Any tips for a first time Director?
- Thread starter dwhs
- Start date
Okay, just going from personal experience... I'm on short film number 3... I've worked my way up from a no budget short, to a 2000 dollar short, and now I'm on to a huge, ten thousand dollar one...
I'd like to say I have enough experience to give advice, but so little that I still need to take advice. But I'll tell you what screwed me up......
Hire the right people. People with more experience. Here's where it gets tricky... Sometimes they will give you suggestions you don't want to hear. Sometimes you should shut up and listen. But sometimes you better stand your ground.
Tricky figuring out which is which, eh?
Also, preproduction is your best friend.
I'd like to say I have enough experience to give advice, but so little that I still need to take advice. But I'll tell you what screwed me up......
Hire the right people. People with more experience. Here's where it gets tricky... Sometimes they will give you suggestions you don't want to hear. Sometimes you should shut up and listen. But sometimes you better stand your ground.
Tricky figuring out which is which, eh?
Also, preproduction is your best friend.
A good crew does their job, and their job only. Crew will rarely talk to the director. The director works closely with the DP (and production designer, and a couple other dept. heads), so suggestions can go either way there, but there is one director, and one vision.
If grips and PAs and making suggestions to you directly you really need a new crew.
The best advice I could give you is LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. The worst feeling in the world is making a mistake over and over again. Just remember that big name actors don't mean they're the best on offer. Be sure to give newbies a start. When it comes to crew, I can't really suggest much... but I would say, don't get stuck with someone who doesn't know how to do his job.
I suppose that this stuff is really just common sense.
I suppose that this stuff is really just common sense.
If that happens, I'll smile, nod, say I'm taking it under consideration, and don't.
I figure being the director is like being the captain of the ship. I'll take suggestions, but it's my decision. When I was hiring crew for Half Fish, I would ask people how they saw the movie. And if they said anything along the lines of "Well, it's more important how YOU see it" I just don't hire them.
I think this is the best way to go, however, it's a dual edged sword. In allowing them to put their stamp on it, you lose yours. So you have to know when to stand your ground, and when to give them some slack. If you did a good enough job hiring, your vision and their vision is pretty well in line anyway.
Does this make a bit more sense?
And yes, I'm talking about the Production Design Team and Director of Photography.
A good director surrounds themselves with brilliant people...this is how the best movies come together. So if this ideal is followed, a director should never be afraid to ask his crew what they think--especially on an independent level. I mean...who do you think you are, Lucas?
I have directors ask me all the time what I think of a shot, or what they should do, or do I have any input...and I'm just a lowly actor (who they know has a lot of experience). The best films work as a team...there are no egos.
I have directors ask me all the time what I think of a shot, or what they should do, or do I have any input...and I'm just a lowly actor (who they know has a lot of experience). The best films work as a team...there are no egos.
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Find a 1st AD that you can grow with so in the future they can make your life much easier. A good 1st is 'priceless' . Also if it's your first film find a DP that is as experienced as you can afford, personality type is important you need to get along with him- anyway he can bail you out. I guess it comes down to -hire the best crew you can afford (if your producing your own film). I've seen first time low budget directors have to start worrying about other depts. jobs and can't do their own.
One more thing to consider, and I'm serious: sometimes it's more important to hire based on relationship, personality, and chemistry as opposed to experience or clout. I'm not saying hire your best friend to DP just because you get along...I'm saying keep in mind personality when deciding on candidates.
You're talking about larger budget films? Films shot in LA? What?
If you're shooting independent film outside of LA (or even inside)...not everyone is a working professional. What is 'professional' anyway? Union? Well...you'll have to pay union no matter what...but that's all beside the point...my point is...
