{"id":1590,"date":"2025-06-27T17:37:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T17:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/?p=1590"},"modified":"2025-06-27T17:37:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T17:37:13","slug":"there-is-no-tomorrow-and-there-is-no-yesterday-victoria-mahoneys-advice-for-filmmakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/there-is-no-tomorrow-and-there-is-no-yesterday-victoria-mahoneys-advice-for-filmmakers\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018There Is No Tomorrow and There Is No Yesterday\u2019: Victoria Mahoney\u2019s Advice for Filmmakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The immortal warriors of \u201cThe Old Guard 2\u201d combine the permanency of eternal existence with the urgency of present conflict. So, too, does the movie\u2019s director, Victoria Mahoney, juxtapose timeless truths with mindful awareness in her filmmaking approach. The director is relentless in her pursuit of \u201csome sweet sliver of truth\u201d through creative collaboration, offering valuable lessons to aspiring filmmakers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground everything in emotion.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When developing the action sequences for \u201cThe Old Guard 2,\u201d Mahoney established a rule that applies far beyond the genre: Spectacle without feeling is meaningless. \u201cI don\u2019t care about cool moves; cool doesn\u2019t matter if the action is not grounded in emotion,\u201d she says. Instead, she breaks down the emotionality of each stage of a fight, whether \u201cshame, remorse, guilt, punishment, anger, venom, love, kindness, regret, etc.\u201d Using this emotionality as a lens, she asks, \u201cHow do the actors stand? How do they move? Do they pause? Why do they pause?\u201d That interrogation makes it so that \u201ceach hit, punch, kick, jump, or leap [are] grounded in reason, ensuring the sequence and the actors were tethered by emotion.\u201d Or to put it simply: Every movement should serve the story.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let actors lead the way.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Director-actor relationships centered on collaboration\u2014rather than control\u2014are key, Mahoney says. \u201cMy goal on any project is to learn an actor\u2019s language versus imposition,\u201d she says. \u201cUltimately, my job is to make [them] feel safe in order to give their optimal creative self.\u201d Drawing from her theatrical training, she invites actor participation by planning early rehearsals, discussing questions about the project and characters, and assigning exercises and homework. By letting actors lead the way, Mahoney creates a synergistic environment of what she calls \u201cunshakeable navigation toward keen lockstep and unspoken communication.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Director
The Old Guard 2. Director Victoria Mahoney on the set of The Old Guard 2. Cr. Eli Joshua Ad\u00e9\/Netflix \u00a9 2025<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fully commit to your path.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mahoney believes that the \u201cfreedom of creative flight\u201d is \u201ctucked away in your bone marrow,\u201d which means internal artistic inspiration transcends any external obstacles. \u201cHere\u2019s the good news: The right path is your path\u2014there is no other path,\u201d she says. \u201cEmbrace the lows with the same vigor you embrace the highs. Whenever you land in the trenches, seek to identify the lesson. Do not hopscotch past lessons or you\u2019ll find yourself in the same ol\u2019 trench over and over again.\u201d And the best time to start on that path? \u201cRight now! Whatever you have access to, start there.\u201d Even if you don\u2019t have a lot to work with, \u201cthe biggest opportunities reside on the highway interlocking your heart, your will, your eye, your hunger, and your fingertips,\u201d she says. \u201cI promise you: Nothing and no one can stifle the muscularity of your creativity when you know precisely what you\u2019re made of and where you need to grow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practice mindfulness.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For filmmakers working on their first big project, Mahoney advises living in the eternal present of creation. \u201cRemove psychological distractions,\u201d she says. \u201cAttack creative barriers. Overprepare. Link arms with trustworthy collaborators. Trust your instincts. Tell yourself there is no tomorrow and there is no yesterday. Embrace the unknown. And have fun!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, Mahoney teaches us that emotional authenticity trumps technical flash, creativity isn\u2019t confined by circumstances, and the most important step is the first one. Her approach demonstrates that the tools for meaningful storytelling are already within reach. They\u2019re in your bone marrow, waiting to be awakened.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Victoria Mahoney\u2019s directorial technique is all about creativity, connection, and living in the now. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":1592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018There Is No Tomorrow and There Is No Yesterday\u2019: Victoria Mahoney\u2019s Advice for Filmmakers - FilmFreeway<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/there-is-no-tomorrow-and-there-is-no-yesterday-victoria-mahoneys-advice-for-filmmakers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018There Is No Tomorrow and There Is No Yesterday\u2019: Victoria Mahoney\u2019s Advice for Filmmakers - 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