“Well, compared to like Clint Eastwood, I might be more stubborn. There are some people who will do 30 takes. James Cameron does over 30. […] Well, I think the first two or three takes are the best ones.”
Kutsuna said Kojima is by far the fastest director she has worked with: he gives the OK to a whole scene after a couple of takes, sometimes one. Kojima confirmed this as a working rule, saying he usually shoots a complete sequence in one go, and that compared to Clint Eastwood he might be even more stubborn. He contrasted his approach with directors who do 30 or more takes — James Cameron does over 30 — and said he believes the first two or three takes are the best. Kutsuna gets the scene on the first take because she has everything in her head. Kojima said some actors ask for every background detail — for example the past of their enemy — which he considers irrelevant because in real life you would not know that; Mads is the opposite and asks only to be told what is essential, and Shioli is the same: Kojima tells her only the minimum she needs to know and then lets her think, and she in turn offers suggestions. He also noted that in Hollywood many people complain, and it is hard when so much energy must be spent managing that.
“Um, but Hideo-san is by far the fastest director I've ever, ever worked with. […] Um, yeah, I usually shoot a whole sequence in one shot. […] She has everything in her head. […] But some people ask about information on characters other than yourself, like, tell me the background of my enemy. But in real life, that's something you wouldn't know. […] He's the type that will ask me to only tell him what he needs to know. […] I only tell Shioli the bare minimum what she needs to know, and from there, I have her think about it. […] There are lots of people who complained in Hollywood, and it's hard when a lot of energy has to be used towards that.”