{"id":103462,"date":"2018-07-11T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-07-11T11:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=103462"},"modified":"2018-07-10T11:03:17","modified_gmt":"2018-07-10T16:03:17","slug":"wendy-mccolm-meisner-technique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wendy-mccolm-meisner-technique\/","title":{"rendered":"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 id=\"we-chatted-with-filmmaker-wendy-mccolm-about-writing-directing-and-performing-in-her-award-winning-feature-birds-without-feathers\">We chatted with filmmaker Wendy McColm about writing, directing, and performing in her award-winning feature <em>Birds Without Feathers<\/em>.<\/h2>\n<p><em>All images\u00a0from <\/em>Birds Without Feathers<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the awards brunch at the <a href=\"http:\/\/oakclifffilmfestival.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Oak Cliff Film Festival<\/a> in a small gastropub in Dallas, Texas. Everyone is moving a little slowly after the late closing party the night before, but coffee and scones abound during the presentation of the festival awards. For the narrative feature category, usually the last\u00a0announcement\u00a0with the most acclaim, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm2749141\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Wendy McColm<\/a>\u00a0gets called up to accept an award for her feature <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt7491196\/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_2\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Birds Without Feathers<\/a><\/em>, which she wrote, directed, and performed in.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Birds Without Feathers Official Trailer #2 (2018) - Dark Comedy HD\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/250716722?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Birds Without Feathers<\/em> premiered at <a href=\"http:\/\/slamdance.com\/2018-SLAMDANCE-FILM-FESTIVAL-ANNOUNCES-AWARDS-WINNERS\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Slamdance 2018, where it also won the Spirit Award<\/a>. The film, which features McColm as part of an ensemble cast of characters shuffling through the malaise and oddities of millennial life, has been an audience favorite as it makes the rounds at film festivals across the globe.<\/p>\n<p>McColm, who is an accomplished actor-turned-up-and-coming-director in her own right, has been performing and creating shorts and other productions for years. Her <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/user3834572\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Vimeo<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCCTOffhuz1tyJuyAVUaxZJA\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">YouTube<\/a> pages are treasure troves of creative vignettes and comedic character studies, in which McColm shows off her performance range and directing chops. We chatted with McColm about her most recent project \u2014\u00a0<em>Birds Without Feathers<\/em>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0for some insight into how she created such powerful performances \u2014 as well as her advice for those looking to take on writing, directing, and acting.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"the-meisner-technique-and-truth\">The Meisner Technique and Truth<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-103466 size-full\" title=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Meisner Technique\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg\" alt=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Meisner Technique\" width=\"755\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg?resize=300,167 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg?resize=270,150 270w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg?resize=277,154 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg?resize=359,200 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg?resize=543,302 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg?resize=560,312 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-Meisner.jpg?resize=150,83 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>For Birds Without Feathers, we used the Meisner technique for developing the characters and all the dialogue. With Meisner, it requires an intense level of training. I\u2019ve spent a lot of time in classes finding these actors and taking their words and speech and incorporating them into the script. Each part comes from part of our collective conscious and different journeys which we took into these classes.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If you haven&#8217;t heard of it, the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meisner_technique\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Meisner technique<\/a> is an acting and improvisational training method developed by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sanford_Meisner\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Sanford Meisner<\/a> in which performers improvise and search for shared and individuals truths, authenticity, and emotions. For McColm, who (among other practices) studied Meisner for years, the process translated into her own performances and filmmaking. With <em>Birds<\/em>, McColm used themes of repetition and emotional truth to develop characters who seem authentic and raw in their emotions and interactions.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"from-actor-to-actor-director\">From Actor to Actor-Director<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-103465 size-full\" title=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Actor-Director\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg\" alt=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Actor-Director\" width=\"755\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg?resize=300,170 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg?resize=277,157 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg?resize=359,203 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg?resize=543,307 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg?resize=560,317 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Slate.jpg?resize=150,85 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>I originally started as an actor, but once I started directing I realized I had been doing it for years already. Whether it was school plays or making little home movies as a kid or even creating videos for YouTube, I was directing all along. It\u2019s a testament that we don\u2019t always get to see our true selves, a theme in Birds. We sometimes need a true mirror to see all of yourself.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>McColm\u2019s career trajectory from actor to actor-director is an excellent case-study into how to emphasize and understand the nuances of each role. <em>Birds Without Feathers<\/em> is\u00a0full of raw and emotional performances that require the utmost level of care, trust, and communication between the actors and the director. In McColm\u2019s example, it took finding one\u2019s self as a director to really bring out her best self as an actor as well.