Film director

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A film director is a person who directs the making of a film. 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.1

Contents

Responsibilities

The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, while filming a costume drama on location in London.

Film directors create an "overall vision" through which a film gets eventually "born".2 Realizing this vision includes to oversee "the cinematography and the technical aspects" as well as directing the shooting timetable and meeting deadlines.3 This means organizing "the array of people working under him/her on how to best capture his artistic vision for the film".4 5 This requires "good leadership and motivational skills" as well as "the ability to stay calm in stressful situations".6 Moreover it is necessary to have "an artistic eye to frame shots" and to give precise feedback to cast and crew.7 Subsequently excellent communication skills are a must.8 Since he depends on a successful cooperation of a lot of different creative individuals with possibly strongly contradicting artistic ideals and visions, he also needs "to be a diplomat" in order mediate whenever necessary .9 Thus he makes sure all assembled talent "blends into a single consciousness".4 The set of varying challenges he has to tackle have been described as "a multi-dimensional jigsaw puzzle with egos and weather thrown in for good measure".10 It adds to the pressure that the success of a film can influence when and how they will work again. 11 Always omnipresent are the boundaries of his budget.12 He might also have to ensure an intended age rating.13 Theoretically the director has "to answer only to executive producers". 14 2 Still a "real-life brawl" between a film director and an actor can possibly cause that the film director gets fired if the actor is a major film star.15 Even so, "from the first day of brainstorming to the final release" directors often spend more working hours on films than "any actor, technician, or editor" and consequently the profession can be "physically, mentally, and emotionally draining".1 It has been said that "20-hour days are not unusual".2

Becoming a film director

Some film directors started as screenwriters, film editors or actors.16 Other film directors have visited a film school to "get formal training and education in their craft". 17 Film students can study "the basic principles, techniques and procedures of film direction and production"18 This includes, for example, "preparation, shot lists and storyboards, blocking, protocols of dealing with professional actors, reading scripts, the construction of film".19 Some film schools are equipped with sound stages and "extensive post-production facilities"20 Besides "organizational and technical skills" students also achieve "insights into social contexts and relationships"21 Students are led to explore their own creativity and moreover they are introduced in "ways of working that foster the important exchange of ideas".22 They are finally supposed to be fit to deal with all forms and genres.23 A full degree course can be designed for up to five years of studying.24 Future directors usually complete short films during their enrolment.1 The National Film School of Denmark has the student's final projects presented on national TV. 25 Some film schools retain the rights for their students' works.26 Many directors successfully prepared for making feature films by working in televison.27 The German Film and Television Academy Berlin consequently cooperates with the Berlin/Brandenburg TV station RBB (Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting) and ARTE.28
Director, screenwriter and film producer Luc Besson founded his own film school "Ecole de la Cité" for directing and screenwriting in 2013. On its homepage he explained that because he was not given the chance to attend a film school he had to go very long way and "carried tons of gear". He started at the bottom of the ladder as an unpaid intern on a short film and is still grateful to the technicians who have given him "kindly and patiently" training on the job.29
In the USA there is also an "Assistant Directors Training Program" sponsored by the Director’s Guild of America. 4 The trainee gets paid and receives HMO. 30

Characteristics of film directors

Ingmar Bergman apparently examines an x-ray film, during work on Wild Strawberries.
Here, director William Eubank performs multiple roles on-set as both director and camera operator.

Different directors can vary immensely amongst themselves, under various characteristics. Several examples are:

Professional organizations

In the United States, directors usually belong to the Directors Guild of America. The Canadian equivalent is the Directors Guild of Canada. In the UK, directors usually belong to Directors UK or the Directors Guild of Great Britain.

In Europe, FERA, the Federation of European Film Directors, represents 37 national directors' guilds in 30 countries.

