Introverted directors

[MaximumEffect]

I'd love to hear some thoughts on something I have been thinking about lately: can directors be introverted and anti-social and still be successful? Still properly communicate what needs to be communicated?

To me, it seems the popular depiction of a director is someone who is very outgoing, loud, and very authoritative. I know this is a shallow way to look at it, as there are many successful directors who don't fit that description, but it still feels like a quiet, introverted person (like myself) would never make it as a director.

How do you see it? Can introverted or almost anti-social directors be treated with the appropriate respect on set and get the job done, or would it be preferred to already have an outgoing personality?

 

[bloxorz98]

Good one! You have a sense of humor - an excellent attribute for
a director.

.........

 

[JLV02]

I'm pretty introverted in my personal life, but I'm very confident and extroverted on set. It's all about having the confidence in your vision and explaining it to everyone as clearly and assuring as possible. If you doubt yourself about something, don't let anyone on set know you're doubting. If you appear to know exactly what you want and behave that way, people will respect you and respond to your direction.

I agree about not asking for advice. Of course it's all a collaboration and I work with the same DP as often as possible and our working relationship is well established. If he has a suggestion about something, he straight up asks me about it, but I always tell him what I want first and he may have a suggestion within that context of what I already established by telling him what I want. Of course, all working relationships are different. Regardless of the collaboration, you have to have a starting point with your vision and explain it to everyone and they'll use their talents to best make your vision a reality.

 

[ChimpPhobiaFilms]

As long as you can communicate your vision and people understand you, there is no issue. If you can't communicate with people, and everyone is unsure of how to act, then that's the #1 problem you need to address.

 

[moonshieldmedia]

If you're an introverted director all you really need is a confident extroverted producer or AD who trusts you (or whom you are paying to trust you). Everyone else can report to him/her and you can be alone with your thoughts at video village