What I learned from making Dear Stranger (Pt 1)

• Emotionally hard scenes take longer. They just do. Schedule a lot of time to relax and to sink in the surroundings. So if an emotional scene is half hour to shoot, double it. Don't rush these scenes in terms of schedule.
• Get help! Get help with anything and everything way before you can shoot.
• Though the actors do not like it, letting the camera roll while they interact is wonderful. They look natural.
• Surprisingly, the lack of extra's was not that big of a problem. Don't worry yourself silly about such things. If you don't have everything, focus on cutaways. Build little pieces.
• Pacing is not present when directing. I create it in my editing. Not good.
• Get sound whenever you can, even if the scene is silent.
• Not enough attention to foreground. When you do, it is beautiful.
• With Crew and Actors: get people that are excited. Don't demand their commitment because they will surely break it. If they are excited, that is important. People stuck because they were excited. Not because of commitments. This might change when you pay them but as of right now, get people who are excited. They will commit. Don't ask for it, if you have to, then they will surely disappoint.

- AAP
[Filmmaker]