{"id":14593,"date":"2022-02-01T06:00:18","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T06:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmconnection.com\/blog\/?p=8208"},"modified":"2022-02-01T06:00:18","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T06:00:18","slug":"what-do-actors-want-from-directors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/filmconnection.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/01\/what-do-actors-want-from-directors\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do Actors Want From Directors?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being a filmmaker<\/a> can pull you in a lot of different directions, behind the camera, in front of the camera, and in the business office. It\u2019s important to be a good communicator, delegator, and sometimes instigator. And unless you\u2019re Oliver Stone, James Cameron, or Werner Herzog, it\u2019s best to do it all without crushing (or inflaming) egos.<\/p>\n

But you do need to see your vision through to fruition. By empowering the cinematographer<\/a>, lighting and sound department, and the rest of the crew members<\/a> to give their best efforts, they can help enhance that vision. This is never more true than when working with actors.<\/p>\n

What Do Actors Need from Directors?<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Keep the Environment Safe<\/li>\n
  2. Listen to the Actors<\/li>\n
  3. Clearly Communicate Your Intentions<\/li>\n
  4. Acknowledge a Job Well Done<\/li>\n
  5. Do More with Less<\/li>\n
  6. Create an Achievable Vision<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Perhaps more than any other relationship on set, the chemistry between director<\/a> and actor can play a huge part in how successful a film is. Do actors and directors always need to get along? Of course not: George Clooney and David O. Russell reportedly came to blows during the filming of the very successful Three Kings<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Those were two heavyweights in their respective fields, of course, and can afford the occasional dust-up. As an up-and-coming director, you\u2019ll want to keep the fisticuffs to a minimum while still getting everything you can out of your actors. And as the leader of the production, it\u2019s up to you to keep things running smoothly.<\/p>\n

    \"Actor<\/a>1. Keep the Environment Safe<\/h3>\n

    As the director, you set the tone for the movie itself as well as the general feeling on the set. As they say, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. This doesn’t mean you need to be a pushover, but it does mean you should create a safe environment for the exchange of ideas with your actors.<\/p>\n

    By fostering a collaborative give and take relationship with your actors (and other crewmembers for that matter), you empower them to be more confident in you and themselves. It\u2019s a great way to build trust and encourage important questions. You can certainly be firm but do so with a smile – not a fist.<\/p>\n

    2. Listen to the Actors<\/h3>\n

    Especially during the table read, be sure to give your leads and co-stars time to read their lines and discuss their ideas and\/or interpretations with you. Be sensitive to their feelings: If you do not agree with their interpretation or the point they\u2019re making, gently guide them back to where they need to be. And that actorly question, \u201cWhat\u2019s my motivation?\u201d is downright valid.<\/p>\n

    As the director, you need to know what your characters want in every scene as well as the overall purpose of that scene within the arc of the story. When all is said and done, you are the director and it is your vision that\u2019s being made. Actors are essential players in you being able to achieve that vision, so guide, inspire, communicate, and rehearse. Give them wings.<\/p>\n

    3. Clearly Communicate Your Intentions<\/h3>\n

    Part of being a good director is allowing others to bring a certain level of their own personality to the screen. Allowing a Will Ferrell or Melissa McCarthy to riff during a scene can lead to comedic gold\u2014if it adds to the overall feel of the movie. And that overall feel needs to be clearly communicated to your actors.<\/p>\n

    During table readings, make sure it\u2019s understood what you\u2019re looking for. Allow actors to ask questions or clarify your intentions. If you\u2019ve created a comfortable environment, this should be an efficient way to get your point across. And be confident with the direction you\u2019re taking\u2014your confidence is their confidence.<\/p>\n

    4. Acknowledge a Job Well Done<\/h3>\n

    Who doesn\u2019t like the occasional \u201cgood job\u201d every once in a while? You don\u2019t have to hand out gold stars at the end of every scene. But letting your actors know how appreciative you are after particularly grueling scenes will let them know you\u2019re paying attention. And don\u2019t be stingy with the accolades: Even the gaffers and grips could use a pat on the back.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s a way of showing that you\u2019re all in this together and you realize how important all of their contributions are. And be genuine, don\u2019t force compliments if they aren\u2019t heartfelt. If your appreciation begins to feel sarcastic or strained, real compliments begin to feel hollow and mean-spirited.<\/p>\n

    5. Do More with Less<\/h3>\n

    If you\u2019ve established your vision for a scene, and your actors understand what\u2019s expected of them, that should be all you need for a great take. This is a creative industry, and these are actors\u2014so let them act! If you\u2019ve done your job as a director before the camera rolls, you\u2019ll have little to do once you say \u201cAction!\u201d<\/p>\n

    Just be prepared for three or four takes if needed. You\u2019re not going to get it right on the first try every time, and small nuanced changes from take to take can make all of the difference in the world. But you never know, your actors could surprise you. Unless they\u2019re going off the deep end, let them work a little bit before taking the reins.<\/p>\n

    6. An Achievable Vision<\/h3>\n

    There\u2019s a reason every film, TV show, film video, and commercial has a director: Chaos would ensue without one! However, a director who doesn\u2019t have a clear vision, or can’t communicate what they want, is downright disastrous and wastes the talents and time of all of those involved in the production. Sure, that\u2019s heavy but it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n

    So make sure you realize what you\u2019re asking for and understand how to get there. Inspire your actors and empower them to get where they need to be to bring your vision to life. This will give them a sense of ownership over their roles and a true investment in the film overall.<\/p>\n

    Want to be a Director and Have a Career in the Film Industry?<\/h2>\n

    The\u00a0Film Connection Film Directing Program<\/a> will place you within a professional production company, working side-by-side with an industry professional as your mentor. Along with the technical aspects of how to become a professional directory.<\/p>\n

    Our curriculum is based on what you need to know when working towards becoming a director. The Film Connection learning system has many externs move on to the silver screen and the TV screen, but they earned their shots<\/a>. Will their success become your success? Well, that\u2019s up to you.\u00a0Apply today<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Being a filmmaker can pull you in a lot of different directions, behind the camera, in front of the camera, and in the business office. It\u2019s important to be a good communicator, delegator, and sometimes instigator. And unless you\u2019re Oliver Stone, James Cameron, or Werner Herzog, it\u2019s best to do it all without crushing (or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":7316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[175],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learning-101"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}