Quick Facts About the Job of a Movie Director
Francis Ford Coppola. Martin Scorsese. Steven Spielberg — nearly everyone knows the names of these famous movie directors. In fact, they may be just as recognizable by name as their acclaimed films. While their images are public, their key roles of bringing a script to life may not be as commonly known. A vital part of the creation and development of a film, directors are the heartbeat of its production.
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They Bring the Script to Life
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All films begin with only words on paper, and it is a director's job to paint an on-screen picture with those words. A director usually has a creative mind that can envision not only individual scenes but also character development and the moral of the story. The director is involved in choosing scene locations, how shots are set up and even the pace of the dialogue. The energy presented in a movie is often partly the director's conception.
They Supervise the Creative Elements
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While the producer of a film is typically in charge of overseeing the entire operation, the director is mainly in charge of overseeing the creative aspects of production, including the cinematography, the art of using images and lighting to bring a film to life on screen. It creates a mood and inspires an audience. A director is involved with the feel that cinematography brings to the picture. For example, the director commonly collaborates with the cinematographer to choose what lighting will create a certain desired atmosphere in a scene, as well as what camera angles will ignite certain emotions. The director commonly oversees related technical elements as well.
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They Inspire the Actors' Best Performances
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Movie directors are specifically involved in how their actors present the script. They guide the cast members in how to best present the dialogue and what strategies to use in their performances for accurately relaying specific subjects. Some are more hands-off than others, but generally, all directors collaborate with their actors in this process. It's helpful for a director to know how to effectively connect and communicate with his actors, especially in sensitive scenes. Being able to make his cast feel comfortable in difficult situations, like violent or overtly sexual scenes, is a key job of a movie director.
They Create the Timetable
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Movie directors are most effective when they can be jacks-of-all-trades. Not only are they involved in the emotions and creative aspects of the script and actors, they also need to be able to think logically. They determine the order in which the scenes are shot and create deadlines during production to make sure the film is completed on time. They also typically have a hand in coordinating the various members of the production staff who are on set during filming.
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