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"opening-yourself-to-trusting-others\">Opening Yourself to Trusting Others<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-103467 size-full\" title=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Trusting Others\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg\" alt=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Trusting Others\" width=\"755\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg?resize=300,178 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg?resize=277,164 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg?resize=359,213 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg?resize=543,322 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg?resize=560,332 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Without-Feathers-on-Set.jpg?resize=150,89 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>When I was first starting out, I did everything myself. It took awhile to trust other people to get the work done or rely on others. This movie was a huge lesson for me to learn how to ask for help. How to trust other people. Whether it\u2019s on set with the cinematographer or in post working on the edit, you have to open yourself to trust other people and artists.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And after you do find trust in yourself, you also have to find your trust in others. This is something, McColm admits, she struggled with starting out. Coming from a shorts background, digital cameras and smartphones have made solo-filmmaking an increasingly more available option. But when working on projects with bigger scopes and more ambitious themes, it\u2019s important to surround yourself with a team that you can count on.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"post-production-and-contracts\">Post-Production and Contracts<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-103468 size-full\" title=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Post-Production\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg\" alt=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Post-Production\" width=\"755\" height=\"496\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg?resize=300,197 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg?resize=277,182 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg?resize=359,236 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg?resize=543,357 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg?resize=560,368 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Birds-Editing.jpg?resize=150,99 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>Post production was probably the most challenging part of this project. Editing was really difficult because we just had tons of footage. I was given the advice to shoot what you can if you have time, so we shot way more than we ended up needing. I also didn\u2019t have anyone sign contracts, which is another lesson you learn quickly when trying to get things wrapped up.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>When making the jump into features with more substantial resources, expectations can suddenly change. For <em>Birds<\/em>, McColm details a very time-consuming post-production process reviewing all the footage, performances, and takes. Partly from working with the Meisner, which challenges actors to push for\u00a0deeper acting, McColm and her team shot as much as they possibly could to get the best footage possible, which left them with a much larger post-production workload than they anticipated.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"dont-wait-for-everything-to-be-perfect\">Don\u2019t Wait for Everything to be Perfect<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-103469 size-full\" title=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Don't Wait\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg\" alt=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers \u2014 Don't Wait\" width=\"755\" height=\"455\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg?resize=300,181 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg?resize=277,167 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg?resize=359,216 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg?resize=543,327 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg?resize=560,337 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Wendy-McColm-Directing.jpg?resize=150,90 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i>The biggest thing I see stopping people is excuses. I\u2019ll do it when I get the money, or when I get this actor or this or that. You can easily stop yourself by saying I\u2019ll start when it\u2019s perfect. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever had that mentality and I\u2019ve made over 80 short films with no money. Even if you\u2019re using iPhones or point-and-shoot cameras, make videos for YouTube. Follow your instincts and don\u2019t cloud them with your mind.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re just starting out as a filmmaker or already\u00a0immersed in the field, McColm\u2019s advice\u00a0is relevant. Don\u2019t let excuses or doubt stop you from simply going out and making films. <em>Birds Without Feathers<\/em>, if anything, is a study on repetition and the hurdles we put in\u00a0front of ourselves.\u00a0For filmmakers like McColm, it just takes a steadfast resolve to stay true and to stay at it.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>For more information on Wendy McColm and <em>Birds Without Feathers<\/em>, check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.birdswithoutfeathers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">film&#8217;s website <\/a>or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/birdswithoutfeathers\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendyfilms.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">McColm&#8217;s website here<\/a>. For more filmmaker interviews and articles, check out some of the links below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/tips-ruth-bader-ginsberg-documentary\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Tips from the Team Behind the Ruth Bader Ginsberg Sundance Documentary<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/interview-producer-bonnie-curtis\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Interview: Behind the Scenes with Producer Bonnie Curtis<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/round-table-horror-actors-filmmaking\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Round Table: Scream Queens on What Every Horror Director Needs to Know<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/interview-editor-this-is-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Interview: The Editor of \u201cThis is America\u201d on Building the Iconic Video<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/making-one-take-short-films\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Navigating the Challenges of the One-Take Short Film<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We chatted with filmmaker Wendy McColm about writing, directing, and performing in her award-winning feature Birds Without Feathers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":103464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3843,715,79],"tags":[536,857,5380],"class_list":["post-class-post-103462","post-class-post","post-class-type-post","post-class-status-publish","post-class-format-standard","post-class-has-post-thumbnail","post-class-hentry","post-class-category-filmmaking-2","post-class-category-industry","post-class-category-inspiration","post-class-tag-filmmaking","post-class-tag-industry-2","post-class-tag-inspiration"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.5 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We chatted with filmmaker Wendy McColm about writing, directing, and performing in her award-winning feature Birds Without Feathers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wendy-mccolm-meisner-technique\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Filmmaker Wendy McColm on the Meisner Technique and her Feature Birds Without Feathers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We chatted with filmmaker Wendy McColm about writing, directing, 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