|
|
|
|
Classifieds: Cinematographers | Equipment Sale | Equipment Rent |
Post | Workshops |
Film and Video Contests |
Crew | Actors |
Audio Techs |
|
|
Studentfilmmakers Magazine
Click here to get a copy of the February 2007 Edition, so you can read and enjoy all of the excellent articles inside. Check out this article in the February 2007 print edition of StudentFilmmakers magazine, page 14. “I set a course and I steer it.”Filmmaking is a siege mentality. Use authority judiciously. In pre-production, post production and distribution, many decisions are made by committee. The director is often the final word, but there is ample time for discussing script development, editorial choices and images for the one sheet. During production there is only one voice, that of the director. When one imagines a general leading a charge into battle, or a sea captain barking orders to sailors during a gale, the constant is the pressure making split second decisions. This unquestioned authority is what allows leaders to lead. Directors are bestowed with this authority, though each individual must use it or lose it. It is one thing to have the authority to lead, another to have the capacity and ability. Authority implies a chain of command. The general has his lieutenants, the captain a first mate. There are several immediate subordinates to a director, primarily the director of photography, the assistant director and the script supervisor. These three crew members are the director’s chief moment-to-moment advisors during principle photography. Of these three, the director of photography carries the most influence over the effectiveness of the director’s command. The director has direct authority over the cinematographer, who in turn has control over the grip and electric crew, the backbone, muscle and grease of the production. A director and cinematographer at odds force the crew to side with the director of photography. Teamwork is the bedrock of production and that is why a director’s interpersonal skills are tested as a collaborator. As important as the contributions of the director are, one must not overlook the contribution of other artists integral to the process. No one person makes a film. Director Sidney Lumet states that in production he is “in charge of a community that you need desperately and that needs you just as badly. That’s where the joy lies, in the shared experience.” The wise director knows that involving the entire team is an intangible but rewarding compensation for the long hours and hard work. Encouraging collaboration increases productivity. The better directors are those who listen. People appreciate it when someone pays attention to their ideas. It makes them feel involved and acknowledges their contribution. What better method to keep one’s crew motivated than to include rather than dominate them. A viable idea can come from any quarter, so I encourage you to create an environment in which cast and crew feel their ideas are welcome and encouraged. A strong director does not feel challenged if brilliant ideas to make the film better come from collaborators. The director wants to make the best film possible, so why should he or she care from where a good idea comes? A dictatorial director who demands his or her ideas only be employed neglects an entire spectrum of communal thought about the progress of the picture. “That’s what intrigues me about making films,” says Terry Gilliam. “You’ve got to listen to the people who are there. You’re getting all this information. You’re getting clues to the puzzle. And even though everything’s scripted, there’s a puzzle beyond the script, and that’s the film itself.” Collaboration begins with the formation of the team. Casting and crewing correctly will speak volumes about the success of the endeavor. For a director to possess a good script and gather a solid cast and crew puts him or her in an ideal position to have a shot at a successful film. This is why directors gravitate to known quantities; experienced writers, interesting actors and familiar crews. Making a film is such an incredible gamble that any mitigating factor becomes advantageous. There are certain prerequisites a director needs to command a cast, one of which is to know the script inside and out. Sidney Lumet says it best, “It is important as a director I understand each and every line.” Actors are confident and will push themselves if they feel the director is integral to the process. But authority alone is not a case of might makes right. Directors are human and prone to mistakes. Feel free to admit error. Since the director is barraged all day with questions and decisions to be made, some will need adjusting. Accept the fact, make the adjustment and move on. If you want results, communication should be precise. It’s not “place the camera over there;” it’s “place the camera where a 50 mm lens will hold a close up on one character and the character at the door will be slightly out of focus.” There is no greater loss of time than having to adjust during production as a result of poor communication. To be in the middle of the intense moment of shooting a scene while at the same time see one’s body floating above the chaos objectively analyzing the progress of the picture illustrates the schizophrenic nature of directing. It’s as if a director has two heads, one to design the moment, another to design the whole. As Alfred Hitchcock said, “Many directors are conscious of the over-all atmosphere on the set, whereas they should be concerned with what’s going to come up on the screen.” Disassociating oneself from the heat of the moment requires emotional willpower. To step back affords the director an opportunity to see the forest for the trees. An excellent touchstone is to ask the script supervisor prior to each shot, “What does this shot cut from, and what will it cut to?” Only when directors have the stage set clearly in their mind can they then immerse themselves in the moment to shape the shot or sequence. A director often gives 110% to the show, which is why switching gears is emotionally demanding. Besides all the creative decisions that bear on the outcome of the picture, the director also acts as arbitrator in cases requiring impartiality. Evenhandedness means seeing both sides in an argument yet handing down a decision to keep the company moving forward. Should the company run to a cover set? Should the walls be painted green? Should the car be moving or standing still? The final decisions always rest with the director. It’s one of the few jobs in life where you have all the power and all the responsibility. But you have to remain objective at every turn in the process. The pressure to produce excellent work in the brief period of production easily erodes confidence. “There are times when I am ashamed of imposing discipline on them (the cast and crew) which they accept only out of confidence in me. Such confidence destroys my own, makes me fear I am not worthy of theirs.” Directors with strong and confident egos rarely need to exert their authority. With many raging egos trampling over the set, a calm director who knows he or she is in control can be very effective. Terry Gilliam gets high praise from Brad Pitt who appreciates his leadership, “When I think about Terry (Gilliam), besides being a genius and the visual artist he is, is that the man has no ego. He really doesn’t, and he’s so aware of what he knows and he’s so aware of what he doesn’t know.” Remember, he who has learned to obey will know how to command. This article may not be reprinted in print or internet publications without express permission of StudentFilmmakers.com.
StudentFilmmakers magazine, the #1 Educational Resource for Film and Video Makers, publishes 12 editions per year. Subscribe today and get this important magazine delivered right to your doorstep every month. Each edition contains high level, educational articles for serious filmmakers and videographers like you - articles including cutting edge, real-world practices, trends, and technology, as well as in-depth inspiring interviews with independent filmmakers and experts. There is something for everyone in each issue, whether you are a director, cinematographer, camera operator, gaffer, editor, producer, sound engineer, animator, composer, actor, screenwriter, ... With today's technology changes coming faster and faster, we are all students. StudentFilmmakers magazine would like to hear from you! We always welcome and appreciate your Reader Comments. View them here, and send yours to the editors today!
|
|
Filmmaker Store
David K. Irving is a film director, writer and producer, and an Associate Professor in film production at New York University. David’s feature directing credits include Night of the Cyclone, C.H.U.D. II, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin. David has also written and directed dozens of documentaries. David coauthored an award-winning film production textbook titled, Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video.
