The director, probably one of those crew members that you have heard of, even if you are the greatest novice of the movie world out there. When a movie is made, it is the director who gets the praise for it, or who gets the blame for the flop. So read on to discover who the director is, what skills they require, the tasks they do and more…
Above, we have four images of some of the classic directors: (From top left to bottom right) The Coen Brothers; Quentin Tarantino; Alfred Hitchcock; George Lucas… Their movies will live on and on, and that is because they are successful at what they do. Admire their movies, learn from them, learn to love them.
So what does a movie director actually do in his line of work then?
The following list of tasks is the beginning to the list of the endless number of jobs the director of a movie is required to do:
• Interpret the script and plan the movie out. This will often include planning everything out within the story of the film. The types of characters, the locations, the style of the film…
• Plan every shot that is required for every scene of the film, this is generally done with the great help of Director of Photography (DP). Please note: These two crew members will become great pals. Without this friendship, your movie can easily fall apart.
• Oversee all technical decisions. They will often have a great knowledge of all aspects of the movie production teams and therefore will always have a say over all decisions.
• Obviously, direct the actors. They must explain to an actor how to act or how to get from A to B. Some directors choose to give actors a lot of freedom, and some directors choose to give their actors no freedom.
• Ensure that deadlines are met and will ensure that staff know when they should be where they are needed.
What traits does the perfect director have?
A number of traits. That is the simple answer to the question. Different directors have different traits. Some are more concerned about their technical knowledge than the directing of the actors, and some are more concerned about the directing of the actors than how the camera works. Both have advantages and disadvantages. But if you are set on having a list of skills, check out the following list:
• Organized / Efficient / Methodical
• Responsible / Sensible / Mature
• Unforgettable / Reliable / Persistent / Punctual
• Authoritative / Confident / Controlling / Domineering
• Well-Mannered / Polite / Understandable
And then there are the traits no director should have:
• Cocky / Arrogant / Egotistical
Well there’s only those three, but if a director wants to succeed then they must not have these traits, no matter what. Directors are so important to the whole production of a film. Can you imagine taking away Tarantino from Pulp Fiction… Can you imagine taking away Lucas from Star Wars… Can you imagine taking away Spielberg from ET. These films would no longer exist. Would they?
Hopefully you will find that this is a sufficient amount of information for giving you an insight into directors and the job that they do. If you want some help with directing then check out the directing section where you will be given suitable information on directing movies.
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