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12-04-2007, 11:41 PM
For those DPs out there, what things do you find yourself repeatedly wishing that directors would know?
My goal is to be a good Director, albeit a very visually inclined one. I prefer to be a strong collaborator with DPs, and not one that the DP rolls his eyes at the moment he turns around.
So what do DPs wish their Director would know? Or, is this a silly question with no real answer?
12-05-2007, 01:19 AM
I think the best directors have a really good sense of the pacing of their project. Sometimes this is in seconds, other times this is in scenes.Originally Posted by Shawn Nelson
I also really appreciate directors that have a strong knowledge of film grammar and speak the language of composition and lenses very precisely.
Finally, it's great when someone understands the power of great blocking. Not only creating interesting grammar with interesting blocking, but also how to use a blocking session effectively as a tool to communicate with your entire crew. (And how not to confuse blocking with rehearsal.)
It's funny Shawn. Driving home from set tonight, I had a long talk with my director about this very subject: What a director needs to know.
IBloom
12-05-2007, 01:33 AM
Somebody in Wikipedia collected very good thoughts about FILM DIRECTOR>>>
"A director is a person who directs the making of a film.
A film director visualizes the script,
controlling a film's artistic and dramatic aspects,
while guiding the technical crew and
actors in the fulfillment of their vision.
--
Responsibilities
A film director is responsible for overseeing every creative aspect of a film.
They develop a vision for a film, decide how it should look, what tone it should have,
and what an audience should gain from the cinematic experience. They are responsible
for hiring a strong, creative team of people to work with production, lighting, cinematography,
and costumes. Film directors are responsible for approving every camera angle, lens effect, lighting,
and set design. They coordinate the actors moves, determine camera angles, and may be involved in the writing,
financing, and editing of a film. The director works closely with the cast and crew. They listen to the cast and crew,
take some suggestions, and give out some of their own. They meet with the cast before each scene to do a run through.
This tells them how the actors are going to play the scene, which enables them to make changes accordingly.
A film director is also responsible for television production."
MORE>>>
12-05-2007, 05:35 AM
Good wikinitions!
IMHO, the director is responsible for saying the heaviest "YES" to every aspect of the film-making process.
1. Reading the script and saying "YES, this script will work" [responsibility].
2. Rehearsing and directing the actors:
"YES, that's the character we seek".
"YES, that's the expression, movement and gestures we need".
"YES, that's the way to deliver this line".
[responsibility]
3. Directing the visual aspects of the movie:
"YES, that's the set design we want". [colors, shapes, mood, style,]
"YES, these are the costumes that best depict the character and the story".
"YES, that's the necessary make-up".
"YES, this is the composition\lighting\camera movement that I had in mind" [for every shot\scene\sequence].
[responsibility]
4. Directing post:
"YES, this is the final cut we're after - emotion, rhythm, pace".
"YES, the color grading is what me and the DP agree on".
"YES, the sound works that way".
"YES, the music is [finally] fitting".
"NO, that trailer sucks and ruins everything".
"YES, now the trailer is tolerable" :)
[responsibility]
-----
I'm sure missing a lot of "YES" steps there, but the point is that the director has the almighty power\responsibility of "YES"-ing everything in the movie.
The way I see it, there are no rules in art, except one:
Impress and win your [target] audience. Make them say the big "YES" at the end of your movie.
The fun and power aspects of directing seem to appeal to everyone, but it's the responsibility side that makes most people frown.
Responsibility for the success of what is being filmmade.
That's tough.
It's heavy intellectual and psychological labor [and responsibility :) ].
And, in the end, you have to be really crazy to actually want to be a director.
But,.. aren't we all... :sorcerer:
My 2c.
12-05-2007, 08:33 AM
One of my greatest wishes for any director that I work with is for them to know, I mean really know, what it is that they want from a scene. Not only shot line, lens choices, but also exact coverage and most certainly performance. I hate it when a director (and for some reason more often writer/director) sort of 'feels' their way around when shooting a scene. If they know what they want (and need) then more time is available to work on setups and things that other departments would like to have more time to work on.
