1. Film Director
By Mitchell Charman

2. Job Description
A Film Director’s primary role is interpreting the script into a full length feature film and looking after all creative aspects. They have to plan the locations, camera shots, acting style and lighting. On top of this, they must also organize the most effective cast and crew for the production. Coaching the actors and overseeing the technical aspects and cinematography is also a critical part of being a Director. As they are the ‘bosses’ of the film, they may or may not do many more roles depending on the staff they do or do not hire. This can include managing the finance and going out to look for appropriate locations.

3. Primary Tasks of the roles
To interpret the script into a visual film, the Director basically uses their artistic skill, knowledge of filmic techniques and creativity to achieve it. They are hardly bound by technological restraints any more, so the sky is their limit when it comes to converting words to visual media. The Director of Photography is in charge of making shots look artistic and effective, but the Director decides the size of the shot (Extreme wide-extreme close up) to capture the mood and any symbolism. Also some shots on dollies or rigs that move with symbolic or mood encouraging qualities. Nowadays, the actors can be terrible because the Director focuses too much on the camera and symbolism (cough The Matrix cough) but part of the Director’s job is coaching the actors. This part is vital because the actors/actresses have to capture the mood (partnering with everything else). It is quite hard for a Director to convert words on a page into effective and appropriate dialogue and acting. The actors have to be good, but if they do it wrong, the Director needs to correct it, so to do this effectively they need to be good actors as well. Many actors go on to becoming Directors (Mel Gibson and Apokalypto and Ron Howard and The DaVinci Code), sometimes because it’s an easy way to get more money when you’re not getting work.

4. Film Director’s Budget
In smaller films, the Director has sometimes been in charge of the whole production’s budget. It is quite common for a Director to also be the producer for a film. However the Director alone doesn’t have to buy anything, so the only money they get is that which they receive from the Producer as income. They don’t handle any other money unless they double up with jobs.

5. Specialist Tools
The Film Director basically overlooks all tools used in the production. However the Director doesn’t really have any tools that they themselves specifically look after. There are of course the iconic director’s fold-up chair, megaphone and clapper board, but they are more icons to represent the director, not tools that are essential for their job. Recently an app for the iPhone, iPod and iPad came out called ‘Artemis Director's Viewfinder’(screenshot of app right). It utilizes the camera on the device to show all the shots the different lens would shoot for different cameras. This is important for a director so they can tell the camera operators what lens to use for the shot they want.

6. How Has New Technology Changed a Film Director’s Job?
With new computer and camera technology coming out every couple of months, Directors can constantly change and expand their creativity. They don’t have to, the old technology isn’t going anywhere, but to get the best looking production, using the latest technology would be essential.

7. How does the narrative of the film affect their work?
The Director has the picture of the film in their head. All the shots, how the actors say each line, act each action and especially symbolism in the film affects a film director. These are all aspects of the narrative. Without the narrative, the Director would have nothing to go on.

8. What people do they have to work closely with?
The Director works closely with many of the crew and the cast. At the top of the list is the Director of Photography and the main characters of each scene. They also work closely with all of the editors (special effects, audio and video) to make sure the film turns out the way they want it. In some cases, such as Alfred Hitchcock, the director writes or co-writes the script, and adapting the book the film is based on into a script.

9. What training courses are generally available? In Australia? In WA?
There are 12 Vocational and Training Photography and Film courses at the Central Institute of Technology and 1 at Canning, Tuart and C Y O’Connor Colleges. Most local universities such as Murdoch, Edith Cowan and Curtin also have Film and Media Production related courses available.

10. What income are Film Directors likely to receive?
The Hollywood Elite such as Spielberg or Burton receive millions each year. However, the lesser known Directors have been known to receive very little ($10,000 a year). An online article by author Audrey Arkins interviewing a director named ‘George’ quoted that you don’t know what you’ll be making from year to year.

11. What important awards can Film Directors win?
One of the more famous awards for a Film Director to receive is an Oscar (Ron Howard (The DaVinci Code) left). There are also the Laurel Awards, Golden Globes, Emmy Awards, the award for the best film at the Cannes Film Festival (and many other film festival awards) and many more I haven’t named. The biggest of all, however: The AFI Lifetime Achievement Award.

12. Successful Directors
There have been many successful and famous Film Directors from Steven Spielberg (Artificial Intelligence, Saving Private Ryan), Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Pi) and Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Hugo) to Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey), Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Dark Shadows)and James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic) but the best is Alfred Hitchcock. He has basically invented modern filmmaking, and has made many instant classics such as Psycho, Vertigo and Rear Window and invented many common film making techniques.

13. Would I be Interested in being a Movie Director?
Without a doubt. I love everything a Film Director does. I’m a little concerned about the financial issue and not knowing how much I will make. Other than that, that’s hopefully the direction I’m heading. I would feel more comfortable being a director on a small film, possibly just art films, as I like the director of photography, script and story writing and camera operator roles as well.