Happy Sunday, Creative Army!

I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in.

This week’s featured video comes from FilmStack- When a Director Needs a Hundred Takes: David Fincher. David Fincher has built a reputation as one of the most meticulous directors working today. From Seven and Fight Club to Zodiac, The Social Network, and Gone Girl, his films are known for their precision, attention to detail, and famously high number of takes.

This video explores how that approach was largely shaped by one painful experience: Alien 3. Fincher’s first feature film was plagued by studio interference, shifting scripts, and a lack of creative control. The experience left him frustrated, but it also taught him a lesson that would define the rest of his career: if he wanted his films to succeed, he needed to fully understand and protect the vision behind them.

What followed was a career built on preparation, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to the work. Whether researching Zodiac for more than a year, refining the rapid-fire dialogue of The Social Network, or pushing for dozens of takes to find the exact performance he wanted, Fincher developed a process that became his signature.

Fincher’s reputation for doing dozens, sometimes even close to a hundred takes, can sound extreme. But what’s interesting is that his perfectionism isn’t just about getting actors to repeat themselves. It’s about stripping away the performance until something precise, controlled, and emotionally true emerges inside the world he’s building. That doesn’t mean every filmmaker should work that way. In fact, most shouldn’t. But Fincher’s career shows what can happen when a director’s process becomes inseparable from their voice.

The question the video raises is an interesting one: were Fincher’s greatest films great because he had control, or because he was still fighting for it? That’s something every creative can relate to in some form. Sometimes friction sharpens the work. Sometimes freedom opens the door to mastery. And sometimes the hardest experiences teach you exactly what you need to protect going forward.

Which brings me to a question I get asked all the time: When is your script ready?

The honest answer is that it’s never completely ready. And I know that sounds frustrating, but it’s also freeing. At a certain point, you have to stop thinking of the script as something that will one day become untouchable. If the script gets traction, you’re going to get notes. If it gets optioned, you’re going to get notes. If it gets bought, you’re going to get notes. If actors, directors, producers, financiers, or executives get involved, you’re going to get more notes.

That’s the process. So for me, readiness is less about perfection and more about confidence in the draft’s ability to hold up under conversation.

After I get through my first draft and do some early revisions, I’ll usually show it to a few trusted people and make it clear that it’s still in process. I’m not pretending it’s done. I’m looking for patterns. I want to know what’s landing, what’s confusing, what’s not carrying emotionally, and where the story may not be doing what I think it’s doing. Once I’ve taken in that early feedback and done another pass, I like to get three pieces of coverage.

Why three? Because one person’s note may be a matter of taste. If two people give me the same note, I’m paying very close attention. If three people give me the same note, I know I have a problem that needs to be addressed.

That process helps separate personal preference from actual script issues. After that, I go back in, make the changes I believe are right for the story, and then I’ll send it to trusted readers again with context. I’ll tell them what the process has been, what notes came up, what I addressed, and what I’m still watching for.

That’s how I start to know it’s ready to go out. But again, “ready” does not mean perfect. It means strong enough to enter the arena. Too many writers get stuck polishing the same script for years because they’re afraid it isn’t ready. And I get that fear. Nobody wants to send something out too early. Nobody wants to miss their shot. But you also can’t keep hiding behind rewrites forever. At some point, you have to let the work meet the world.

So I’ll leave you with this question: How do you know when a project is ready to share, and what part of that process is hardest for you?

As always, here at Stage 32, we love sharing stories and knowledge with our fellow film fans. Know someone who would love this content? Share it with them. You can keep up with all of our videos by subscribing to the Stage 32 YouTube Channel. For more inspirational, educational, and motivational content on all things entertainment industry, follow me on Instagram and X @rbwalksintoabar.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and creative Sunday.

Cheers,

RB

FilmStack | When a Director Needs a Hundred Takes: David Fincher

RBWalksIntoABar | When Is Your Script Ready?

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