Steve Finn - The Role of The Director

By doing your homework and your prep you won't get what you need done, done.

THE ROLE OF THE DIRECTOR
Pre Prep:
Understand the script
Have a creative vision of the script
Try to solve any problems at this stage in liaison with the producer and script editor
Prepare ideas in advance of rehearsing with the cast - motivations, characterisations, blocking and camera scripting

Rehearsals:
Working with the cast to achieve a mutual vision of how the scene is to be played and staged

After rehearsals:
Create floor plans, camera plans and shot lists in the light of rehearsals

At the start of the shoot:
Inform the crew of the shooting plan
Create a good working atmosphere

During the shoot:
Be in charge
Allow all the cast and crew to have a creative input
Manage the time available
Finishing too early is a sign you haven't used all your resources - You have no excuses if the end result is poor
Finishing too late is a sign of not being properly prepared or not being flexible when problems occur

After the shoot:
Brief your editor of your overall vision
Ensure that the best material is used wherever possible
Step back from the scene and take an objective view of your work

At all times:
Take a responsible attitude to the safety of those around you

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Steve says that he hopes you could mute the scene and still work out what is going on, this shows a good understanding of showing a story through pictures not words

You need to make sure the person who is directing is running things - Open to feedback but make sure that you are running the show.

Create a strategy to make the scene entertaining if the script has be written badly. Adding extra actions in the scene could make it more interesting, if the dialogue and current script is set in a boring way.

Definition of a good master shot is one that you want to use over and over and over...

Good coverage in a scene is important because it means that you can vary the page of the scene, depending on how it comes out you can choose which you prefer.

How do we communicate our thoughts on this scene to the audience. It's about how we block the scene. How the whole shot fits together in correlation to how the actors and camera move around the set.