Drawing on his four decades of experience, David Parfitt, the Oscar-winning theatre, film and television producer, urges young filmmakers to surround themselves with the best professionals and invest in the creative process, not just budget management, during his panel at Qumra.
Parfitt shared wide-ranging anecdotes from his career, including his longtime friendship with actor and director Kenneth Branagh, and his rewarding journey to produce such acclaimed films as Henry V (1989), Friends of Peter (1992), and Much Ado About Nothing (1993). ), “Shakespeare in Love” (1998) which won seven Academy Awards, My Week with Marilyn (2011), “Lovely Vincent” (2017), which was supported by the Doha Film Institute, in addition to “The Father” (2020) and other films.
Parfitt was also distinguished by his unwavering passion for cinema and theater, in equal measure. Although he began his career as a child actor, he says that by the time he was 15, he didn’t want to be an actor, but his acting experience gave him the background to “understand filmmaking enough to be a producer.”
He added, “I learn in every production, and I made a lot of mistakes. It is an administrative job, which I inherited from my parents, who were in the retail business.” He advised the Qumra participants to “participate and invest in the creative process because it is important.”
Speaking about his film journey as a producer, he added: “Kenneth Branagh is responsible for my presence in film.” As members of a theater group, they had plenty of time to themselves, “We were planning to run away because the young actors in the theater had no control over their careers.”
Parfitt noted the special advantage of working with stage actors, “because they learn their entire script and don’t need to repeat takes as often. They know what to do from day one.” Parfitt describes screen actors as “a different breed” and notes that they “love discovery in the moment; The result can be either very impressive or very frustrating.”
Parfitt considers himself “fortunate to have breaks throughout his career, especially with the realization that Shakespeare in Love was initially planned with Julia Roberts playing Viola. She insisted that Daniel Day-Lewis play Shakespeare, but after about four years, multiple actors put forward for the title role, and $20 million stuck, no progress. After discussions with several studios, Parfitt eventually went on to produce Shakespeare in Love, starring Joseph Fiennes as Shakespeare and Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola.
He told the young filmmakers, “It’s important to be diplomatic and that’s part of being productive, but there’s no need to be nervous. I find it very calm when you get to the set; Crises may occur in the introductory period.” He also advised aspiring producers not to get out too early for financing, “Take a step back, invest in the creative process and don’t panic. do not impose your decisions on others; Always surround yourself with the best professionals and be protected.”
From Doha: Hussein Z
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