Wikipedia

Film director

(Redirected fromFilm Director)
"Director (film)" redirects here. For films with this title, seeDirector § Other uses.
Not to be confused withcamera operator.

Afilm directoris a person who controls afilm's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes thescreenplay(or script) while guiding thefilm crewandactorsin the fulfillment of thatvision.The director has a key role in choosing thecast members,production designand all the creative aspects offilmmakingin cooperation with theproducer.[1]

Film director
Occupation
Occupation type
Profession
Activity sectors
Film
Description
CompetenciesFilm directing
Fields of
employment
Film production company
Film directorJohn Badhamduring filming ofThe Godchildin 1974

The film director gives direction to the cast and crew and creates an overall vision through which a film eventually becomes realized or noticed. Directors need to be able to mediate differences in creative visions and stay within thebudget.

There are many pathways to becoming a film director. Some film directors started asscreenwriters,cinematographers,producers,film editorsor actors. Other film directors have attended film school. Directors use different approaches. Someoutlinea general plotline and let the actors improvise dialogue, while others control every aspect and demand that the actors and crew follow instructions precisely. Some directors also write their own screenplays or collaborate on screenplays with long-standing writing partners. Other directors edit or appear in their films or compose music score for their films.[2]

Responsibility

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The film director gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, while filming thehistorical dramaSherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stockingon location inLondon.

A film director's task is to envisage a way to translate ascreenplayinto a fully formed film, and then to realize this vision.[3]To do this, they oversee the artistic and technical elements of film production.[2][4]This entails organizing the film crew in such a way to achieve their vision of the film and communicating with the actors.[5][6]This requires skills of group leadership, as well as the ability to maintain a singular focus even in the stressful, fast-paced environment of a film set.[7]Moreover, it is necessary to have an artistic eye to frame shots and to give precise feedback to cast and crew,[8]thus, excellent communication skills are a must.[9]

Because the film director depends on the successful cooperation of many different creative individuals with possibly strongly contradicting artistic ideals and visions, they also need to possess conflict-resolution skills to mediate whenever necessary.[10]Thus the director ensures that all individuals involved in the film production are working towards an identical vision for the completed film.[5]The set of varying challenges they have to tackle has been described as "a multi-dimensional jigsaw puzzle with egos and weather thrown in for good measure".[11]It adds to the pressure that the success of a film can influence when and how they will work again, if at all.[12]

Generally, the sole superiors of the director are theproducersand the studio that is financing the film, although sometimes the director can also be a producer of the same film.[3][13]The role of a director differs from producers in that producers typically manage the logistics and business operations of the production, whereas the director is tasked with making creative decisions. The director must work within the restrictions of the film's budget[14]and the demands of the producer and studio (such as the need to get a particularage rating).[15]

Directors also play an important role inpost-production.While the film is still in production, the director sends "dailies"to thefilm editorand explains their overall vision for the film, allowing the editor to assemble aneditor's cut.In post-production, the director works with the editor to edit the material into thedirector's cut.Well-established directors have the "final cut privilege",meaning that they have the final say on which edit of the film is released. For other directors, the studio can order further edits without the director's permission.

The director is one of the few positions that requires intimate involvement during everystage of film production.Thus, the position of film director is widely considered to be a highly stressful and demanding one.[16]It has been said that "20-hour days are not unusual".[3]Some directors also take on additional roles, such as producing, writing or editing.

UnderEuropean Unionlaw, the film director is considered the "author" or one of the authors of a film, largely as a result of the influence ofauteur theory.[17]Auteur theory is afilm criticismconcept that holds that a film director'sfilmreflects the director's personal creative vision, as if they were the primary "auteur" (theFrenchword for "author" ).[18]In spite of—and sometimes even because of—the production of the film as part of an industrial process, the auteur's creative voice is distinct enough to shine through studio interference and the collective process.[citation needed]

Career pathways

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American directorSteven Spielbergwith Sri Lankan filmmakerChandran RutnaminSri Lanka

