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FilmSkool — a free film school

Spike Lee on Making 'Malcolm X' (1993)

Filmed around the making of Malcolm X, Lee discusses financing battles, studio pressure, and the responsibility of directing a biopic of this scale. He talks candidly about the compromises he refused to make.

Frontline by ITN · 22 min · Intermediate · DIR · Directing · 2023

What you take away

See how a director defends a passion project against studio interference.

Watch it

Filed under

The films of Spike Lee

Oscar winners for directing

Books on directing

The director’s monitor

PortKeys BM5 III WR — Monitor that can also run the camera
Hollyland Mars 4K — 4K wireless to four phones at once
Atomos Ninja V — The 5" recorder-monitor that made ProRes RAW normal
Atomos Ninja (5") — The current 5" recorder-monitor
Hollyland Pyro 7 — Wireless monitor and receiver in one
SmallHD Indie 7 — A bright 7" director’s monitor that takes LUTs

More Directing

Akira Kurosawa "My Life in Cinema" - 1993 — Luca De PALMA · 116m · Advanced
David Fincher: Se7en - The Directors Series — Indie Film Hustle Podcast · 30m · Advanced
Memories of Murder (2003) - Ensemble Staging — Every Frame a Painting · 7m · Advanced
'Parasite' Director Bong Joon-ho Breaks Down the Opening Scene | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 13m · Advanced
Martin Scorsese: American Boy - The Directors Series — Indie Film Hustle Podcast · 26m · Advanced
Big Screen Symposium 2015 - In Conversation with Jane Campion (Moderated by Philippa Campbell) — Script to Screen · 70m · Advanced
Chloé Zhao Directing Masterclass | IFTA Skills in Focus — IFTA Academy · 89m · Advanced
'Dune' Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down a Scene | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 11m · Intermediate
Masterclass de Wes Anderson & Joel Coen (2019) — La Fémis · 91m · Advanced
2001 A Space Odyssey (1968): 2001 The Making Of A Myth — Top 10 Movies · 42m · Advanced
Director Rian Johnson Breaks Down a Scene from 'Knives Out' | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 9m · Intermediate
'Wicked' Director & Cinematographer Break Down the 'Dancing Through Life' Scene | Vanity Fair — Vanity Fair · 14m · Intermediate

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