Directing Fundamentals. Without a strong vision behind a story, a film will lose its focus. A film director needs to have an understanding of how each department contributes to the making of a film and how to best utilize the talents of all team members. The following 100 LEVEL blogs cover the role and responsibilities of a director in script development, pre-production, production, and post production. Read along to learn how to tell a story cinematically, use the camera as a tool, prepare a script analysis and engage in the casting and rehearsal process with actors.
Finishing production is a major milestone for your film.
A lot of energy and effort has gone into getting your project to this point. The cast and production crew may be finished, but you’re not!
You have miles to go. Buckle up!
Read MoreYour first day on set as a director will undoubtedly be memorable.
Every day of film production requires you to have a plan. The question is: can the scheduled work be completed in the allotted time?
Whatever happens, you’ll walk away knowing a lot more about your actors, yourself, and the challenges of directing.
Read MoreThe tech survey is where the rubber hits the road for the directing team: laying out the production plans, the schedule, the start and stop times — basically, everything that’s going to happen for each day of shooting at each set.
The more details and precision, the better. Thoroughness and clarity are key.
Make the most of your tech survey. It sets the tone for your shoot.
Read MoreShow and Tell meetings bring together the various elements of the images you plan to create. They also help you avoid unwanted surprises during principle photography.
Everyone on the filmmaking team wants to deliver their best work. Clear, concise communication and decisive leadership from the director is a must. Effective show and tell meetings begin with the director. Vagueness and uncertainty are not helpful and will likely lead to delays and disappointments on set.
Get all your ducks (and seahorses) in a row!
Read MoreThe right location can improve the look of your film – but it can also be a production nightmare. Make sure to consider your priorities. Know what you need for your frames to look good and for your shoot to run smoothly.
There are certain amenities and necessities to look for when scouting locations – both interiors and exteriors. If a location looks great but lacks the convenience, space, and facilities – protect the downside. Production slowdowns are one thing. Unhappy coworkers are another.
Read MoreWhen you’re crewing up for camera, lighting, sound, makeup, etc., the role of script continuity can be an afterthought.
I recommend finding someone who wants to do script continuity on every film. It’s an important role in longer form television and feature productions. When you get onto a professional set, they will be beside you for every shot.
Value the support they provide, and you will be a better director.
Read MoreFilms are rarely shot in chronological order. Creating the production plan, crafting an efficient schedule, and deciding on the best order for shooting your film is done with your assistant director.
There are many puzzle pieces to a shooting schedule. Weather forecasts, location access, equipment availability, and actor availability can all create logistical challenges. A well-organized schedule lets you get the work for the day done in the allotted time with strong performances and a sense that everyone is pleased with their efforts.
Take care when building your schedule. It will pay off with a good directing experience.
Read MoreBringing a film to life – and making it good – relies heavily on the script and the director. But the director is not working alone. There are many creative partners who align with the director, and two are of critical importance in pre-production and principle photography – the director of photographer and the production designer.
Working alongside the director, these two creative keys are responsible for crafting the visual images.
Read MoreAn engaged audience reacts to the director’s choices in every frame. Focus, light, movement, composition, and shot content are factors for every director to consider when constructing a frame.
Ideas for frames grow and multiply through your director’s prep. The writer, John Steinbeck, said it best — 'Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.'
Read MoreCamera angles have conventions and implicit meanings that have been understood by viewers from the early days of moving pictures.
Directors need to know the impact of their decisions when they set up a shot. And they need to understand what their audience will understand from their camera angle choice.
Read MorePowered by Pozervision
