In the films you will be making, and in feature films and shorts, the director is the principal creative force. The director’s role begins with the selection of what movie to make in the first place. In the professional world, producers or studios offer movies to directors, and some directors actually develop projects for themselves, much as you will probably do in this class. Then, during preparation and production, directors are peppered with literally thousands of questions, from the seemingly trivial (“Should she wear a gray shirt or a blue shirt?”) to the monumental (“We have to wrap this location in 45 minutes! What can we cut?”). The director must have answers to all these questions, which is why good directors prepare their work carefully and fully in advance. The best directors answer these questions with an assertive yes or no. Those definitive answers come from their knowledge and intimate vision of what they want. A director whose answer is “maybe” or “show me five choices and I’ll pick one” will adversely affect the schedule and budget and is subconsciously ceding his or her vision to others.

Just as directors must answer key creative questions, they are also responsible for the principal technical attributes of the film, such as selecting the aspect ratio or deciding if the story will best be served with handheld cameras or with cameras that move with mechanical precision. These tasks are often best done in collaboration with fellow students or, for professional films, with department heads to whom the execution of these decisions will be delegated.

Although the director drives a film’s vision, that does not necessarily mean that a film is the “director’s film.” The best films are strong collaborations and also bear their director’s indelible personal stamp. In the 1950s, film critics advanced the auteur theory, which held that the director is the “author” of a film in the same way that a writer is the author of a book. This perception is still common and can be seen in the credits of many movies, which may include a card that says, “A Film by…” with the director’s name. Naturally, this causes some consternation among others involved, especially writers and editors. The most evolved view, which will become clearer as you come to understand all the skills required to make a movie, is that the “author” of a movie is the strategically collaborative process masterminded by the director.

Directors maintain a close working relationship with producers. Because the producer must balance each film’s creative needs with its time and budget constraints, the director will confer with the producer on every important decision. Of course, this balancing act is tricky—particularly in this class, since you are likely acting as both director and producer for your film. Producers try to give directors what they want and also set boundaries and limits when necessary. A good producer will find a way to achieve what’s most important for the director’s vision, even if it is a bit of a compromise, given the resources available at hand; a good director will accept this reality (see Producer Smarts: Producer and Director, a Working Relationship, below).

Directors also often play another role: psychologist-in-chief. A director must consider the emotional needs of the department heads (or fellow students, in your case) and members of the cast, which may entail settling occasional conflicts. A good director has a welcome ear and an open door but does not let the psychology of the moment distract from the main focus: shooting the picture. Directors should not let themselves get drawn into drama but should rise above it while still maintaining a working relationship with all involved. Therapy can take years, and when you’re shooting a movie, you don’t have years. The best advice is to put an emotional bandage on any conflict situation and, except in the most extreme circumstances, get through the shooting schedule no matter what.

Because feature film directors have so much prestige, many people who study film dream of becoming directors. Without in any way diminishing the importance of the director, one of our aims in this book is to elevate and illuminate all the other creative people who contribute to the filmmaking process. After all, not everybody who wants to be a director can become one. In addition, not everyone is suited to become a director, in terms of technical skill, creative reach, or personal ambition. Directors, in truth, must be generalists. Some people—most people—are better suited to specialize and master just a few things.

The role of the director is, ultimately, a wide-ranging one, and directors create a variety of content: feature films and shorts, television shows, sportscasts and newscasts, commercials, and promotional videos, to name a few. This book focuses on student films and feature films and will prepare you to direct many kinds of content. It will also help you determine what kind of director you might become, as different directors have different aesthetic and leadership styles—something we’ll discuss in more detail in Different Styles of Aesthetics and Leadership.