Directing

I'm preparing for the Director's Workshop on Saturday.  Doing a lot of research, looking at a lot of raw footage from my own sets, and talking to some friends who crew a lot in the industry and have worked with a bunch of different directors.

So what are the horror stories from the director's chair?  Looks like the number one cause of poor-directoritus is a large infection of Insecurity.  And yes, this disease affects every job position, so the director is not alone in this by any means.  But here's how insecurity can manifest itself on the set. 

There's the Inept/Insecure Director who doesn't know enough to even be dangerous.  There's the Doctor Complex/Insecure Director.  This is the one who thinks he's God on the set.  And you may ask how that is insecure-- it sounds like the opposite.  Usually, the Doc Complex is a compensation.  In other words, I feel so bad about myself, I'm going to make myself feel better by convincing me and everyone else I'm God.  Or Gifted.  Or extremely talented.  These all stem from a root of insecurity.

So what's the treatment for this malady?  Well, you can study and research.  Don't be inept or unknowledgeable.  Train and teach yourself to direct.  More importantly is to have a healthy, accurate, view of your own identity.  Identity is the opposite of Insecurity.  Yes you have weak areas.  Work on those.  Trust those people you bring on in those areas.

Another problem on the set is communication problems.  The director cannot properly communicate her vision to the cast and crew.  This happens a lot.  What can really exacerbate the problem is when she doesn't really have a strong vision for the story herself.

So the key to the director's chair is to Prepare.  Prepare.  Prepare.  Especially if you're new to the helm.  You cannnot over prepare.  Storyboards, shot lists, overheads.  Whatever it takes and more.  Know the story.  Pre-visualize the shots.

We still have a few openings for Saturday in Fort Worth.  Info at www.s-films.com/pov .