I’ve always been interested in storytelling. This passion first led me to journalism, and ultimately to filmmaking. I’ve had a successful career in marketing communications, though I always felt that it was not what I really wanted. In 2011, I got a chance to follow my passion in Hollywood, so I packed up my stuff and moved to Los Angeles where I attended a UCLA film school.
Hollywood is a filmmaker’s Mecca. No other place in the world can beat it in the number of film/commercial productions going on there literally 24/7. Being a very open-minded person, I partook in both big studio production and small film school projects in various roles. This paid off big time, as I ended up understanding and learning various skills – from recording sound on set to producing and directing for film and television.
I moved back to Moscow in 2013, where I got an offer to head post-production of a TV production. I am a film guy to the back of my bones, and television shows didn’t sound quite right for me, but I grasped the opportunity and ended up directing 28 episodes of a documentary reality show called ‘SKLIF’. You’ve got tons of shows focusing on hospitals and patients. However, we pushed the limits further, and made several episodes about transplant surgeries. This project was a challenge in many aspects. We had to get used to 10-12 hour shoots in operation theatres. Somehow we made it work, and the show became one of the headliners of the network.
In 2015 I moved to Berlin, where I am working as a post-production supervisor for a London-based production house. We’ve got a bunch of projects to pitch that might interest German networks.
How would you describe your work as a director
I do my homework. I dedicate a lot of time to pre-production. In TV projects many directors don’t care about details. Speaking frankly, they don’t seem to care about anything. Of course, I’m talking about documentaries, not about serious TV shows, like ‘Breaking Bad’ or ‘Gray’s Anatomy’.
I do love old school filmmaking, when you make camera diagrams, generate shot lists, even draw sketches of your shots (do storyboards). You don’t have to stick to your plan 100%, but my experience is that 70% of principal photography is based on pre-production. 30% of the shoot is offered by DP/talents, etc. I love working with DPs that generate ideas. Yes, my shot list is the priority, but I’m totally open to suggestions and ideas. The same goes with actors.
How did you get into directing
Watching movies, I guess, lured me into directing. I’ve seen a lot of movies, and sometimes I would have this feeling, like ‘Damn, how come I didn’t shoot this one?’. So, I felt that I had stories that the world needs to know. Gradually, I started writing scripts and filming amateur works, while being a communications guy. I spent what I made working for banks, investment companies on filming my projects, but then I felt like I was lacking some basic things. Like, understanding how you cover a scene, how you get actors to the state they are supposed to be in in this or that scene, etc. However, making a life-changing choice was far from easy. When you have a career that gets you six figures in year income, it’s really hard to say: ‘Ok, I can’t do this anymore, because my work simply doesn’t make any sense. I need to switch to something that makes sense for me’. I made this choice, and I’ve never regretted it. Honestly. Though I had to forget about lavish remuneration. It’s just the nature of the beast.
How do you choose a project to direct
I’m honestly not at the stage where I can choose. It’s projects that choose me. However, I sometimes have to decline to direct a project because it doesn’t relate to me. I have nothing to say artistically there.
Briefly describe in a few words wrong impressions actors, writers,and directors have about directing
The biggest misconception about film directing is that every detail somehow works for the story. But the truth is that it’s the critics that elaborate on things they have no idea about. I remember a classic story about an art house director in Mexico, acclaimed by critics, having released a film where he had a scene with a bear going right to left. Critics have suggested millions of reason for that scene, but the truth is that the director simply needed a cutaway shot, so he chose that bear shot. Simple as that.
Directing is fundamentally based on two things: scene coverage and working with actors. I am exaggerating a bit, but in essence that’s what it is about. For me, a good directing job is when your shots are visually pleasant and when you don’t have an impression that the actors mess up.
Do you take courses to increase you craft
As I do a lot of post-production work, I watch a lot of video tutorials which can be as useful as a film school.
What books do you read
‘Cinematography for Directors’ by J. Frost is the book that literally blew my mind. It makes you think about things like color palette, scene coverage, lenses, types of lighting, movement of camera, etc. It really improved my skills as a director. I might have become a cinematography freak, but at the end of the day it’s made my work look way better.
‘An Actor Prepares’ by Stanislavski is a great book, too, if you’re into method acting, which I am a huge fan of.
Why will you choose an actor, writer or producer. What do you look for
There’s no better way of choosing an actor than holding a casting. If your talent is believable at casting, he’s going to nail the job on the set. I also check how talents follow instructions – this is a very useful skill for an actor.
When you are offered a project, what do you do deliver a good job
It’s basically producer’s/investor’s willingness to trust me as a director and to cover hard costs. I hate to say, but it often comes to arguing on how much we can spend on location or lighting, etc. Once I even had to waive my fee, simply because otherwise, we wouldn’t have enough money on lighting gear.
Briefly explain your latest work
It’s a mockumentary project called ‘Manitoba.24’. Kinda like ‘Borat’, but less obscene. I’d like to make a feature of it, but so far don’t have an investor willing to pull 20,000 pounds out of pocket.
What thing/situation helps you during production
A solid production team that I trust. I hate micromanaging people. I like to have a team that knows what they’re doing.
Explain a creative choice you took on set on a recent production
I did a commercial for ‘Transpay’, which had some motion graphics incorporated into actual shots. From my perspective, it looks great when you put motion graphics into hand held shots. The client didn’t like that though, so I had to stabilise the shots.
How do you advise directors to find projects
I would advise directors to generate and offer their own projects. That’s what I do. Be proactive.
How can filmmakers finance projects
Oh, that’s the million dollar question. The bad part is filming projects cost a lot. The good part is you can have a great picture even with limited resources. I’ve come to a point where I know how to make a feature for 15-20,000 GBP, but it’s still a shit load of money.
What do you want from an actor in production
Deliver what you delivered during casting. Offer your interpretation of the scene/character.
How do you prefer to work with a producer during a production
Ideally, I prefer producers do their job and not intervene into mine, but I always get along well with producers. At the end of the day – it’s the producers that are in charge of the result. So, I kinda understand their concerns too.
I just try to explain that certain choices they want to make won’t ultimately work. Sometimes they listen to me, sometimes they cut corners. But the truth is – I wouldn’t do my own projects with a producer that has the final say in artistic issues.
What do you think a director can do to get into the film industry
There are two types of directors. The ones who are networking pros and the ones who do their job well. The truth is – the first have better chances to get to the business.
Who is your favorite director
Cameron Crowe.
Why this director
I like Cameron Crowe because he does something no other director does. He is an auteur director. You can’t really mix his movies with others.
What advice would you give to directors around the world
Master your skills, and be proactive.
Briefly write about your career
Andrey Kochkin is a producer, director and writer. He has worked on films, commercials and music videos . His Transpay commercial won a $4,000 cash prize at Zooppa.com, He did Hotels.com, Save Moscow Architectural Heritage commercial, He worked as director and post production supervisor on AmEx commercial and on Chevy commercial. He was motion graphics designer on America, You Deserve Better.
His music videos include, Sky Inside Me, which won a Royal Reel Award at the Canada International Film Festival. He also did the music video, Grab Hold Tight.
He directed Skilf, a docu-reality series, Mountain Soldiers, a docu-reality series, Shakespeare Uncensored, a film short, and The Land of The Leopards
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