Film Director

Film Director

one of the most well-known jobs in the media industry is the director, the director basically runs the production from the creativity of their own mind. There are directors in lots of different kinds of media even though the most commonly heard of is the film director. Choosing to be the director of a film is just because the specific person has more ideas for film than TV for example; however some directors do tend try some of both. The director can be seen as an easy job to some people, as they simply think that they sit back in a chair and dictate who does what during the production stages of a project. Realistically however the director is much more than that as it is him that takes the film in whatever direction he wants to take it. It would be up to the director if he wanted to make a love film into a shady gangster love story or an epic action packed love film.

A good example of this talent in a director is When Joel Schumacher directed batman in 1997 he managed to create a very popular superhero film full of traditional conventions such as colourful costumes, big impressive cars and over the top villains with ridiculous plots to take over the city. The trailer for this film is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK7wRdzg0MM

The batman films were then re-made starting in 2005 to 2012 by Christopher Nolan who gave them a distinct serious, dark crime thriller feel. The new films are packed with action and a serious storyline brushed off with a very dark, creepy feel. The trailer for this film is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ5U8suTUw0

This is an example of how a director’s take on a film can completely change the whole meaning of the film and how much money it will make as a production.

Directors are often the script writers for the film or if not they can start work on the project once a draft script has been written. The director then looks through it to see if it is the kind of thing he would like to work on. Once a director has an established name in the industry a large part of the job is about choosing and perfecting the right film to become even bigger in the directing world.

The most important skill required by a director is creativity, having a unique vision and understanding what the audience want is by far the best combination to a winning director. Obviously the director must be passionate about films themselves and it really helps to have a good understanding of the subject area and know the relevant codes and conventions that make a director seem of professional standard. Another incredibly important skill is to just have the right attitude. This may seem simple but this involves constantly being motivational and positive; whilst also maintaining a good balance between keeping high team morale and getting the work done in the best way possible. Most importantly the winning skill for a director to have is patience.

Surprisingly as a contrast to most other jobs, the director role does not actually require any specific qualifications; this does not however dismiss the fact that in order to be a director it is necessary to have a lot of background experience accompanied by knowledge of the subject. Good experiences leading up to the job of a director include, screenwriting, assisting directors and similar jobs working on a production. The only real way of becoming a director still remains the same as most other jobs in the media, working up from low levels. For example beginning as a runner on a film set and observing how the job is done from an early point guarantees a lot of experience and confidence working on a film set. Altogether the job of being a director is particularly challenging, however if enough effort is given it is a job anyone can achieve a name for themselves in.