Film Directing 114: The Director's Creative Partnerships

Film Directing 114: The Director's Creative Partnerships

Synergy is the goal

Bringing 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.

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Film Directing 108: Thumbnails for the beginning director

Film Directing 108: Thumbnails for the beginning director

Thumbnails lead to better films

‘Thumbnail’ is the term for a simple storyboard frame. It’s a small, quick sketch that shouldn’t take longer than 10 or 15 seconds to create. Thumbnails are an important part of the director’s visual planning process.

Thumbnails illustrate the size of the shot and the character position in the frame. This helps the different departments understand the director's goal for the camera set-up.

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Film Directing 107: Introduction to Shotlists

Film Directing 107: Introduction to Shotlists

Shotlists help you plan your film

As the production moves from pre-production into principle photography, the shotlist is tremendously helpful. It shapes the schedule, clarifies the equipment that is needed, and many other important details that contribute to managing a smooth-running show.

Every director has their own process for pre-visualizing their story, but creating a written plan helps build confidence in the decision-making that happens on set.

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