I am not bagging on directors; I know that their job is very very difficult. About the only thing that I would rather be even less than a director is a UPM. Their job seems to be the worse as everyone's problem is their problem!
Just my $.02 on the subject.
12-05-2007, 08:44 AM
When I first saw the post, my cynical response was that I wish more directors knew how to direct...
Yes, I think understanding pacing, tempo of a scene, is key -- it's a subset of understanding how the scene will be edited, how the whole movie will be edited. That's a great trait for a director to have.
Knowing story and how to talk to actors, recognize a good performance on the set or in the editing room, or a poor one and knowing how to fix it, is also key.
There are many others that are important as well but these stand out.
Being able to handle stress is key as well. Being good at hiring your collaborators, casting, picking a project in the first place, finding financing...
12-05-2007, 08:53 AM
As a Director I wish DP's knew how to get a move on
12-05-2007, 09:53 AM
As a recovering theatre major, I'll offer my two cents.
Perhaps I'm prejudiced, but I think it should be mandatory for every director to take an acting class (or several). Most behind-the-scenes types (myself included) are uncomfortable in the limelight, but the insights you can gain from watching a good teacher/coach shape an unconvincing performance into a better one are (IMVHO) well worth the emotional discomfort.
Beyond that, I think directing requires very different skills at each stage of production. In pre-production, you're kind of painting ideas in broad strokes, making sure all departments agree on look, feel, pacing, tone, etc. This is the time to do your homework, solicit input and make a game plan.
It's very different when the production clock is running: you need to make a daunting series of decisions quickly, and you need to tell people what to do. The what to do part is really important. I love a director who unhesitatingly says "use the red napkins" or "wait a beat after you enter, and go a little faster when you cross." Conversely, the single least-helpful bit of direction I ever received was a college production in which the director asked me to "be more magical." Being a young smart-ass, I shot back, "Could you be more vague, please?" A zen master can 'be,' but an actor must 'do.'
12-05-2007, 10:38 AM
Well, a major part of directing is knowing what each of your actors needs from you, and it's not always the same thing. Some might want what you did - a bit more of a specific adjustment. Others might want exactly what your director gave to you - more of an emotional adjustment. A good director must understand each actor's particular process and deal with it on its own terms. The best directors I've worked with have the ability to analyze this in rehearsal based on a combination of the questions each actor asks (and how many) and their reactions to different types of direction. By the end of their first scene with each cast member, they understand what each of them will need in order to elicit their best performances.
12-05-2007, 11:32 AM
Great thread!
For me, the first thing every director needs to know is what are the motivations (yes, the dreaded phrase) or thematic premise, or better yet, the NEED, of every character through the story. Understanding what a character does in general, how he/she is, how he/she is boud to react to many situations, even those the character is not faced with in the script, is of paramount importance. It's a lot easier to tell an actor why on a particular scene the character would act like this or like that, then just say "walk slower, or cry harder, or don't laugh so much". Arbitrary direction based on a particular scene is not conducive to actors doing their best work. Direction is about feeling not about gestures or actions.
Directors should spend time discussing the script with their actors, analyzing what each of them feels or thinks are the reactions of their character to each particular scene or challenge throughout the script, and once both director and actor agree on who and why the character is, the rest follows rather easily, so I agree that "be more magical" is about the worst thing an actor can hear.
And unless you are Ridley Scott or some other visual director, the best thing a director can tell his DP is what emotions and results, from a dramatic standpoint, he wants from the scene, and let the DP suggest angles, lenses, framing and lighting, this is true collaboration. Based on those options offered by the DP, the director can then choose what he feels is the best, but telling a DP "let's frame this like this or that" ir also counterproductive. Then again, that requires a DP with artistic capabilities, not just a skilled camera operator, which is what many DP's truly are. That's what I've always tried to do when directing.
Lastly, if you haven't yet, read Judith Weston's book "Directing Actors", it is a great read.
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