DIRECTOR
The Director is the primary film maker on a production. On
low budget films the Director is often the film maker who puts up his
own money, time and takes on the artistic and financial duties solely
upon himself.
On such projects, the Director of a traditional (standard release)
feature film should be capable of pulling off the entire production
from the early "idea" stages through the distribution phase.
The film maker may use any number of people to accomplish
many of the phases in making a movie, except for directing the actors;
however, he should be able to step in and help out or even take over
any aspect of film making if need be.
The Director's main job is to interpret the script through his actors
and technicians, bringing together the collaboration of every
department involved with telling the story.
Every film is a little different. Feature film projects take
on a character and feel all their own. Not to overdo this point, but
one can say that each film has its own atmosphere, feel and even smell.
All right, forget the smell!
Although a western does smell like horse shit most of the time. But
that's a plus, if you're trying to capture the realism of the Old West!
Most of the people you end up using on a western love horses anyway, so
it's never a problem!
I didn't get out of that one very well, but let's continue
anyway. I know with this kind of freewheeling book I'm bound to get a
few people alienated, but believe me it's not a business for the
squeamish. I got to protect you and give you the best advice, as much
useful information as I can without making the whole thing dry. So a
little story about the smell of a western is intended only as comic
relief!
What you learn from one film that you can apply to another is the way
you collaborate with people. The thing that's unique about movies is
that everyone is important on a movie. It's unlike any other type of
industry where nothing can be accomplished without a pecking order.
Pecking order is not the same as "hierarchy of command." We'll come to
that in the next section.
Since every job and role, big or small, is important on a movie,
everyone can feel a sense of pride in "making a picture" and should be
treated that way by the Director.
So the Director is more than the captain of a ship or a
general. Even though the Director is a collaborator on equal footing
with every actor and technician in interpreting the intent of the
script, it's the Director's vision that is the main vehicle for that
interpretation. A captain, a general has only a destination or a result
in mind. They have no way of imposing a vision on the course of the
action they initiate. Only the end is of significance, safe arrival or
victory; but, the Director has to give a film an original "never before
seen" destination and meaning. A story's course or its meaning is the
unique vision of the Director.
The Director has to be able to pick a story that not only
doesn't clash with his sensibilities but one that he feels passionately
about, if he's to make a memorable film.
The Director has to create a style of working with the theme of a story
that is at once revealing and dynamic. This is a kind of skill that
comes from extensive knowledge and experience of literature and art.
The Director has to select the actors that are ideally-suited for
accomplishing the intent of the story as he or she understands it and
wishes to pursue it.
The Director has to understand the process of putting a film together.
How to bring together the collaboration of all the departments in the
production of a particular movie, to create the most effective
atmosphere for the telling of the story.
The Director's skills and knowledge of all aspects of film
production and editing have to be of acceptable "industry" standard
(which is the standard of other movies produced by the major studios).
Which all means that the Director has to know from the first shot that
is lined up, the first direction given, the first camera set-up to the
last, everything has to cut together, look and sound harmonious, play
out the intention of the story and ultimately work as entertainment for
the audience!
The Director has to love the medium of film, love the
actors, crew and all the elements and workings of film making. With
such enthusiasm the Director has the chance of succeeding in telling a
compelling story.
There are some Directors, like David Lean, who has had so much
experience that actors like Anthony Quinn remember the aura they create
when they step on the set. Actors and crew enjoy and are driven to seek
out such Directors. But, it's a slow process, gaining the respect of
your collaborators, so don't be discouraged by the deprecating
gestures, remarks or even jokes that you'll hear early on in your
career. Go on with your work in good humor and focus on the job of
directing.
Gradually you'll have the respect on the set as everyone
understands your commitment to making a successful film. If you run
into someone who just won't quit and obstructs the progress of the
film, don't hesitate to fire them at once, without pomp or ceremony.
"You're fired!" and get on with your work like nothing happened!
On the very first film I directed, my DP brought on a TV
cameraman he liked, to operate a second camera. After praising him to
the sky so that I wouldn't object to the added expense (I was also
co-producer on the film,) I finally agreed to it. We had to shoot a
sail boat race for one of the major sequences in the movie.
This second cameraman arrived at the set, took one look at my youthful
mug (I was in my early twenties, just out of film school) and he,
literally, guffawed. He put his hand on his mouth and went somewhere
and sat down with the camera in his lap.
I went over to him and told him to go to the last island
just before the sailboats approached the open horizon of the Atlantic
and set up there on top of the hill and shoot establishing shots of the
race and the two boats we were concentrating on. He didn't move or
respond in any way. I just walked off assuming that he heard me. It was
unnerving, but I didn't know what to do.
The race started, the DP and I pushed off the pier in the lead boat,
along with the principal actors.
I asked the DP if the second cameraman was in position to shoot from
the island as I'd instructed. He told me, "Yes, there's no problem."
