Need some help/advice here

Doc Bernard

Doc Bernard

Indie Arms Member
Okay, I really don't direct films except for certain types of scenes. I usually work with other directors or bring in directors.

But a good friend of mine wants to direct a couple of my upcoming projects. He actually tells me he can direct but also says he hasn't ever directed before. He is very creative in some ways, but he has a narrow and jaundiced point of view of the world. To quote him "I can direct anything, just tell me what you want"

I also realize that I may know him too much and I could be letting my past experiences with him to cloud my judgment. I want to be fair about this.

So my challenge to him is for him to direct 3-1 minute scenes in the following genres: Comedy, Love Story, Gay Love Story. The last, I figured would be the hardest to do in a way that is realistic and true. The scenes are just dialog and as if they were lifted out of a larger production. In order to be impartial I will let other people look at them and vote if he has what it takes to do the job.

Am I in the wrong on this? Would DVXUser's help me on this if I posted the clips here? I want to be fair to him.
 
This is coming from experience. Working on a film with friends can be difficult. It can strain the friendship. On "The Big Blind" I had some problems with a friend of mine who was helping. At the time he was boom op. During the shoot he was trying to tell the DP how to frame his shot to get the best look. The DP (another friend of mine) let it go the first time, but he kept telling the DP what to do. So the DP pulls me aside and tells me to talk to him. And I do. He tells me that he's not getting paid to be here. That pissed me off. Later that night, the DP and I were telling him that it doesn't matter if you're getting paid or not, respect the people and their positions on set. You're getting paid in experience. He wasn't happy about it, and it nearly ruined our friendship.

I'm not saying its ALWAYS a bad decision to work with friends. You just have to make sure you're working with the ones that are as focused as you are.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
 
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Just me, but I would have trouble trusting someone cocky enough think they could direct a film without ever having done it before.

Does he have experience editing, acting, DPing, art directing, ect...? Even the most talented directors like Scorsese, Cameron, Kubrick, Spielberg, ect... all had to practice some amount before making great films.

Having him direct small clips would be a decent test, but one of the more difficult challenges of directing is not only knowing how to make one interesting scene, but how individual scenes apply to the overall story. So having him direct one 3 minute short with a beginning, middle, and end might give you a better idea of how well he grasps directing and telling a story.

And just going from the "I can direct anything, just tell me what you want", are you looking for a director with their own view of the material? Or looking for a director that'll just direct the scene exactly how you see it?
 
I agree with Gohanto. See if he can effectively direct a 3 act short. If not you have your answer. His attitude is really cocky, and it may translate to problems on set.
 
Gohanto said:
And just going from the "I can direct anything, just tell me what you want", are you looking for a director with their own view of the material? Or looking for a director that'll just direct the scene exactly how you see it?
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Thanks for the advice. I am going to try the idea of the 3 act short. He is artistic, I will give him that. But, no, no real experience except for a international drama troupe (actor) back in the 80's and some recent PA work.

I am looking for a director that has enough vision to make the project shine, but one that will not be totally closed to my ideas and thoughts, which I don't usually give unless I am sure I like it. I know, that's a hard combo to find. I want to re-iterate, directing is not my gig, unless it is for specific scenes that I can direct. Me, I want to shoot and deal with the technical and visual aspects of filming.

Which is the reason for looking at someone else. Thanks for the advice, guys. You just confirmed what I was thinking, but I wanted outside voices to chime in to be fair-minded about this.
 
I think that someone that someone with no experience will not be what you are looking for. If you lay the ground rules before hiring a director they should be able to understand that you will be contributing on the directorial front too.
 
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