postPerspective Update

Destin Daniel Cretton talks
directing Warner’s Just Mercy
By Iain Blair

Just Mercy is the latest film from award-winning filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (The Glass Castle, Short Term 12), who directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote. The film is based on famed lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson’s memoir, “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,” which details his crusade to defend, among others, wrongly accused prisoners on death row. This Warner Bros. film stars Michael B. Jordan and Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson.

Cretton’s behind-the-scenes creative team included cinematographer Brett Pawlak, co-writer Andrew Lanham, production designer Sharon Seymour, editor Nat Sanders and composer Joel P. West, all of whom previously collaborated with the director on The Glass Castle.

I spoke with the director about making the film, his workflow and his love of post.

I heard you actually shot in the south. How tough was the shoot?
Filming in some of the real locations really helped. We were able to shoot in Montgomery — such as the scenes where Brian’s doing his morning jogs, the Baptist church where MLK Jr. was the pastor, and then the cotton fields and places where Walter and his family actually lived. Being there and feeling the weight of history was very important to the whole experience. Then we shot the rest of the film in Atlanta.

Where did you post?
All in LA on the Warner lot.

Do you like the post process?
I love post, and I hate it (laughs). And it depends on whether you’re finding a solution to a problem or you’re realizing you have a big problem. Post, of course, is where you make the film and where all the problems are exposed… the problems with all the choices I made on set. Sometimes things are working great, but usually it’s the problems you’re having to face. But working with a good post team is so fulfilling, and you’re doing the final rewrite, and we solved so many things in post on this.