If you've been working in film for a number of years, you can easily pull together a qualified team for next to nothing. Honestly...we pay very little, even to the main positions...yet still we have people begging to work with us...why? Well firstly we are all really fun cool people, and secondly every feature we've made (8 in the past 5 years) has seen distribution. People with years of experience as a lighting designer or grip work for peanuts with us. Yes we are all friends...that's because it's about forming relationships, and making a movie as a 'team.' I know I may sound weird to some of you guys...and we may not be the norm...but it's true. And believe me I'm not giving you the 'nanner nanner boo boo' routine...I'm just telling you it's possible to find a qualified team for next to nothing. It may not happen right away...but if you're serious about your work, and are fun to work with...word gets out. I mean we've occasionally used 'name' actors like Debbie Rochon, Lynn Lowery, Ken Foree, Jeff Dylan Graham...and we'll put them up and pay them...but that doesn't break the bank, nor do they cost THAT much. And on occasion we'll pay the main actors ($250-$500)...but everyone is pretty lax about that. Every now and then some of the actors or friends will invest...and when we make DVD sales or profit from screenings we'll pay them off...but there's no rush.
And just to be clear...our company (Scorpio Film Releasing) isn't making mad loot and pocketing the profits as we sip Crystal in the hottub...we use every bit of profit for the next feature. It's all very humble, and it's all about making feature after feature (and just for reference our last feature cost 8K total--which may seem like the catering budget for some films--but we were just picked up for national distribution, so it's all relative I suppose). Damn...I sound like an ass, don't I? I swear I don't mean to. lol. It's just for your info, and as a reference as to what other production companies are doing...
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Gotcha. Freelancers. Non-friends to the company. Absolutely, you'll have to pay them...I think my point was if you find people that you know and who are in the same boat as you are, frequent the community, and you respect one another...you can get away with paying very little...or nothing at all. It's a collaboration...
And these 'freelancers' aren't always the most talented either...keep that in mind. Professional experience or university credentials sometimes have nothing to do with talent. I know that sounds messed up to say...but some of the most talented people I've worked with are local talent working for free...
But then again...I've never worked on a big budget film (I don't count background work).
Have a great weekend everyone!!! Holiday weekend for some of us.
M1chae1 - I'm with you 100% on the advice in this thread. Great stuff in there - especially "Finish your work" and "Do something with the finished work."
The quote above though, I'd call that more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule. Dropping the camera where a human could never fit (like looking up from inside the drain of a sink for example) could be the one shot that really sells the scene - depending on the scene. It's one of those things that 99% of the time wouldn't make sense, or would make the audience too aware of the craft, but that 1% of the time it could be gold.
Just a thought. As far as advice from me - not that I am remotely qualified to give it - two things:
1. Be willing to trust your key crew and your cast. Always be able to recognize when someone's idea is just flat out better than your own. Or, more likely, the collaboration may end up stronger than the 'vision.' Again, a guideline. Conversely you should also be able to trust your vision when you know it is the way to tell the story.
2. From a general people management perspective: Praise in public, reprimand in private. This is probably not the way most film crews work (not enough experience from me to be able to tell), but nothing ruins someone's day (or week, or entire shoot) more than sitting through 5 minutes of a director/AD/manager/supervisor, or whatever belittling, screaming, and demeaning them in front of the entire crew (or office).
Good stuff in this thread, let's keep it going! Hope this wasn't too presumptive for my first post!
--David
Yes, David, you're right. There are certain instances where putting the camera in a unique spot (POV of the action at hand) can be advantageous. It can look really cool, and can 'sell the shot.' I agree. I've seen a handful of these cases...
I only brought it up to begin with, because it is one of the 'rules' I was tought by a veteran director. A director that's worked in film and television for 15 years. And when he told me...it made sense. I too agree that placing the camera in an odd location can add 'interest' to a shot...but I also see his standpoint.
I think the key to many bits of advice--just as in many other trades--is to learn the rules, and then when you've mastered them...then and only then are you free to break them.
Rules? Let's say guidelines
The only rule is there are no rules.
True. Guidelines. I stand corrected.
I like how we are all agreeing to agree. 
Back to tips though, does anyone have a specific thing they learned on set that has helped them later on? Perhaps a pitfall that you solved on the spot, or a way of describing something to keys or to cast that really helped?
Back to tips though, does anyone have a specific thing they learned on set that has helped them later on? Perhaps a pitfall that you solved on the spot, or a way of describing something to keys or to cast that really helped?
Your advice to "keep tha producers away whilst shooting"
seems unprofessional to me. At the very least it seems short
sighted.
On a purely professional production - where the suit bastard
producer cares only about money - it's good to remember it's
because of the hard work, dedication, skill, commitment and
contacts of that suit bastard producer that the director has a
job.