Some film directors started asscreenwriters,film editors,producers,actors,orfilm critics,as well as directing for similar media like television and commercials.[19][20]Several American cinematographers have become directors, includingBarry Sonnenfeld,originally the Coen brothers' Director of Photography;Wally Pfister,cinematographer onChristopher Nolan's three Batman films made his directorial debut withTranscendence(2014). Despite the misnomer,assistant directorhas become a completely separate career path and is not typically a position for aspiring directors, but there are exceptions in some countries such as India where assistant directors are indeed directors-in-training.[21][22]

Education

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Many film directors have attended afilm schoolto get a bachelor's degree studying film or cinema.[23]Film students generally study the basic skills used in making a film.[24]This includes, for example, preparation, shot lists and storyboards, blocking, communicating with professional actors, communicating with the crew, and reading scripts.[25]Some film schools are equipped with sound stages and post-production facilities.[26]Besides basic technical and logistical skills, students also receive education on the nature of professional relationships that occur during film production.[27]A full degree course can be designed for up to five years of studying.[28]Future directors usually complete short films during their enrollment.[16]TheNational Film School of Denmarkhas the student's final projects presented on national TV.[29]Some film schools retain the rights for their students' works.[30]Many directors successfully prepared for making feature films by working in television.[31]TheGerman Film and Television Academy Berlinconsequently cooperates with the Berlin/Brandenburg TV stationRBB (Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting)andARTE.[32]

In recent decades American directors have primarily been coming out ofUSC,UCLA,AFI,Columbia University,andNYU,each of which is known for cultivating a certain style of filmmaking.[20]Notable film schools outside of the United States includeBeijing Film Academy,Centro de Capacitación Cinematográficain Mexico City,Dongseo Universityin South Korea,FAMUin Prague,Film and Television Institute of India,HFF Munich,La Fémisin Paris,Tel Aviv University,andVancouver Film School.[33]

Compensation

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Film directors usually areself-employedand hired per project based on recommendations and industry reputation.[34]Compensation might be arranged as a flat fee for the project, as a weekly salary, or as a daily rate.

A handful of top Hollywood directors made from $133.3 million to $257.95 million in 2011, such asJames CameronandSteven Spielberg,[35]but the average United States film directors and producers made $89,840 in 2018.[36]A new Hollywood director typically gets paid around $400,000 for directing their first studio film.[37]

The average annual salary in England is £50,440,[38]in Canada is $62,408,[39]and in Western Australia it can range from $75,230 to $97,119.[40]In France, the average salary is €4000 per month, paid per project.[41]Luc Bessonwas the highest paid French director in 2017, making €4.44 million forValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.That same year, the top ten French directors' salaries in total represented 42% of the total directors' salaries in France.[42]

Film directors in Japan average a yearly salary from ¥4 million to ¥10 million,[43]and theDirectors Guild of Japanrequires a minimum payment of ¥3.5 million.[44]Korean directors make 300 million to 500 millionwonfor a film, and beginning directors start out making around 50 million won. A Korean director who breaks into the Chinese market might make 1 billion won for a single film.[45]

Gender disparities

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See also:List of female film and television directors

According to a 2018 report fromUNESCO,the film industry throughout the world has a disproportionately higher number of male directors compared to female directors, and they provide as an example the fact that only 20% of films in Europe are directed by women.[46]44% of graduates from a sample of European films schools are women, and yet women are only 24% of working film directors in Europe. However only a fraction of film school graduates aspire to direct with the majority entering the industry in other roles.[47]In Hollywood, women make up only 12.6 percent of film directors, as reported by aUCLAstudy of the 200 top theatrical films of 2017,[48]but that number is a significant increase from 6.9% in 2016.[49]As of 2014, there were only 20 women in theDirectors Guild of Japanout of the 550 total members.[50]Indian film directors are also greatly underrepresented by women, even compared to other countries, but there has been a recent trend of more attention to women directors in India, brought on partly byAmazonandNetflixmoving into the industry.[51]Of the movies produced inNollywood,women direct only 2%.[52]

