Directing Guidelines In order

[C Kenneybrew]

I am making a movie but I have no direction. I am literally making my film. EVERYTHING!!I am doing the writing of the whole 115 page script etc. But I was hoping that any directors out there can give me some tips on Directing from the beginning. Thank You.

[David Mullen ASC]

I am making a movie but I have no direction. I am literally making my film. EVERYTHING!!I am doing the writing of the whole 115 page script etc. But I was hoping that any directors out there can give me some tips on Directing from the beginning. Thank You.

 

I think you may get more responses if your general question was broken down into more specific chunks.

[George Lekovic]

I am making a movie but I have no direction. I am literally making my film. EVERYTHING!!I am doing the writing of the whole 115 page script etc. But I was hoping that any directors out there can give me some tips on Directing from the beginning. Thank You.

 

The only advice I could give is that you should be careful, thorough, meticulous, and persistent. If you can manage that, it will amount to something. Other than that, and as David Mullen has suggested, as you make your way along the directing path and you encounter specific tasks and problems, ask specific questions and you will be more likely to gather answers.

 

Good luck.

[Sterling Silva]

I am making a movie but I have no direction. I am literally making my film. EVERYTHING!!I am doing the writing of the whole 115 page script etc. But I was hoping that any directors out there can give me some tips on Directing from the beginning. Thank You.

 

Delegate my good man, delagate. You CANNOT do everything yourself. Find people you trust, figure out what they're good at and delegate jobs as you see fit. Filmmaking is communal effort, totally not a solo sport.

 

-S :ph34r:

[PatrickTollett]

Delegate my good man, delagate. You CANNOT do everything yourself. Find people you trust, figure out what they're good at and delegate jobs as you see fit. Filmmaking is communal effort, totally not a solo sport.

 

-S :ph34r:

 

 

QFT.

 

Also, I'd try to cut your script down a bit. 115 minutes is pretty heavy, especially if you're doing most of the work. Good luck!

[Brian Dzyak]

The truth for short indie projects is that while you are (or may be) the Director, you are also taking on the role of the Executive Producer who must oversee every aspect of production. That's true because no matter who signs on to help you, they will all have their own agendas for being there that likely will have nothing at all to do with wishing for your success. This isn't a warning to avoid those people or even a suggestion to convince them to care as much as you do... just a fact to be aware of.

 

It is also very important to recognize, utilize, and APPRECIATE (in many ways) that your Director of Photography (in most cases I've seen) is also a de facto Producer. Why? Because, on low-budget projects, it is generally the Cameraman who has the connections to get the camera, lighting, and grip equipment that is necessary to make a movie in the first place. He may also have connections at film labs or post houses that will help cut costs tremendously. So, that guy or gal is there probably because he/sees potential in your project that A) will garner him success if the film does well and/or B) the project has elements in it that he wants to shoot in order to place on his reel (that will help him push his own career forward).

 

Other people in other departments will likely have similar expectations as they sign on to help you.

 

Again, this is nothing to run from or fight. Just something to be aware of so that you can embrace the reality and allow others to collaborate and bring their own ideas into the process. The more you allow that and show your appreciation for their time and effort, the more help they'll give you AND a by-product could be that they eventually DO care about your career in the hopes that you'll take them with you as you climb the ladder.

[jeffrey Siljenberg]

I agree with Brian Dzyak. That is your greatest asset. I would just add one more thing. When it comes to choosing people to suround yourself with; if extra on the day rate means you have a better Production Designer or Cinematographer that is in line with your vision take it. Comprimise in the camera loose the RED and go with the HVX200 or what ever it takes. Equipment doesn't make movies people do and the better the people the better the movie. Have a good show enjoy it. Remember what we do is fun.

 

Kindest Regards,

Jeff

 

www.jeffsiljenberg.com

[John Brawley]

. But I was hoping that any directors out there can give me some tips on Directing from the beginning. Thank You.

 

sorry to be rude....

 

Why are you asking about directing on a Cinematography site ?

 

 

jb

[jeffrey Siljenberg]

Actually that is another question C Kennybrew could ask. Is there a good website for Directors? I haven't seen one and for that reason I just assumed that this was a good forum to get feed back from Professionals regardless of your craft.

 

-jeff

[Jaime Toruno]

sorry to be rude....

 

Why are you asking about directing on a Cinematography site ?

 

 

jb

 

 

 

maybe because this is the DIRECTOR'S CORNER..

[John Brawley]

maybe because this is the DIRECTOR'S CORNER..

 

 

Good Point.

 

didn't realise that this forum even existed ! I normally check for new posts without actually looking at the forum it's poted in.

 

Thanks for pointing it out and apologies...

