Stop! Cut!
I should confess - I miss the days that I have spent making the film The Strangers. Yes, those days were absolutely crazy, mad sometimes followed by sleepless nights, but I didn't feel tired. On the contrary, when I came back to Moscow I've got that feeling of devastation one usually had the day after some joyful and fun time spent. I've got enough time to think over in my mind the events on and outside the shooting site, to try to analyze what had happened, to recall people I had worked with…

Speaking about the Americans, I've got quite positive impression of them. They are very nice people, whom it's pleasure to deal with. I was afraid that after reading the script they would refuse to perform in the film - as a matter of fact, we depict the true face of the United States not the one with some make-up on. But it turned out that they all shared our views as to foreign policy of their country as to their president.

Once on our way to the site one of the Americans said that just a couple hours ago he had seen the American government statement in the latest CNN news program. "It seems they are going nuts! - he told. - The Russian spies start seeming to them again everywhere. I am afraid that a second cold war could start up. It is symbolically that the talk happened on the very first shooting day.

As for the Arabs, I've found that they are much nicer and kinder people that they are described by Mass Media. I would make the following thesis - one could deal with them. Only one thing - you have to obey the certain rules of a game. Rule number one - you can get everything by love. If in case of a Russian worker the labor productivity is in direct proportional dependence from the concentration of obscene words in boss's directions, then in case of the Arabs it is vice versa. It is absolutely helpless to raise your voice, or to show any kind of aggression. If you understand this in time you could achieve a lot and save your time. One can't believe how productive friendly hugging with Arab producers at the beginning of a working day could be!

Rule number two - do everything beforehand. If there is a minor request such as to move light, there is no problem - Arab assistances do everything at the site by enviable speed. But if you need say to build a new set-up then you should speak it over long beforehand, probably for several days before. A week before would be even better. It is practically impossible just to build a new set-up for one night. And of course you shouldn't forget to control everything personally.

It was highly interesting to watch the relations between the Arabs and the Americans. I was much surprised to learn that sometimes the Americans - not all of them though - expressed not understandable aggression. That added more problems to our administration, which had to put out sparks that may lead to a fire. At such moments I was embarrassed for the Arabs who did not do anything wrong.

I appreciated very much the work of my shooting group. Its every member worked together as a real team, they worked hard every day keeping the right rhythm, and every day they came to the site full of stamina and enthusiasm. The important factor was that the age of the most members of the group was less than 30. Nobody of the team had false ambitions, which often might cause a conflict. There was no such problem as alcoholism as well. - instead of getting drunk at the hotel, guys went to the sea or visited museums even more so that there was a lot to see. I was afraid that there might be certain problems when we had to shoot on nights, but everything went smoothly - we needed only one day to have a sleep to tune ourselves to a new schedule of work.

In particular I would like to distinguish the work of our Director of Photography Andrei Katorzhenko. He is rather young as the rest of our shooting team but he used to work with me as a camera man at my two previous movies - Collector and Kukotzkiy Casus. That is important because Andrei has known my style, my attitude to work, my feeling of beauty and my manner of making relations in the group before the shooting process start. We didn't have to find a common language, we had already got one.

The climate also was much of help during the shooting - there was no that heat as it. Yes, there was sun from eleven till fifteen o'clock but it didn't do much harm to the process. That was the second period of the movie making. The first one includes script writing, actors casting and looking for the site. This period is very interesting and that is important doesn't cost much. During that time the work is taking place mostly in your head so you constantly search new ideas and decisions.

The third period is less creative and demands maximum concentration and accuracy. Care and diligence will bring luck that is the main slogan of that period that includes shooting, dubbing, color correction and many other professional terms. As a rule it takes about several months. Sure thing - to dub correctly just one phrase you may need from ten minutes to an hour.

And the second period that this diary is described in - is the shooting itself. I do not know what it could be compared with. It is as individual as collective at the same time. It is absorbing and hard. It demands devotion and tough attitude towards yourself first of all. During the second stage you can't do the one thing you can't relax. Movie is a kind of arts that combines literature, art and music. While shooting you have to realize that your future audience will read the characters' life, see the movie and hear the music creating the mood. Just think it over so many factors you have to take control over… And there will be the fourth period. It will come when you go to the cinema to watch the movie. And that time nothing will depend on me. But please believe I've made everything possible you enjoy the fourth period a lot.