Awards

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The main competition jury at the2014 Cannes Film Festival(Left to right:Gael García Bernal,Jia Zhangke,Sofia Coppola,Jane Campion,Jeon Do-yeon,Nicolas Winding Refn,Leila Hatami,Carole Bouquet,andWillem Dafoe
See also:Category:Film directing awards

There are many different awards for film directing, run by variousacademies,critics associations,film festivals,andguilds.[53]TheAcademy Award for Best DirectorandCannes Film Festival Award for Best Directorare considered among the most prestigious awards for directing,[54][55][56][57]and there is even anaward for worst directinggiven out during theGolden Raspberry Awards.

See also

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References

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  1. ^Bean-Mellinger, Barbara (December 27, 2018)."The Average Film Director Salary Per Movie".Career Trend.Leaf Group.Archivedfrom the original on February 12, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.
  2. ^ab"TV or film director".National Careers Service.United Kingdom: British Government. April 2017.Archivedfrom the original on July 30, 2017.RetrievedMay 10,2017.
  3. ^abc"Career Profile: Film Director".Filmschools.com.Monster.Archivedfrom the original on April 10, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 3,2019.
  4. ^"Employment Film Director".MediaCollege.com.Wavelength Media.Archivedfrom the original on August 1, 2022.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.
  5. ^abPiccirillo, Ryan A. (2010)."Career snapshot: The Film Director, A Human Lens".Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse.Archivedfrom the original on July 2, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.
  6. ^"How to Become a Film Director".Academic Invest.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2023.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.They must work with producers, writers, cast members, crew members, designers and other professionals in order to implement that vision
  7. ^"Director (fim, television, radio, or stage)".Government of Western Australia Department of Training and Workforce Development.Archived fromthe originalon May 9, 2013.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.
  8. ^"Film Director Career: Pros and Cons".LearningPath.org.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.
  9. ^"Explore careers: TV or film director".National Careers Service.Education and Skills Funding Agency.Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2012.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.
  10. ^McRae, Alex (June 1, 2006)."I Want Your Job: Film Director".The Independent.London.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2023.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.You have to be a diplomat. You have to marshal a whole load of creative people, who often don't get on with each other, and your job is to stop things turning into a bun-fight.
  11. ^Thomas, Delyth."What is a Director?".Directors UK.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-01-17.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.
  12. ^"Producers and Directors:Occupational Outlook Handbook".U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2023.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.directors work under a lot of pressure, and most are under constant stress to find their next job.
  13. ^"What Producers and Directors Do".Bureau of Labor Statistics.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.Although directors are in charge of the creative aspects of a show, they ultimately answer to producers. Some directors also share producing duties for their own films.
  14. ^"Film Directing: Job Profile".Internationale Filmschule Köln.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-05-10.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.The director is bound by financial conditions, which however should not hinder him from developing his own artistic signature.
  15. ^Hornaday, Ann (May 16, 1993)."Now Starring on Video: The Director's Cut".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on November 18, 2015.RetrievedNovember 25,2015.Realizing that an NC-17 rating could hurt business (some theaters and newspapers won't show or advertise NC-17 movies), Mr. Verhoeven cut 47 seconds of the most graphic sex and violence.
  16. ^ab"Film Director".The Princeton Review.Archivedfrom the original on March 1, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.
  17. ^Pascal Kamina (2002).Film Copyright in the European Union.Cambridge University Press. p.153.ISBN978-1-139-43338-9.
  18. ^"Auteur theory | Definition & Directors".Encyclopedia Britannica.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-03-10.Retrieved2018-02-08.
  19. ^"Film Director: Occupations in Alberta".Alberta Learning Information Service.Government of Alberta.Archivedfrom the original on November 6, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.Many are experienced actors, editors or writers
  20. ^abWexman, Virginia Wright (2017).Directing.New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. p. 7.ISBN9780813564296.
