What I Really Want To Do Is Direct

PART I: WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

No Laughing Matter

A good friend who has enjoyed considerable success in this business of show once told me that a director should be able to tell a good, long joke. Why? A director should be able to hold an audience while telling a story. Is that all it takes? Hell, no. It helps if you're a bit insane: if your elevator doesn't quite reach the penthouse. More importantly, it helps if you have the ability to make those around you come along for the ride. The best directors work harder and longer than anyone around them. Not because they're supposed to. Not because they're paid to. Because they're possessed. Three words come to mind:

• PASSION
• LEADERSHIP
• TENACITY

Passion

We're not talking the sufferings of Christ; we're talking about having enthusiasm and excitement for telling stories. Filmmaking is incredibly tiring, both mentally and physically, for everyone involved but especially for the director. Your passion must be all consuming because it is the passionate leader who inspires those around him/her to do their best work and after working 12 - 16 hour days, people are going to need all the inspiration they can get. Your devotion to telling the story should be the motivating force behind everyone's work. If you're not constantly excited about what you're doing (no matter how mundane the shot may seem) nobody around you will be, either. Eventually, fatigue sets in, it always does and people can get sloppy or careless. When you're on set you only get one chance to get it right, so make sure you have the passion it takes to keep yourself and the people around you going.

"If you haven't got a passion to tell stories then you ought to seriously examine your motivations… too many people want to be film directors but they don't really want to tell stories or have any relationship with the audience."

- Phillip Noyce (Dead Calm, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Bone Collector)

Leadership

The ability to make a decision and stand by it. Throughout all phases of production the director is constantly interacting with dozens of talented people and it is his/her job to collaborate with the team and lead them to the solution that best suits your story. As a director you will constantly be exposed to new ideas. Everyone has something to contribute and while some ideas might make you chuckle, others may be much better than what you had in mind. A good leader is secure. Be open to advise and welcome questions. The answers in your head are merely the first draft, allow for revisions. That guy with the boom cable might have a good idea, so listen to what he has to say; you'll get the credit, anyway.

People want to be led. They want direction. They want directors to DIRECT. Don't be afraid to do it.

"In the feature world you're frequently problem solving and frequently finding ways that the material speaks to you differently, once you actually see it on a screen, than you thought it would when you set out to direct it. You realize you have to adapt and change and all the way through you're learning what it (the story) truly is rather than sitting back and speculating what it should be."

- Pen Densham (Zoo Gang, The Kiss, Moll Flanders, Houdini [TNT]).

Tenacity

"The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love." Sure the Peace Corps said it first, but I beg to differ. While not as noble or honorable as a job in the Corps, directing a film has to be one of the hardest, most difficult jobs on Earth, simply because making a film is the most unnatural thing in the world - recreating reality.

As the director you have to be accountable for the hundreds of decisions you make daily and at times you'll have to go to the mat for what you believe in. The actor that's perfect for the role, the money for that explosion, the crane to get the right angle: it all costs money. A director picks their battles strategically, losing one today so you can win another, more important battle tomorrow. Every decision and every concession you make will directly effect the finished product: your film. Some things you can do without, others you can not. It's your job to know which is which because you will be challenged, whether by producers, actors, studios, investors or the Almighty God Himself (daylight and uncooperative weather). Maintain a strong back but put up a soft front. Listen, collaborate, be reasonable, but make sure you know what you want and don't be afraid to stick to your guns. As soon as you're taken for a pushover you'll be eaten alive. It's a fine line, but remember you can't win them all.

This is all said assuming you even make it into Production (see FilmTracker's Development Column). Fear not, your tenacity will be put to the test long before cameras roll. Getting even the smallest film made can take years. Don't lose your passion and in the noble words of Peter Gabriel, "Don't Give Up."

Now, if you have the passion, the tenacity, the ability to lead, as well as a few loose screws, you probably think you're ready to direct. Before we go on, first try this: work seven days a week for at least two years (this can supplement the writing, development and financing processes). Then, deprive yourself of sleep and find a couple hundred people to ask you different questions - all at the same time, all needing an answer RIGHT NOW that they (and others) can hold you to… and if you're wrong - deny EVERYTHING. Sound fun? Cool… Then read on to see how you can Get in the Canvas Chair.

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