A closer look at the many roles of a film director
I have been very fortunate over the last 8 years to direct some great projects and work with some amazing people. One comment I tend to receive is, “How did you get so organized?” When most people think of a film director, they often envision a filmmaker perched behind a camera or a screenwriter scribbling away on a script. While these are certainly important aspects of a director’s job, there is much more to the craft than meets the eye. A film director is responsible for the creative vision and technical execution of a project, from pre-production to post-production. They are the ultimate storytellers, responsible for crafting a vision that will transport an audience to a world of their own making. From casting the right actors to overseeing the set and production design, the work of a director is complex and all-encompassing. So the answer to that question requires me to take a closer look at the many roles of a film director.
what is a film director?
A film director is the person responsible for deciding where the movie goes and how it gets there. They are the creative force behind an entire project and have been likened to the conductor of an orchestra. They are responsible for creating a vision and bringing it to life on screen. While cinematographers, producers, and actors all have a strong hand in filmmaking, it is the director who wears the ultimate creative and managerial hat. I’ve broken this article into three parts, picking the primary focus for directors in each part.
pre-production
casting
Casting a film is one of the most important aspects of a film director’s job. The director is responsible for finding the right actors for each major role in order to tell the story as it should be told. Casting a film requires research, a good eye for talent, and the ability to see potential in even the most unusual candidates. When casting a film, I try to look at the script and determine the background of the character. After that, I look for talent that best fills those roles. Sometimes this is more than just an audition. It means talking to the actor and finding out more about them. Are they able to relate to the character, see their motivations? A lot of directors collaborate with casting directors and agents to help find the right talent. Once the right actors are found, the director must make sure they are physically able to portray the characters they have been cast to portray. They must then make sure they have the right skill set to portray the role. Once you are confident you have the right talent for the role, the job gets easier…a little bit.
rehearsals
After finding the right cast and visualizing the action of the story, it is time for the director to get down to hands-on work. The first step I like to do is a table read with the entire cast to rehearse the script. This allows the actors to see their parts and the director to hear the lines for the first time. It also allows the director to make notes to relay to the talent during scene rehearsals later on. During those rehearsals, I tend to work with the actors and make any subtle changes to the script. These rehearsals are where the director is able to see if the action is flowing, and any blocking (the movement on a set) issues should be fixed. This is done prior to filming. If you’re lucky that’s a couple days prior, but usually it’s the same day. After rehearsals, the director is ready to start filming.
storyboarding
Storyboarding is an important aspect of the work of a film director. The art of storyboarding is the process of diagramming out the action of a film. During the pre-production stage of a film, storyboarding is used as a visual guide to show the direction of the film. It can also be used to streamline the production process to ensure everything happens at the right time. Once the storyboard is complete, it can be used as a visual reference during the production of the film. Side note here - I’m a terrible artist, so instead of storyboarding, I will sometimes diagram scenes. This is still helpful to a DP and other crew. It will also remind me of the visual I had of that scene. While storyboarding is not the same as scripting, it is an important part of the work of a film director. After being given the script for a film, a director must be able to visualize the look and feel of the film as well as the action. The storyboard, or even diagraming, is a visual way of showing the director what they should be seeing and hearing.
Production
Working with actors on the set
After casting and rehearsing the script, each director will want to get down to the business of filming. While filming, the director is responsible for keeping the action going. This is achieved through the use of blocking, a physical art form that dictates how the actors move on set. During filming, the director is in charge of making sure the actors stay focused on their parts. They are also responsible for making sure the lighting is correct to what they want. The director is also responsible for making sure that the pacing of the shots stay on schedule. The schedule is most important and you need to make sure you don’t take too long getting that one scene right if you have six more scenes to shoot that day. This is why an Assistant Director is so important. While you focus on the cast and movement of the scene, your AD can make sure your crew is setting the scene correctly and staying on schedule. A great AD makes a world of difference.
Set Design
Set design is essentially the scene the actors are placed in. It is everything from the way the set is decorated to the wardrobe the characters are wearing. Authenticity is key here. The more authentic the set design, the more real it looks. And when it looks real, it captures that enviromental construct that every actor needs to easily find their character. In essence, the more real the set, the easier it is for you to do your job as a director.
camera work
The camera is arguably the most important tool in the director’s kit. It allows the director to tell the story in a visual way that can’t be done with a script alone. The camera records the images that make up the film, and the director is responsible for choosing the right cinematographer for the job. That cinematographer (or Director of Photography) uses the storyboard to create what the camera will capture. They must choose the right lenses for each shot, ensuring that the image is essential to telling the story, to make sure the shot is framed correctly, and that the action is captured correctly in the shot. The cinematographer must also ensure that the lighting is hitting the actors in the right way, with the right amount of light. The relationship between the director and the cinematographer is one of the most important partnerships during your production.
post-Production
film editing
The final piece of the director’s job is to put the film together into a cohesive work of art. This is done through the use of film editing. The film editor should be someone who understands the skills needed to make a film work and the director’s vision of the film. The editor should be skilled at cutting the footage together, making sure that the cuts are in the right order, and that they flow well. An editor needs to have a good eye, know when to cut correctly during scenes, showing actors’ dialogue, actors’ actions, and also actors’ reactions. In other genres, editors need to know how to edit to the pace of any action, capture the drama of suspense, or the intensity of horror.
visual effects
One of the most important part of the work of a film director is casting the right audience. This can be done through the use of visual effects, or VFX. With many motion pictures we go to the theaters for, visual effects is usually what costs the most. It requires green screens, shooting with objects that aren’t there, and having actors react to things that will later be installed in post-production. This is typically referred to as “world building” and the VFX team is responsible for making sure that the audience gets the full cinematic experience. The VFX team can create everything from the encompassing landscapes to the slightest of gadgets that is featured in the film.
Sound design
Sound design encompasses everything that has to do with sound on your film. Most people think this is just music and the actor’s lines. But, as filmmakers know, there is so much more involved than just that. Foley artists construct sound effects that may help emphasize sounds on the screen. They tell the story through sound and if their job isn’t done correctly, everyone will notice. There is a great video here that discusses the art of sound in a production.
Conclusion
Of course, these are just the major apsects of the job of a film director. But directors are more than that. They are also a coach, teacher, mentor. They lead more than one team, but also need to trust those working with her or him. Sometimes a director is also a friend, confidant, and therapist. But most importantly, a good director is also a good communicator. You can have the best vision, but if you aren’t able to communicate that vison to the others helping you make the film, all will be lost. Having diverse knowledge in all of these kills is what makes a good film director.
