How to make EVERY decision as a film director.
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- Опубліковано 17 бер 2024
- Directing a film can be simplified to just changing the question in front of you.
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Thumbnail is spot-on - perfectly captures how daunting it can feel to be in this role.
hmmm, isn't an AI thumb? 🤔
I learned this in film school forever ago, and even though I've been out of the industry for 15 years and now work in corporate management, I still use the same philosophy.
"How should I do this? What format should I make the presentation? Which methodology should we use to implement this new software?"
It's all the same. Businesses love to look at performance metrics, KPIs, statistics and data- and sure, those things are valuable. But ultimately those are tools, not decisions. What's your purpose, your goal, your desired outcome, that's the only question that really matters.
I'm directing a short film this semester for a film class I'm taking this year. As someone hoping to major in directing or screenwriting (or something else in film) your videos are always a good place for me to learn more about filmmaking! Thanks for the tips!
This is a great piece of advice. I am an amateur theatre director and I often find it hard to answer similar questions from actors, or the technical teams on a theatre production. This tip to consider the purpose behind the decision is exactly what I'm forgetting to consider when I'm stuck
I always have a basic idea of what each shot will look like while I'm writing.
Not really your job. Should be focused on the story and let the director direct.
Good stuff. I want to touch on one point. The line between script and directing. I often run across the problem of identifying the line. Sometimes the writers write too much that is better left to directing and sometimes the director does not follow the script. It is always a challenge to get the right amount into the script.
I often tell writers that you put enough detail into the story to tell the story. Do you need to describe what everyone is wearing in a scene? Only if it is important. Otherwise, let wardrobe under the director decide costuming. For instance, in the Tom Hanks movie "The Man with One Red Shoe" obviously he had to wear one red shoe. I tell writers to write enough to tell the story.
As for the story, follow the script. All the details should be worked out during preproduction so that you are not having to decide everything on set. As for the purpose of a scene, all that should be discussed in advance. I often see filmmakers shoot a lot of tight shots. No, no, no. Think about the importance of each line. Closeups should be used for important points, not every shot, otherwise you lose the effect of closeups. Imagine a scene where all you saw was closeups. Doesn't work. Design your shots to show what is important in the shot at that point in the scene. He picked up a knife. Okay, shoot the knife being picked up. He grabbed the guard from behind and put the knife to the guard's throat. Okay, a medium closeup. He drew the knife across his throat. Now a closeup. How close though? Just the neck getting sliced? The whole head so you see the guard's face as he dies? Or a bit wider so you see the hero face as he kills him. Perhaps just his face to show the satisfaction.
Great tip! Thanks, Kent! I’ll certainly look into the course. Cheers!
This is really useful. Thank you, am glad I subscribed to the channel.
Fo real! Thanks for sharing this bro... Needed to hear it!
Great video! In life in general, not just directing, I always try to get down to the core/essence of the situation and work my way up from there. And it may lead you on numerous paths, but all will spring from the valid/correct core, and therefore all will be right.
Thanks!🍀
Thanks, man. That is such a valuable info 😃
The hard part of watching a movie, is learning to shut off my brain and watch the story. I use to methodically dissect each cut, and each camera move. Also I am looking at the lighting and want to see what colors they are using. The story now is the key, and that will open the door.
Super useful. Thanks man.
thank you so much for this. I am currently DPing a project with an inexperienced director and first AD and I keep trying to guide them toward blocking out every scene so we can figure out where to place the camera, how to light the set (hell, even figure out where to boom mic), but every single scene starts with them just looking at me and asking, "ready?" and my response has been, "well what are we shooting?" even though I've broken down the script and provided a shotlist, all of that is meaningless until the director creates the scene.
but you've just given me a gentler approach to communication; from now on I will ask, "what is the purpose of this shot?" again, thank you so much for this simple pivot.
Excellent video and suggestions.
Thank you, this was a very helpful piece. I will consider your school
Life saver thank u
Thank you sir 🙏
I love your channel I was wondering do you have a video on how to do sound effects in film, I’m having issues on how where to get them and make them sound realistic and when to use them, like example: the sound of guns moving, or like eye glasses, or footsteps etc
This is a god send
that clicks very very much. Greetings from Leipzig!
Kent, I have a question what’s a good number of pages for short film scripts?
These are the types of videos we all need!
Was that Haunter?! Lol
the link to the course is broken :(
Hmm weird it works here 🤔 Try this: standardstoryco.com/wrapped/
👍
Great advice! But I'm sure you can di better than a 100% AI created thumbnail. Quite generic
That is not ai generated LOL
@@PersnicketyProductionslook at that totally weird "camera" on the left side. Of course it's AI. I spend a lot of time analyzing these things and this is a no-brainer
👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋
Hi
So The Dude is the angel on one shoulder and Travis Bickle is the devil? I can dig it.
It's just a backpack. I would say unless it serves a real purpose in the story pick one that's not too distracting and move on. Why spend time worrying about something 95% of the audience won't even notice? Thanks for the video.
They won't notice it, but they'll subconsciously pick up on it. When you see a student wearing a black backpack in real life, it gives off a different first impression as to whether they're wearing a backpack with a cartoon on it, or with a rainbow on it. And those all give off different connotations to if the kid didn't have a backpack in the first place. Or if a middle aged adult had a backpack. Sure, if you dont put effort into it then it won't really hurt a short film, but it's the little details that make great short films stand out to the subconscious mind.
Everything has a purpose in the story; anything that doesn't shouldn't be there. Even if you say "well it's just for background", that's still a purpose that requires you to consider motivation and visual impact and storytelling.
"It's just a backpack" is the difference between a made-for-network-TV movie and Stanley Kubrick. Which one are you striving for?
@@thesuperfan2457 A 30 something professional would have a briefcase. A little girl would have Dora the Explorer, but is there really a need to spend a lot of time debating Hello Kitty vs Dora if it doesn't have a definite function in the story? Just pick one and move on.
@@its_clean If you're Kubrick and you want to cast aspersions on NASA, then go with the Apollo 11 sweater. Otherwise just about any sweater will do.
@@Flashbagfolly Dude, you're confusing story and plot. Of course none of this stuff impacts the plot. Your lighting, acting, production design, and score don't impact the plot either, so why bother with those too?
But all those things affect the story, which is about who the characters are and why they do the things they do. If you don't know what color backpack your character would choose, whether they wear hipster skinny jeans or baggy sweatpants, whether they're the type of person to stretch their budget to get a BMW on lease or a frugal person who will settle for a nice used Corolla- then you don't know your characters, and you're not telling their story. All you're giving is plot.
First
So, analytical thinking and deductive reasoning are important. Unfortunately that is something that seems to be absent in the younger "google" generations that just type the question into their phone and come up with the answer google gives them.
They have no in depth thought, just break it all down to yes or no or wright or wrong.
Easy to tell people they need to think, harder to teach them to think.