“He’s very honest”: Mr. Scorsese’s producer Damon Cardasis opens up on how it was to shoot a docuseries with the Oscar winning director 

From the very first day of shooting, Mr. Scorsese's producer Damon Cardasis says that Rebecca Miller’s Martin Scorsese documentary series on Apple TV+ was incredibly candid. It was an honor to work with one of the world's greatest film directors, and the docuseries set out to document both his personal life and career achievements. Because of Scorsese's candor and willingness to share himself, Cardasis was able to tell his story in his own voice and in tremendous depth.

In an interview with Variety, when Cardasis was asked whether there was ever a time when he asked to stop shooting because there was something he wouldn’t talk about, he said,

"She can go toe-to-toe with him because she’s so brilliant. We also found out as time went on that it was great to just have the two of them alone, just them in a room with two cameras set up and a boom."

He added,

"People will see in the doc that he’s very open. He’s very honest about things."

The iconic director had no qualms about opening up his life, career, and work process. This openness enabled the production team to create a docuseries that is actually representative of the man behind the lens, shying away from clichés or overly depicted stories. It was not about shooting Scorsese's movies; it was about showing the man who created them.

The origin of the docuseries: Mr. Scorsese

It was a conception of a collaboration between director Rebecca Miller and writer Damon Cardasis. They came together to venture into the abundant life of Scorsese: life's inspiration, journey to a career in films, and personal moments leading to his approach to filmmaking.

For Cardasis, they were not intent on writing a typical biography but a thoughtful look into Scorsese as an artist and person.

Capturing authenticity in Mr. Scorsese

The production team was intent on keeping Scorsese's voice front and center, Cardasis observed. By letting him have complete freedom to speak as he chose, Mr. Scorsese was able to convey nuance and ideas lost in cookie-cutter profiles or interviews.

This enabled audiences to realize his vision for narrative, filmmaking, and the adversity he had endured for decades working in the business. Authenticity was the goal all the time, where the viewer could see Scorsese living the way he actually lived without embellishment or exaggeration.

Challenge and learning experience

Even with Scorsese available, filming Mr. Scorsese was not without challenges. Cutting decades' worth of professional accomplishments, life anecdotes, and philosophy into a meaningful narrative was a task of meticulous planning and coordination, in the opinion of Cardasis.

Yet, the experience also provided the team with a unique chance to be taught directly by one of the all-time greatest film directors and learn about both his aesthetic decisions as well as life principles.

The collaborative dynamic

The docuseries also demonstrates the importance of trust and respect for each other in filmmaking. Cardasis described a deeply collaborative process, where every decision, from interview questions asked to the choice of scenes, was guided by Scorsese's response.

This didn't mean that Mr. Scorsese compromised on his experience and still managed to give a structure easily followed by viewers.

Legacy and contribution

With Scorsese, viewers see more than a glimpse of a movie icon; they see the human behind it. The series preserves Scorsese's legacy in unromanticized form, chronicling his career and giving lessons to aspiring filmmakers.

By presenting his life in a documentary, detailed form, the docuseries is both informative and fun.

Looking back at the experience, Damon Cardasis said that working with Scorsese was an eye-opener. Mr. Scorsese is the embodiment of honesty, teamwork, and what occurs when a single vision leads a film. By letting Scorsese speak for himself, the docuseries eschews sensationalism for a clear, factual, in-your-face portrayal of a director whose influence on film is not up for debate.

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Cardasis’ words capture the essence of the series and the experience of working with one of the greats.

Also read: First trailer for the 5 part docu-series Mr. Scorsese is released

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