This isn’t a boring Des Moines film school classroom. This isn’t an overcrowded college laboratory. This is life. Real Life. YOUR LIFE.
As the director of a movie, TV show, short, or commercial, you’re the PIC – person in charge. It’s up to you to have the vision to bring a screenplay or treatment to life and to rally everyone to be the best that they can be for a single scene or more than 12 hours of shooting.
But we’ve all heard stories about actors that are supposed to be… difficult to work with. How you manage those egos, as well as your own, is just one aspect of The Film Connection Film Director Program. The first step is to rid your mind of preconceived notions.
Learning to set the tone in that first meeting, the first table read, and the first day of shooting can go a long way to making the production more enjoyable for everyone. Friction between a director and actor is just the first of a long line of dominos.
After it falls, everything else could follow suit. If everyone is walking on eggshells, or worse picking sides, it will be a miserable experience for everyone. As the director, it’s your job to manage these personalities. Know when to push back of course, but maybe leave the bullwhip at home.
There is much more to learn about being a director, and Film Connection gives you the opportunity to learn one-on-one with a seasoned pro as your mentor. Working with a film production company, our externs learn every fact of filmmaking. And a big part of any production is making sure everyone feels relaxed, safe, and ready to work.