Notable film directors

See also

Bibliography

  • Spencer Moon: Reel Black Talk: A Sourcebook of 50 American Filmmakers, Greenwoood Press 1997
  • The St. James Women Filmmakers Encyclopedia: Women on the Other Side of the Camera, Visible Ink Press, 1999
  • International dictionary of films and filmmakers, ed. by Tom Pendergast, 4 volumes, Detroit [etc.]: St. James Press, 4th edition 2000, vol. 2: Directors
  • Contemporary North American Film Directors: A Wallflower Critical Guide (Wallflower Critical Guides to Contemporary Directors), ed. by Yoram Allon Del Cullen and Hannah Patterson, Second Edition, Columbia Univ Press 2002
  • Alexander Jacoby, Donald Richie: A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors: From the Silent Era to the Present Day, Stone Bridge Press, 2008, ISBN 1-933330-53-8
  • Rebecca Hillauer: Encyclopedia of Arab Women Filmmakers, American University in Cairo Press, 2005, ISBN 977-424-943-7
  • Roy Armes: Dictionary of African Filmmakers, Indiana University Press, 2008, ISBN 0-253-35116-2
  • Philippe Rege: Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Scarecrow Press, 2009

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Princeton review". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  2. ^ a b c "Career Profile Film Director". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  3. ^ "Employment Film Director". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  4. ^ a b c "Career snapshot". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  5. ^ "They must work with producers, writers, cast members, crew members, designers and other professionals in order to implement that vision". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  6. ^ "A film director needs...". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  7. ^ "Film Director Career". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  8. ^ "Job Profile". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  9. ^ "You have to be a diplomat. You have to marshal a whole load of creative people, who often don't get on with each other, and your job is to stop things turning into a bun-fight.". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  10. ^ "What is a Director?". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  11. ^ "directors work under a lot of pressure, and most are under constant stress to find their next job.". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  12. ^ "The director is bound by financial conditions, which however should not hinder him from developing his own artistic signature.". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  13. ^ "Realizing that an NC-17 rating could hurt business (some theaters and newspapers won't show or advertise NC-17 movies), Mr. Verhoeven cut 47 seconds of the most graphic sex and violence". Retrieved May 16, 1993. 
  14. ^ "Career as a film director". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  15. ^ "The Fight Over 'Broadway Brawler'". Retrieved March 13, 1997. 
  16. ^ "Many are experienced actors, editors or writers". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  17. ^ "Many directors get formal training and education in their craft at a film school.". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  18. ^ "In the Fiction Film bachelor studio students learn the basic principles, techniques and procedures of film direction and production". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  19. ^ "Classes supporting this area discuss and rehearse: preparation, shot lists and storyboards, blocking, protocols of dealing with professional actors, reading scripts, the construction of film sequence". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  20. ^ "We operate from a purpose-built studio facility in Harrow, with two sound stages, a set construction workshop, and extensive post-production facilities.". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  21. ^ "An intrinsic element of the education, alongside the transfer of organizational and technical skills, is to provide the students with insights into social contexts and relationships". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  22. ^ "While allowing you to explore your creativity, the course encourages ways of working that foster the important exchange of ideas". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  23. ^ "the students pursue their studies in the Directing Department. The programme prepares accomplished directors of feature films and audio visual works in a variety of forms and genres". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  24. ^ "The directing studies 5 years of study : a first cycle of 3 years and a second cycle of 2 years.". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  25. ^ "The students' final project is a film produced on a professional level and presented to the public on national TV.". Retrieved March 15, 2013. 
  26. ^ "If you're a student and making your film within a film school then you should be aware that some film schools will retain the copyright in the films that you make during your enrolment". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  27. ^ "Many successful film directors, including Oscar Winning Best Director of 'The King’s Speech', Tom Hooper, began their careers in television, which provided the platform to progress through the industry.". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  28. ^ "The DFFB cooperates with the Berlin/Brandenburg TV station RBB and ARTE and produces 3 short films of 30minutes lengths for RBB and 10 short films of 5 minutes lengths for ARTE". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 
  29. ^ "A word from the founder". Retrieved March 17, 2013. 
  30. ^ "Once accepted, a Trainee completes 350 or 400 days of paid, hands-on work experience on actual film and television projects. An HMO is provided.". Retrieved March 3, 2013. 

External links

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