We’re all there trying to do something honest in a situation that is completely fake. There’s a camaraderie that comes along with (making movies). You all have a goal, and you all lean on each other to pull it off.
DT: What advice would you give to student filmmakers?
JN: It’s twofold. First, write as much as you can. The more writing you do, the better you will become and the better chances you have of controlling your career. The second is to go make something. I think there’s this false notion in the world that there are gatekeepers in this industry. Obviously, yes, there are big, important people that sit behind desks and decide what films get made by studios, but that really holds no bearing on your ability to go make something. I always say it’s not a question of if you’re going to make a film, just when and with whose money. My first film cost $52,000 to make, and that’s what put me on the map, so I think you have to be willing to take a risk and get out there and make something people want to see. You’re not working in a bubble. You’re not competing against your friends or your classmates. You’re competing against the world. Make something that the world wants to see.
