The making of a film requires a collaboration of people and networks, it is an in-depth and complex process that results in an abundance of diverse outcomes. All those who are involved in the making of a film are incredibly important, but it is the director who acts as the glue that holds the project together. I am going to piggyback off my last entry about the director as an auteur, an artist, like those involved in the French New Wave, and discuss a slightly more modern approach to the idea of what we think of when we hear the term ‘director’. Every director’s influence on a project is very contrasting, from simply organizing the set and production, to being the creative energy that changes the entire outcome of a film. Every director has their own flavor and workflow, which is amazing because it allows for the release of a variety of new and different film strains every year.
Not every director has the ability to effectively transmit their innovative and creative vision to film, but many have succeeded in putting out something great, and doing it more than once. Here is a link to a list of fantastic versatile directors who have worked on diversity of rewarding projects; I recommend checking out some of the films they’ve made.
Obviously, not all directors are big names like Steven Spielberg or Stanley Kubrick, there are plenty out there who aren’t as well known, but are still incredibly talented. Here is a link to film critics Manohla Dargis and A. O. Scott’s ‘20 Directors to Watch’ list. I personally recommend checking out the work of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, number 4 on the list, his film Dogtooth absolutely blew me away. And here is a link to a video of a roundtable of six big name directors as they join in discussion on the process and journey of making a movie. Included are Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips), David O. Russell (American Hustle), Ben Stiller (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity) and Lee Daniels (The Butler). It’s a really great chance to hear straight from the sources what its like to create a full-length feature film.