Directing a film is NOTHING like this...

Описание: Directing a film is NOTHING like this...
I just directed my first film. I learned a LOT. I've written and produced films in the past, but this was my first directing effort. And I loved it. What did I learn? In this new series, I'll explain what it's like to direct a film for the first time.

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Jay Sherer:    • Directing a film is NOTHING like this...  

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============================= TRANSCRIPT =============================
Here’s a lesson I just learned that you should know about if you want to direct a film: You MUST be a team player. Let me explain…

My name is Jay Sherer, and while I’ve written many films and produced a few of my own short films, I hadn’t ever directed one until this last year. It was an amazing experience, and I learned a LOT, including that I really enjoy directing!

The first lesson: Film is a COLLABORATIVE medium.

When you watch media interviews, the focus is almost always on the actors, actresses, or the directors. You rarely see DPs, producers, casting directors, grips, gaffers, costume designers, makeup artists, or anybody else involved in the production of a film getting a lot of attention unless you’re going deep into filmmaking-specific media outlets.

You may think the director controls every single aspect of the production, like a puppeteer pulling everyone’s strings. But that’s… not accurate. In fact, that feels like a good way to get a bad finished product.

The truth is: a director INFLUENCES every aspect of the production, but each and every role serves as an important creative contributor to the finished film.

The director doesn’t tell everyone HOW to do their jobs, but rather points those contributors in the right direction. And that’s REALLY important to understand.

With that in mind, I have TWO RECOMMENDATIONS to ensure that you—as the director—set yourself up for success:

ONE: VISION. When you have INFLUENCE without having direct CONTROL, you must cast a clear, compelling, and articulate vision. The director has to be able to imagine what the film will look like to an audience and convey that clearly to those working alongside them.

TWO: When something doesn’t align with the vision, the director needs to be able to communicate that to the individual contributors WITHOUT taking over their work. In other words, a director needs to be able to effectively re-direct contributors in a way that encourages them to bring their best work to the table and realign themselves to the vision. That doesn’t mean there won’t be conflict, but the end result of that conflict should be a superior product and everyone involved remains motivated to produce their best work.

The director doesn’t “tell everyone what to do.” Rather, the director casts a clear, compelling vision that the entire cast and crew contribute to. If the work of any contributor isn’t quite aligned to the story or vision, the director’s goal becomes conveying that misalignment and helping that contributor see the vision more clearly.

A director isn’t a lone wolf. They can’t do every job. Nor should they try to. Instead, they’re a visionary leader who’s helping contributors bring their best work to the table in a way that's perfectly aligned to the story and the vision.

Subscribe to this channel for more lessons I learned while directing my first film, and be sure to check out NO VACANCY, our proof of concept short film coming in early 2024!