The island was far off and one couldn't see anything from where we were.
We started shooting and went around many islands and finally
we hit the big waves of the ocean and the boat rose and smashed into
the waters. It was exhilarating, but the sound of the wind, sails and
waves was deafening. I had not expected that. It was hard filming. I
was yelling at the top of my lungs for the actors to hear. The
cameraman was barely able to steady himself to get the shots, but kept
on shooting with tremendous effort. Later I found out that he'd broken
a few ribs as he hit the side of the boat, but he never let on that he
was hurt!
We finally came back with our two sail boats, after having
shot all the angles from one boat into the other and all that sort of
thing. We got out of the boat and went over to one side and discussed
our progress. The DP was still in pain, but he only told me that the
shooting was fine. He was even thrilled by the way certain shots lined
up and I was eager to see the rushes next day. The DP went off to
download the film magazines and I chatted with the actors.
Then after twenty minutes the second operator came toward
me. I was still by the sailboats on the pier. As he got near me, I
noticed he was drenched with water and carrying his camera in his right
hand dripping water. He was grinning and he looked foolish.
He kept saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Then he went back towards the
club house.
Later that afternoon the DP told me that the guy had "fallen off the
island" into the water, but that "the film inside the magazine was not
wet!"
I said, "What do you mean fall off the island, I thought he was on top
of the hill, shooting the establishing shots of the sailboats?"
"Oh, he got that all right, but then he went down to the edge of the
water to get some low angle shots and he slipped off a mossy rock."
The second operator had taken the initiative and decided to
shoot what he wanted. After all I was a young Director, what the hell
did I know? Only thing, if he had respected me as Director, I would've
gotten a few more establishing shots from the top of that hill. Because
all I got was one very wide shot of the whole sailboat race, and I
could've used a dozen of establishing shots of different sizes and
coverage.
You'll run into that sort of problem with crews when you're a young
Director and you'll run into similar problems with actors.
Here are some pointers to young Directors. Never tell actors
that you wrote the script! They'll start rewriting it!
On my next picture I learned to interview and audition actors
carefully. I picked some pretty capable actors who had for one reason
or other missed making it big. I felt that way about them. I was going
to "discover" them! There's nothing wrong with feeling that way, right?
On the first day of production, on my first set-up, I called
for a rehearsal. The actors did the lines.
"What?" I thought, "Did they read another script?!" I couldn't figure
out what story they were doing!
I went over to them and looked at the papers they were clutching in
their sweaty hands. These were not pages from my script! I knew what my
script looked like. These were hand-written notes and some other
typewriter with faded letters. Where was my script?
"Oh, we were studying the script together last few days and we decided
on re-writing some of the difficult lines," my beautiful actress
started to say. The other actor said, "You told us if we had trouble
with some words ... I mean there are some jawbreakers here."
And here's another point: Don't let your actors rehearse by
themselves, without you! If you can, prevent them from exchanging phone
numbers. Remember, you don't need any pregnancies. You might have to do
pick-ups six months later! ... Maybe you can't write it in! I've been
through it, buddy!
No matter how young you are, do everything you can to
instill a sense of respect for your role as Director. There are many
ways to do it. Study the most effective way that will work for you.
They used to grow a mustache in the old days. Remember Darryl Zanuck
did it. He also used a cigar. These were direct orders from the studio
owner. Grow a beard, lie about your age, but do something.
On a low budget film, one that you are producing yourself,
tell your actors and crew that the money is not yours, that there is a
producer who views rushes and anybody can get fired, including
yourself, if anybody changes the script.
If you wrote the script, use a pseudonym and say that if one line is
changed without approval from the writer, or producer, the actor goes!
Do whatever you can to preserve the authority of the Director, until
you gain experience.
When you've gained experience, before you start shooting a picture,
call everyone to a meeting, sit them down in one room. Make a long,
impassioned, if necessary boring speech, that leaves little doubt in
the minds of everyone that you are the Director, that you're job is to
interpret the screenplay, "with the help and tremendous talent of your
cast and crew," that you'll fight for the "right" of everyone in
contributing their very best, as long as they are working within your
vision!
Alfred Hitchcock was interviewed by a prominent interviewer
some years before he passed away. I remember one question and response
from that interview. They were talking about NORTH BY NORTHWEST, with
Cary Grant, and the interviewer asked what would Hitchcock say if an
actor the caliber of Cary Grant came up to him before doing a shot and
said something to the effect of "Let me do this scene this way." Alfred
Hitchcock said, "I'd tell him to go ahead," (and he'd shoot the scene;)
but, he added, "There's always the cutting room floor!"
There are so many pieces of advice I can give you here, but
remember to read as many books or articles about how Directors direct.
Learn and use every bit of insight, it will make your job easier. Don't
be too proud about using good advice. For most people, it's your
technique of working with actors and crew that will determine your
style as a film maker. We will get to these points in subsequent
sections of this book.