Three close friends find themselves at the center of an outrageous plot in Director David O. Russell’s comedic-drama, Amsterdam.
Set in the 1930s, Russell’s film follows a doctor, a nurse and a lawyer who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the one of the most secret plots in American history.
On October 2, after the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles, Russell discussed the making of Amsterdam during a Q&A moderated by Director Jon Avnet (Three Christs).
During the conversation, Russell spoke about how camera placement was not only essential to capturing the desired shots, but also the feeling of the film.
“You put the camera where it feels best from your shot list and then you sometimes change it on the day. But you must feel the intimacy and the immediacy where you are always trying to capture something that is alive. If it doesn't feel alive, it's not interesting. One of the goals is to try to do it in one. To have it all happen like a play so it's an unbroken reality. That is the very inspiration for this film.”
Russell’s other directorial credits include the feature films Joy, Spanking the Monkey, Flirting with Disaster, Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees and Silver Linings Playbook. He was also nominated for both DGA and Academy Awards for his features, The Fighter and American Hustle.
Russell has been a DGA member since 1998.
You can listen to Russell's Q&A by clicking the podcast episode embedded below. You can find more DGA podcast episodes here.