 

jb

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Definitely find people you trust and find someone who is really good with time management to keep you on track while you're shooting! You'll be way too busy as the director to even look at a clock, so knowing, "hey, we loose this location in 2 hours, or the sun sets in 45 minutes" is very important.

Also, make sure you communicate very well with your department heads. Communication is really key to the success of so many films (not commercial success; but just getting the damned thing done!)

 

Best of luck!

[Andrew Koch]

Directing Actors by Judith Weston is the best book I have ever read on the subject of directing. It completely opened my eyes to the process of working with actors to get the best performances possible.

 

Being a good listener is very important on set. Sometimes others may have suggestions on set that may add to the story. But also listen to yourself and know what you want (as long as you're not tyrannical about it). Since you are new, don't be afraid to ask for help, people will respect you for it.

 

My biggest piece of advice is to know your story. I mean really know your story. What is the film about? Whose story is it? Know your characters inside and out. What does the character want/need and what steps do they take to get it? Don't answer these questions with plot. Plot is not the same thing as story. Every decision about the film to be in service to the story. If something is not serving the story then what is it serving? That fancy crane shot might be cool for a reel, but is it telling a story (it very well could be)

 

If you are working with a young crew of newbies, be patient with them. Never forget to thank your crew. It is amazing how hard a crew will bust their ass for you when they know that they are appreciated. (Obviously don't take advantage of this and do 15 hour days if they are working for free, hahaha)

 

One thing I love is when a director is very specific about how they want to cover a scene. Many inexperienced directors overshoot scenes. They feel that they need to get wide mediums and closeups of every character for maximum options. Not only does this create treacherously long days on set, it can be kind of boring to watch on screen. Try to think of interesting ways to shoot scenes. There was a famous director who once said "Once you start obsessing on coverage, you'll never stop."

[Hal Smith]

For me things start to gel at the first table reading, that's when my best creative juices start to flow. There's something magic that happens when you get real people around a table reading the script in real time. There's obviously a zillion pieces that have to be in place by then and more still to come, but that's when it becomes art - at least to me. Some Directors will tell you that's when the movie is made and afterwards it becomes a recording process.

[Alex Haspel]

Watch ''living in oblivion''.. ;)

[Mitch Lusas]

After you're finished your third draft of your 115 page screenplay, find the most pivotal moment in the characters journey. Create a short 10-15 page script on this moment and focus/film those 10-15 pages. All of the work you put into the full screenplay should develop the characters well. Having picked the most pivotal moment should make it very interesting (if not, then the 115 page script will flop). Allowing you to focus on 10-15 pages will give you the chance to sharpen your craft. Each detail will take on the outer-most importance. In good filmmaking, it's quality not quantity.

 

The great thing is that you will be able to use this short film to promote the feature length (if you're still excited about the idea), and you can enter it into festivals. If and when you decide to do any other project you can refer potential crewmembers/investors/actors to the short film allowing them to get a glimpse of how you tell stories.

 

I share this with much experience. I've made the mistake twice already of choosing a bigger project instead of focusing on something small and giving every second it's chance to entertain and tell the story. Trust me, you're asking for a world of hurt of you jump into a big project.

Edited March 20, 2008 by Mitch Lusas

[Bob Hayes]

It is all about captivating your audience with the characters and their story. Who is your audience and what inspires them. Who are your characters and what drives them? What about your story makes this happen? Everything else is just window dressing

[Joe Giambrone]

I don't think anyone else said this, but it needs to be said: Does this film really need to be made? Will it inspire other people to put up money to see it? You're talking about a huge financial and labor commitment. That script better be something damned special. Is it?

 

And can it be made for the budget you are able to raise?

[Jorge Espinosa]

I don't think anyone else said this, but it needs to be said: Does this film really need to be made? Will it inspire other people to put up money to see it? You're talking about a huge financial and labor commitment. That script better be something damned special. Is it?

 

And can it be made for the budget you are able to raise?

 

That's a good start.

[Robert Sawin]

I am making a movie but I have no direction. I am literally making my film. EVERYTHING!!I am doing the writing of the whole 115 page script etc. But I was hoping that any directors out there can give me some tips on Directing from the beginning. Thank You.

 

I have directed a few short films and I have to say that the one thing I will always save you're butt is prepare for the world to come to an end. productions are filled with problems. Make sure you go on location bring a cheap video camera and do 360 pans in all the locations you wish to shoot. use a video camera to set up mock camera setups. This will save tons of time and will help you communicate to your cinematographer and actors and you can figure out what boundaries you'll come against. Communication is essential to directing make sure you communicate to cinematographer for ideas and directions involved the immediate people that will most affect of making of the film. Talk with the actors. give everybody one on one time. Make a personal Sony get on the set everybody is on the same page with you.

 

trip...