SUNDANCE 2006: who needs sleep?
Working on a film requires long days and forces many people to function on a little amount of sleep. This can be dangerous for the people involved and is the subject of the new documentary from Oscar winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler.
Nine years ago, a camera assistant, Brent, worked a 19 hour day at the end of a 85 hour week, fell asleep driving home, crashed his car, and was killed. This was the start of a journey for Wexler. This is a documentary 8 years in the making… a petition to the film industry and the unions for shorter workdays and more time for sleep.
It is common knowledge that lack of sleep is a bad thing and potentially dangerous. Working in the film industry, there are many times when I have drifted off behind the wheel. It is an important issue, but I think that this is less of a documentary and more of a propaganda piece.
If you take a look at this issue, the film industry is not nearly the most important (or dangerous) profession that deals with over work and lack of sleep. Take the medical field... Doctors are a prime example of where this movie should be looking. Residents will work longer hours than film crews and then have the responsibility of duties like surgery. What is more important… a movie or medical field? Lack of sleep is an important issue, but I think that if WHO NEEDS SLEEP? took a little more perspective and was less narrowly focused on one industry, it would have been far more effective as a film. I wanted more research and scientific fact and less interviews of people saying that working long hours makes you tired. For eight years of making a film, this one looked thrown together.
On a side note…
If you asked film crews if they would rather work long or short days, 90% of them would choose the long days regardless of the sleep. They want the money, pure and simple.
Nine years ago, a camera assistant, Brent, worked a 19 hour day at the end of a 85 hour week, fell asleep driving home, crashed his car, and was killed. This was the start of a journey for Wexler. This is a documentary 8 years in the making… a petition to the film industry and the unions for shorter workdays and more time for sleep.
It is common knowledge that lack of sleep is a bad thing and potentially dangerous. Working in the film industry, there are many times when I have drifted off behind the wheel. It is an important issue, but I think that this is less of a documentary and more of a propaganda piece.
If you take a look at this issue, the film industry is not nearly the most important (or dangerous) profession that deals with over work and lack of sleep. Take the medical field... Doctors are a prime example of where this movie should be looking. Residents will work longer hours than film crews and then have the responsibility of duties like surgery. What is more important… a movie or medical field? Lack of sleep is an important issue, but I think that if WHO NEEDS SLEEP? took a little more perspective and was less narrowly focused on one industry, it would have been far more effective as a film. I wanted more research and scientific fact and less interviews of people saying that working long hours makes you tired. For eight years of making a film, this one looked thrown together.
On a side note…
If you asked film crews if they would rather work long or short days, 90% of them would choose the long days regardless of the sleep. They want the money, pure and simple.
posted by Humby | 12:56 PM
1 Comments:
Do you think I'll make the cut and win the award...Nice blog!
When you get a chance you should visit my blog at www.fabelstales.blogspot.com/
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