So You Wanna Be a Director?

1. Be Prepared. It's not just for Boy Scouts. You need to know exactly what is supposed to be going on at every moment. You need to know the "plan of attack" for each day of shooting. You need to know the script backwards and forwards and you need to have some idea of how you are going to shoot it. Some people like to shoot everything as a "master scene" first where it's more like a filmed play but possibly with camera movement. (John Huston was fond of this approach.) Then they work their way in closer and closer until they have the coverage they want. The "start wide/end tight" philosophy is also very good for lighting purposes as you generally need fewer and fewer instruments as you get closer and closer to the subject. Some people prefer to "edit in the camera" in that they know exactly what shots they want and don't waste any time doing extraneous setups. Usually this involves a detailed shooting script or storyboards to refer to on the set. (More of the Alfred Hitchcock approach.) Some people like to experiment and shoot many takes of the same lines from many different angles. This results in a lot of "coverage" and gives you plenty of flexibility in the editing process but also takes a good deal of time and can try the patience of the cast and crew. (Unless you've got the reputation of a Stanley Kubrick and everyone believes you're a genius and you know what you're doing.)

2. Be Flexible. You should always know how you want something done, whether it's a camera setup, a line reading or what everyone's having for lunch, but don't close your mind to good suggestions. If someone says "can we try it this way?" don't be afraid to give it a shot, unless you're totally backed up against the wall for time or you know it's going to conflict with some other part of your plan. You're the Director and you have the final word but you never want to discourage other people from participating in the creative process. Sometimes you have no choice but adapt to the circumstances around you. If a vital piece of equipment goes down you've got to make constructive use of the time while it's being repaired or replaced. It might mean telling everyone to take a break or it might mean doing some extra rehearsing. No matter how well you plan something things will still go wrong so you need to be quick on your feet in coming up with "Plan B".

3. Be Calm. There are a lot of references written by soldiers in the Civil War to describe their General as "calmly smoking a cigar" in the face of danger. This impresses people. It inspires confidence. It marks you as a leader. Unfortunately a lot of directors get the cigar part right but they forget about the calmness. Losing your temper on the set is bad enough, but losing your composure is a total disaster. Everyone looks to the Director to set the "tone" of the shoot. Everyone expects you to have the answer. Some plan is better than no plan. When things go wrong you need to take it in stride. It needs to look like nothing fazes you. Of course in reality you want to tear your hair out and you may end up like me and have multiple heart attacks, but on the set you need to be a rock of stability.

4. Be Considerate. I know, you're the Director, you're the boss, you should get to throw your weight around but there's absolutely no reason to be a jerk. If you're reading this you probably haven't won any Oscars yet so waving your credentials over your head probably won't buy too much tolerance. Happy cows make better cheese. Treat everybody with respect. There's a "pecking order" on a Hollywood set and it totally sucks and doesn't accomplish a thing. (Which is one reason why there are so many crummy movies made in Hollywood.)

5. Be Communicative. It may all be in your head but it's got to get into everyone else's too if you want it to work. Talk to people. Outline your plan or your "vision" or your goals. If there's some personal meaning behind your choices don't be afraid to share them. Make sure everyone's on the same page as often as possible. Some directors are good with actors but don't know anything about the technical side while others are exactly the opposite. If you really want to be in control you need to do both well. It's quite possible to successfully direct a movie relying heavily on the expertise of others but it's much more difficult to have that movie take on your "personal stamp" if you're not guiding it every step of the way. Walk as many miles in other people's shoes as you can so that you'll know what everyone else is going through. Don't spring too many surprises on people like "By the way, I need you to jump from the roof of that office building to the other one" or "I was thinking that the scene would play better if you were totally naked." If you want people to take risks for you it pays to prepare them well in advance.

"Commandments" is probably a little strong but it made for a catchy title. Consider it friendly advice from a grizzled veteran who's seen the elephant and lived (barely) to tell about it.

I started directing in 1966 when I was six-years-old. Naturally I hadn't been to film school. For that matter, the concept of film school was only beginning to take shape at that time. I wanted to make movies in my backyard so I had to figure out how to make that happen on my own. Since then I've directed everything you can imagine; feature films, stage plays, short subjects, documentaries, TV commercials, music videos and God knows what else. I've done a bit of film school as well, but nothing teaches you like experience. And while I do joke about it, it's quite true that being a director has almost killed me. There's a whole lot of stress involved. And while I haven't directed a feature film since my last heart attack, I plan to very soon. To be a Director you've got to be prepared, flexible, calm, considerate and communicative...and just a bit crazy, too!