Film Directing 101: The Language of Film

LEVEL 100 blogs are for film students and first-time directors taking on the directing role for a short film. The series is designed to help and guide new filmmakers through the director’s prep duties, pre-production activities, and principle photography dynamics.

The director must know how to communicate

Like any profession, there are specific words, terms, and references that you need to know in order to effectively communicate in the day-to-day activities of a working film director. This is an expansive area and your knowledge will grow and evolve as you read screenplays, study films, and make films. Like learning any new language, becoming fluent takes time.

For directors, the ability to convey your ideas to producers, cinematographers, actors, production designers, editors, sound designers and composers is part of the skill set you need to develop in order to thrive in the directing role. Embracing the language of film across all of the specializations and effectively communicating to everyone who comes together to make the film is essential. Your knowledge will grow and expand as you continue with your film education.

Some terms are obvious and their definitions are somewhat self-explanatory; a cut, a wide shot, a fade in, or a fade out. These are terms that you might read in a screenplay. In a conversation with a cinematographer you may discuss dolly shots, zooms, or POV’s. Editors may suggest techniques such as dissolves, wipes, or freeze frames.

Directors need to know the basic terms across all specializations. The language of film should be something that you are constantly curious about. If you hear a word or a term that you don’t understand — find out what it means. There is much to learn as you aim to take on the directing role.

Working with a screenplay or a screenwriter, your discussions might cover flashbacks, scenes, sequences, acts, themes, subtext, motifs, conflict, climax, resolution — the stuff of writing a script and telling a visual story with words.

A producer relationship will be stronger if you know how to read a budget. Understanding the crewing positions and responsibilities, the equipment you need to complete your show, the merits of a shotlist and pre-production goals are all important. Knowing how to pitch your director vision and how to make informed decisions that impact the bottom line are skills that you will develop along the way.

Planning your film with a Director of Photography requires a solid understanding of cinematography terms. Shot sizes, such as a medium shot, a close-up, or an establishing shot need to be in your vocabulary. The ability to clearly communicate your visual ideas to the team that will be helping you create those visuals is a vital part of the director’s job.

Well before arriving on set, the prepared director needs to know the dynamics of blocking: the choreography between the actors and the camera. Ideally, you will have a comprehensive written plan using schematics with a notation system that detail the intended camera positions and actor action in a scene. Storyboards that align with your schematics are also recommended for having a good day on set.

Moving into the editing room the director needs to understand the basic ideas and terminology of montage; various kinds of cuts, fades, dissolves, wipes, etc. Of course, you must first deliver shots that are designed to be assembled without creating confusion for the audience.

The most nuanced language to learn concerns the director’s relationship with the actors. The language for co-creating a performance through rehearsal, through any number of takes on set, and even into post-production for additional dialogue recording is, perhaps, the most important directing skill of all. Adjusting a performance and building a character’s through-line is, for me, the most exciting part of the directing experience.

In PRIMER, you’ll find a glossary of screenwriting terms and a glossary of filmmaking terms. These are basic, beginner lists that will help get you started. They are, by no means, exhaustive. We will continue to add to your knowledge of film language as we delve into the various departments of the creative and technical teams that interact with the director.

Take it slow and steady. Be patient. Be curious. Be determined.