Film director
|
The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. |
A
film director is a person who directs the making of a
film.
[Dictionary Definition] Generally, a film director controls a film's
artistic and
dramatic aspects, and visualizes the
script while guiding the
technical crew and
actors in the fulfillment of that vision. It is the director's sense of drama, along with the
creative visualization of the script, that transforms a
screenplay into a well-made
motion picture.
However, the director doesn't always have absolute artistic control. The director is usually selected by the
producer, whose job it is to make the decisions that are in the best interests of the production company or studio or network. As such, the producers have veto power over everything from the script itself to the final cut of the film, often in anywhere from slight to extreme opposition to the director's vision.
The role of a film director in the creation of a movie is a large one, and typically includes completion of the following tasks:
*Realizing the overall artistic vision of the film.
*Controlling the content and flow of the film's
plot.
*Directing the performances of actors, both by putting them in certain positions and by eliciting the required range of emotions.
*Organizing and selecting the locations in which the film will be shot.
*Managing technical details such as the positioning of
cameras, the use of
lighting, and the timing and content of the film's
soundtrack.
Often directors choose to delegate many of these responsibilities to other members of their
film crews. For example, the director may describe the mood he wants from a scene, then leave it to other members of the film crew to find a suitable location and/or to set up the appropriate lighting.
How much control a director exerts over a film varies greatly. Many directors are under the control of the studio and producer. This was true from the
1930s through the
1950s, when studios had many directors, actors and
writers under contract.
Meanwhile, other directors have far more control and bring their artistic vision to the pictures they make. Their methods range from those who:
*Outline a general
plotline and let the actors improvise dialogue.
*Control every aspect, and demand that the actors and crew follow instructions precisely.
*Write their own scripts (such as
Quentin Tarantino,
Hayao Miyazaki or
Jason Norman).
*Collaborate on screenplays with long-standing writing partners.
*Act as their own
cinematographers and
editors.
*Star (often in leading roles) in their films, such as
Clint Eastwood,
Woody Allen or even
Mel Brooks.
Directors work closely with film producers, who are usually responsible for the non-artistic elements of the film, such as
financing,
contract negotiation and
marketing. Some directors will often take on some of the responsibilities of the producer for their films.
Steven Spielberg is known for doing precisely that, and the early
silent film director
Alice Guy Blaché not only produced her own pictures but actually created her own highly successful studio.
In the United States, directors usually belong to the
Directors Guild of America. The Canadian equivalent is the
Directors Guild of Canada.
*
List of directors*
Alan Smithee*
FreeFilmSchool.Org has detailed articles on how to be an independent film director*
Smooth Negotiating: Making the Director Deal*
Directors Guild of America*
Directors Guild of Canada*
A comprehensive collection of interviews with a century's worth of European film directors
