Film Directing 116: The Director's Assistant Director

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Film Directing 116: The Director's Assistant Director

Treat your Assistant Director like Gold

The first assistant director and their team is the engine that keeps your production running. Treat them like gold. They are worth it!

Your best chance at getting good performances from your actors and having an organized shoot that runs smoothy – on time and on budget – is to have an informed assistant director. Planning and managing all the moving parts of a film production and having everything in the right place at the right time is like a paramilitary operation.

Your show will only be as good as the teamwork and communication between you and your first assistant director. They are your most precious partner – because they make your creative plans come to life.

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Film Directing 111: The Director's Camera Angle

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Film Directing 111: The Director's Camera Angle

Angles tell the story

Camera 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.

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Film Directing 103: Script Analysis

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Film Directing 103: Script Analysis

Script analysis fundamentals for the beginning director

As a director you receive a script written in a screenplay format. This is the whole story with all of the scenes and characters. Your job is to turn that into a film.

In order to have a powerful and unique visual interpretation of the screenplay you need to know the story inside out; the characters, the dialogue, the subtext, the conflict, the story arc, the genre — and a thousand more details.

It can be exhausting. That’s why they’re gonna pay you the big bucks!

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Film Directing 102: Role of the Director

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Film Directing 102: Role of the Director

Managing Creative People

Most film production students are interested in directing, yet there are popular misconceptions about the role of the director.

It appears to many that directors are at the top of the pyramid in the filmmaking process, however, directors are actually employees of the producer. There are professional guidelines and contractual expectations for the job.

The director needs to have a solid understanding of the entire filmmaking process. Are you ready for the challenge?

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EMBRACE LIMITATIONS

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EMBRACE LIMITATIONS

Working within academic guidelines will help you build the problem-solving muscles you’ll need to thrive and succeed in the film industry. It’s more productive to align with the standards and expectations of a student film project rather than railing against the rules.

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