Indirectly and directly about directing

Forgot all about my blog! Just about to head off on set so I'll need to fill in the particulars a bit later, but for now I can say that we have been focusing on aspect of directing leading into our shoots for our individual project. (  Updates added - read on! :)  )

I've been reading various books about this:

Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics is a great book I've been reading lately, not only for tips on directing, but it has really insightful points on writing and interpreting scripts as well. I mentioned on an earlier blog post that sometimes it's difficult to figure out how much of your character backstory and development needs to be "written in" to your script, There is a good passage in the book that addresses this by saying:

 

"A character, after all, is like the proverbial iceberg - four-fifths out of sight. What is visible (that is, in the script) allows the actor to infer and develop what is below the "water-line" (the character's biography, motives, volition, fears, ambitions, vulnerabilities, and so on). The givens serve as the foundations determining everything else. Much is left deliberately and wisely left unspecified, such as the movements and physical nature of the characters and the treatment to be given the story in camerawork, sound and editing". 

I found this helpful because something I've found myself doing quite often in scripts is writing too much in a literary form instead of a visual form. I still think that can  be done in small doses throughout the script if you really need something to be crystal clear, but in general terms it's best to keep it visual. 'Inferences' is the key word. Also, a lot of the character development work is stuff that can be done behind the scenes with your actors - it allows them to bring their own expertise to the film. 

Cinematic Storytelling is another book I've been flicking through lately. This is really half about directing and half about cinematography. It is full of examples from various major films which show how specific camera placements, techniques and movements were used for effect. I think this is really the core of filmmaking: using the power of the image to tell the story. I think that's something that takes a lot of experience to master, but it's something for every film to aspire to. I'll be reading much more of this book looking for inspiration when it's time for me to start pinning down the visuals.

In class, we've also been discussing the key roles of the director on set. The key things being that the director is the navigator of a film. They are responsible for the film as a whole, tying all of the elements together, the performance, the lighting, the costumes, the sound, the cinematography - everything. They set the course, but also need to give each of the crew the freedom to contribute their expertise. Another major aspect of directing is looking after your crew - you need to be someone who your crew can trust.

Directing 101 (in BDM 331)