Q & A, Food for thought…

When/if you are preparing for a panel, there is a little extra something you can do.

Of course, you will be asked the questions you expect about the origin of the project, the story, the themes, the process, your inspiration, your experience, past projects, future projects, etc. You will have the answers for those prompts.

Yet, often during Q + A’s, I’ve noticed there is a lag or an awkward pause when the panel is deciding who will speak, or as too often it happens, no one has the urge to jump in. Sometimes, there is one person on the panel who is obviously getting less speaking time compared to the others.

I suggest you keep in your back pocket a few questions you would like to ask your fellow panelists. This may be something you naturally already do, but if not, come up with a few questions you were thinking about back when you were in the middle of shooting, or you wished you had asked after wrap.

This requires some prep time to bring the details back to the surface of your memory... For example, how they felt when acting in a particular challenging scene, or how they managed not to break out laughing during a take when xyz... happened. How did they keep their cool when all hell's breaking loose on location because of...(fill-in-the-blank.) Or the challenges of technical aspects of a stunt... What was going through their mind when (fill-in-the-blank)?

Getting this dialogue going is not only a giving gesture on your part, but it is also extremely entertaining and memorable for the audience. Audiences never tire of behind-the-scenes stories, and neither do I!

It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway...spontaneity and ad-libbing can be very charming...Even more so when you are prepared. The preparation leads to more freedom.

— Suzanne