Common Mistakes of First-Time Directors
by Eric Wood
This article was written by Eric Wood in response to the
question: “What are the common mistakes first-time movie
directors make?” on the filmmaking website Quora.
http://www.quora.com/Movie-Directors/What-are-the-common-
mistakes-first-time-movie-directors-make
I don’t often chime in, but I couldn’t resist.
Rather than get into the list of mistakes that a director
could possibly make (a list which could get out of control
very quickly), I’ve decided to make this a list of thing a
director must do in order to avoid common pitfalls.
1. A FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR MUST OWN THE CREATIVE VISION OF THE FILM.
In order to do this the director must see the complete film in
his/her head and generate the tools needed to communicate that
vision to the talent and production team. The list of things
a director must consider is very long but let’s suffice it to
say that the script is not the final vision.
Yes, a script has to be sound as far as story, character
development, pacing, etc. but ultimately the goal of all
involved in the creation of the film should be to help the
director realize his/her vision for how that story is
presented.
The director’s job is to create a working environment where
his/her vision can be realized. This includes Camera,
Production Design, Performance, etc. There’s a lot of ground
to cover, but a director must make the time to be prepared.
2. A FIRST-TIME DIRECTORS MUST SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH EXPERIENCE.
Many of the above comments include issues that a first-time
director will not have encountered in the past. If they have,
they are often easy to loose site of on the day. An
experienced producer, UPM, AD team, Scripty and department
heads will help flush out these issues in advance and help
keep a new director on track once the chaos of production
starts.
This is their job, not an indication that the director is
somehow lacking, but rather a statement on the complexity of
the filmmaking process. An experienced director totally
depends on his/her team, this is even more critical when a
director is new to the roll. If an inexperienced team doesn’t
know what concerns to look out for, how can they have a
director’s back?
3. A FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR MUST HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND BE ABLE TO LISTEN.
Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter how long a person has been in
production, directing for the first time is learning a new
process. Approaching the opportunity and the responsibilities
of a director with humility and an open mind is critical. That
said, being able to listen to good ideas does not mean you
have to use them all.
If a director OWNS THE CREATIVE VISION he/she will be able to
evaluate what “works” simply because good ideas will expand
and improve on the final vision. Acting on every idea can
only lead to “creative confusion” and chaos. Uncool.
So, only one more issue to address.
In the indie world, it is very common for a first-time
director to also be a first-time producer. You know the
scenario. Filmmaker writes script, expecting to direct
his/her “baby” and the only way to get it made is to produce
the picture themselves.
This happens and can be perfectly fine IF the producer is able
to take off the “producer hat” completely and immerse
themselves in the responsibilities of directing. In order for
this to happen there must be an experienced production team in
place that can take over when it’s time to for the director to
direct. If this isn’t possible the chances of the film ending
in success (creative, financial, etc.) are indeed slim.
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Eric Wood is a Creative Producer and UPM from Los Angeles.
http://www.quora.com/Eric-Wood-4
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Copyright (c) 2012 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved
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