Learning to direct....

[Flaixbeauneur]

Hi,

I am working on my first short film and coming from a photography background, my main problem is to give work to other and feel that the film is mine anyway.

I am used to have some assistants on set for photography productions but never had a person handling the camera for me or doing the lighting for me.

That is for me the biggest difference right now and I do not know how to go about it.

How do you guys feel when all you do is direct the movie (with a script from someone else for example, and a big team) ? Do you feel it is still your work or do you feel it is more a project with other guys ?

How do you credit everyone in the case ?

Thanks,
F.

 

[Snapper123]

I personally write scripts that don't require a big team - the majority of my first projects are Blair Witch/Gritty Aesthetic type films that are both fun to make and quite honestly are the genres of budget filmmaking most likely to succeed (Paranormal Activity - $15,000, Blair Witch - $20,000, Primer - $7,000) : And those budgets were a bit high mainly because each of those didn't spend their money wisely and/or used film stocks/more-expensive digital cameras. With today's technology and willingness to break the rules, there are films that look amazingly professional being done on budgets around $6,000 (Bad Is Bad), $Around,There (Farm), and from all around, there's just a tremendous effort to make exciting films that young adults and students can actually easily make, some using gritty aesthetics and others looking squeaky clean (Joe Schermann Song). There are also plenty of short films that have been executed perfectly and extremely cinematically, such as R.I.P by AndyAx Prodctions, that were done for entirely no budget at all (literally the camera and sound recorder only), just involving family members and owned locations as the source - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7w_6Y1HcFs

The point is, if you know exactly what you're doing, you don't need a budget, you don't need a big crew, and you don't need a bunch of equipment. What you need are "actors" who are willing to work on the project's set as much as you are, creating an enjoyable time and educational experience for everyone, you need to get a script that uses very simple and self-fufilling locations for the most part, and for anything more complex, like lighting, sound, or more experienced camerawork, it is never wrong to call in an experienced buddy or even a local professional who may be able to help out a learner in his spare time. It may make the difference between the film being entirely unwatchable, and the film looking decent enough to show at a local film festival or other kind and free means. The thing you probably do need to buckle down and learn as a director though (the director is supposed to know the summary of all the jobs), is you should probably invest in learning a bit about sound recording (a couple different-purposed mics and a sound recorder), learning a bit about lighting (maybe a big soft general light that you can use in conjunction with window sunlight and other natural sources.), and last but not least, make sure your photography skills are adequate because focal length perception, framing, and distance are some of the most crucial things in camerawork - not to mention using cheapo-dollies and stuff like that. Never be afraid to keep things simple the first time around - looking at the Behind The Scenes photos of Bad Is Bad should give you an idea of great examples of minimalistic design and set-ups that only require a small team of willing friends, if even needing that much.

And with credit, I say that credit should go where credit is due - if you don't know the jacks of the trade, then your sound guy is the guy responsible for how great the film sounds, if your cinematographer is the guy putting together the camerawork and deciding the shutter speed and aperture, then he's the guy responsible for how great the camera's footage looks, and lastly, if your lighting guy is the guy putting together some amazing light sources, then he's the guy responsible for creating a realistic and beautiful look for your film and also creating a mood. Now, if you're still the one telling each of these people exactly what to do, and you know their jobs in and out, then of coarse your name should be in big bold letters right at the beginning that say "Directed by Alfonso Linguini Pennepasta McQueensberry" or whatever the case may be, but if you're more of the guy that's reading or writing the script, and giving everyone else the general guidelines and mainly just keeping everyone focused and alert, then it's only respectable to say "Hey, everyone else worked just as hard as I did, maybe my credit shouldn't look any more important than anyone elses." - Just a thought.

And with people's project babies, it's always hard to feel like you're splitting your soul and creation into many pieces that you never know who's going to mess it up or not do it right, but if you simply do need the team because you want this project made, yet know that each individual area of the film would benefit more from a true expert in every department, that's exactly what most films do. You have to pick people you trust, people who know what they're doing and keep focused, and people who truly love and admire your vision and know how to contribute their own creativity as well. The fact is: it's not hard to make a film if you truly love what you're doing, and if you have a creative passion for working around scenarios that may not add up as you envisioned them. Almost every bad film out there is the result of lack of education or hard serious work, a lack of staff that knows the departments, and a simple lack of creativity (and a surge of "I want to make a film to be famous and because it's cool.") The people who are truly passionate about it and know their limitations in all film departments, including limitations in scripts, lighting design, camera quality, acting quality, and staff are the people who usually do succeed in at least a very self-gratifying sense. And that's what's most important, you have to have your heart in it enough where you can make a film that both you and your crew are very proud of, you can't look at any project like "Oh, lets goof off on this one and sweep it under the rug if it don't turn out." - You gotta keep your heart in it.

 

[Melvin Harris]

The director is the creative force of the film. It is the director that visualizes the story and becomes the guide for the project. Everyone around is support to help the director bring his or her vision to fruition. There are opportunities for collaboration, but the entire set should know and subscribe to the directors vision of the project.

I am used to have some assistants on set for photography productions but never had a person handling the camera for me or doing the lighting for me.

The result is similar in that they assist you in getting the shot, in getting the performance, in creating the look, in executing the vision. You have to pay attention to so much as the director. Let the people whose job it is to support and create with you do it.

How do you guys feel when all you do is direct the movie (with a script from someone else for example, and a big team) ? Do you feel it is still your work or do you feel it is more a project with other guys ?

Directing is more than sitting in a chair and calling action and cut. The sheer number of questions that you entertain in an hour would boggle the mind of Socrates. Every step anyone on set takes, you should not only know about, but be the ultimate authority on the reasons the steps are taken. You have to break down that script and build the visual story, choose the cast to best tell the story, know every aspect of that story so you can relate that information to every department in order for them to do their job well, etc. The work you put in is incredible, if you do it right, and it is all your work.

How do you credit everyone in the case ?

By their departments.

The craft of directing is not about cameras, and it's not about all the other minutiae we surround it with. The craft of directing is an amazing process that harkens back to griot, bard, and jeli type stuff and it is a craft which requires hard work, practice, and dedication just like any other craft. The difference is that it takes a massive effort to tell a story the way we tell it and we need help. Luckily, there are people who specialize in the positions that we need... it doesn't take away from our storytelling, it enhances it.