  21. ^"What's an Assistant Director?".Directors Guild of America.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2019.RetrievedJune 30,2019.
  22. ^Fatima, Nishat (January 20, 2012)."Here's how you can get into Bollywood".Times of India.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2019.RetrievedJune 30,2019.
  23. ^"How to Become a Producer or Director".Bureau of Labor Statistics.Archivedfrom the original on March 1, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.
  24. ^"Film".LUCA School of Arts.Archived fromthe originalon May 11, 2013.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.In the Fiction Film bachelor studio students learn the basic principles, techniques and procedures of film direction and production
  25. ^"Directing Department at LFS".London Film School.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-02-17.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.Classes supporting this area discuss and rehearse: preparation, shot lists and storyboards, blocking, protocols of dealing with professional actors, reading scripts, the construction of film sequence
  26. ^"Film BA Honours - Courses".University of Westminster.Archived fromthe originalon May 9, 2013.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.We operate from a purpose-built studio facility in Harrow, with two sound stages, a set construction workshop, and extensive post-production facilities.
  27. ^"BA Film Directing".Internationale Filmschule Köln.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-05-10.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.An intrinsic element of the education, alongside the transfer of organizational and technical skills, is to provide the students with insights into social contexts and relationships
  28. ^"Direction".Institut des Arts de Diffusion.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-07-23.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.The directing studies 5 years of study: a first cycle of 3 years and a second cycle of 2 years.
  29. ^"About the school".Den Danske Filmskole.Archived fromthe originalon May 28, 2013.RetrievedMarch 15,2013.The students' final project is a film produced on a professional level and presented to the public on national TV.
  30. ^"Filmmaking Guide: Copyright".BBC.Archived fromthe originalon April 10, 2013.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.If you're a student and making your film within a film school then you should be aware that some film schools will retain the copyright in the films that you make during your enrollment
  31. ^"Professional Screen Directing Diploma".Central Film School.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-19.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.Many successful film directors, including Oscar-winning Best Director of 'The King's Speech', Tom Hooper, began their careers in television, which provided the platform to progress through the industry.
  32. ^"The DFFB".German Film and Television Academy Berlin.Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2013.RetrievedMarch 3,2013.The DFFB cooperates with the Berlin/Brandenburg TV station RBB and ARTE and produces 3 short films of 30minutes lengths for RBB and 10 short films of 5 minutes lengths for ARTE
  33. ^"Entertainment Education Report: The Best Film Schools in 2018".Variety.April 25, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on March 24, 2019.RetrievedJune 23,2019.
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  35. ^Imani, Faizah."Typical Salary of a Film Director".Chron.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 2, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 28,2019.
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  43. ^"Ánh họa giam đốc の cấp dữ ・ niên thâu は? Sơ nhậm cấp やインセンティブ thâu nhập などについて giải thuyết"[What is the salary and annual income of the film director? Commentary on starting salary and incentive income].Job Zukan(in Japanese).Archivedfrom the original on January 14, 2020.RetrievedDecember 11,2019.
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Further reading

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  • Spencer Moon:Reel Black Talk: A Sourcebook of 50 American Filmmakers,Greenwood Press 1997
  • The St. James Women Filmmakers Encyclopedia: Women on the Other Side of the Camera,Visible Ink Press, 1999
  • International dictionary of films and filmmakers,ed. by Tom Pendergast, 4 volumes, Detroit [etc.]: St. James Press, 4th edition 2000, vol. 2: Directors
  • Contemporary North American Film Directors: A Wallflower Critical Guide(Wallflower Critical Guides to Contemporary Directors), ed. by Yoram Allon Del Cullen and Hannah Patterson, Second Edition, Columbia Univ Press 2002
  • Alexander Jacoby, Donald Richie:A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors: From the Silent Era to the Present Day,Stone Bridge Press, 2008,ISBN1-933330-53-8
  • Rebecca Hillauer:Encyclopedia of Arab Women Filmmakers,American University in Cairo Press, 2005,ISBN977-424-943-7
  • Roy Armes:Dictionary of African Filmmakers,Indiana University Press, 2008,ISBN0-253-35116-2
  • Philippe Rege:Encyclopedia of French Film Directors,Scarecrow Press, 2009
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