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Revision as of 03:39, 2 January 2013

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking.[1] They control a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors.

A new director working on feature films might earn as much as $200,000 a year, while the most successful can earn over $500,000 per film plus a "back-end" percentage of the profits, which in some cases can lift their income to several million dollars.[2][3]

Responsibilities

The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, while filming a costume drama on location in London.

Directors are responsible for overseeing creative aspects of a film under the overall control of the film producer. Together with the producers, directors develop a vision for a film. Once this vision is developed it is then the director’s job to carry out the vision and decide how the film should look. Directors are responsible for turning the script into a sequence of shots. They also direct what tone it should have and what an audience should gain from the cinematic experience. Film directors are responsible for deciding camera angles, lens effects and lighting with the help of the cinematographer and set designer. They will often take part in hiring the cast and key crew members. They coordinate the actors' moves and also may be involved in the writing, financing and editing of a film.

The director works closely with the cast and crew to shape the film. Some like to conduct rigorous rehearsals in preproduction while others do so before each scene. In either case, this process is essential as it tells the director, as well as other key members of the crew (director of photography, stunt coordinator, hair stylist, etc.), how the actors are going to play the scene, which enables them to make any necessary adjustments. Directors often use storyboards to illustrate sequences and concepts and a director's viewfinder to set up camera angles.

The director also plays a key role in post-production. He or she works with the editor to ensure that the emotions of the scene and the close ups, mid-shots and wide or long shots appropriately reflect which character is driving the narrative. The director also advises on the (colour) grading of the final images, adding warmth or frigidity to the composition of the shots to reflect the emotional subtext of the character or environment. The director also participates and directs the sound mix and musical composition of the film. In the subsequent promotion of the finished film, if a director is well known his name and image is used to promote the film alongside the stars of the film, but having an image is not the primary function of a director, as they are judged by their creative talent and ability to run a production. It is the second most powerful "behind the scenes" profession in the movie industry, after the producer, but the director traditionally has complete control "on the floor".

Characteristics of film directors

Ingmar Bergman apparently examines an x-ray film, during work on Wild Strawberries.
Here, director William Eubank performs multiple roles on-set as both director and camera operator.

Different directors can vary immensely amongst themselves, under various characteristics. Several examples are:

Professional organizations

In the United States, directors usually belong to the Directors Guild of America. The Canadian equivalent is the Directors Guild of Canada. In the UK, directors usually belong to the Directors Guild of Great Britain.

In Europe, FERA, the Federation of European Film Directors, represents 37 national directors' guilds in 30 countries.

Notable film directors

See also

Bibliography

  • Dobi, Stephen J. Preston Sturges: American Phenomenon. Masters Thesis, Pennsylvania State University, 1971.
  • Spencer Moon: Reel Black Talk: A Sourcebook of 50 American Filmmakers, Greenwoood Press 1997
  • The St. James Women Filmmakers Encyclopedia: Women on the Other Side of the Camera, Visible Ink Press, 1999
  • International dictionary of films and filmmakers, ed. by Tom Pendergast, 4 volumes, Detroit [etc.]: St. James Press, 4th edition 2000, vol. 2: Directors
  • Contemporary North American Film Directors: A Wallflower Critical Guide (Wallflower Critical Guides to Contemporary Directors), ed. by Yoram Allon Del Cullen and Hannah Patterson, Second Edition, Columbia Univ Press 2002
  • Alexander Jacoby, Donald Richie: A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors: From the Silent Era to the Present Day, Stone Bridge Press, 2008, ISBN 1-933330-53-8
  • Rebecca Hillauer: Encyclopedia of Arab Women Filmmakers, American University in Cairo Press, 2005, ISBN 977-424-943-7
  • Roy Armes: Dictionary of African Filmmakers, Indiana University Press, 2008, ISBN 0-253-35116-2
  • Philippe Rege: Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Scarecrow Press, 2009

Notes

  1. ^ Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
  2. ^ Arkins, Audrey. "Dream Job: Film Director". Salary.com, Inc. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  3. ^ "James Cameron Net Worth". Celebrity Net Worth. Retrieved 2012-08-15.

External links

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