Why do people think directors shoot their films?

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I_Wear_Pants's Avatar
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I don't actually wear pants.
09-15-17
Originally Posted by Larry
So we are arguing who actually controls the camera? From my understanding, physically its the camera man who may or may not be the cinematographer as the cinematographer may be directly instructing that person/camera man. But ultimately who controls it, back in the day before the Disney studio executives took over, I would guess it was the director. I can picture him sitting in his Directors chair with a sign saying "Director" on the back wearing a green baseball cap, right in front of him is a closed circuit live screen of the footage being shot. The cinematography may be excellent, present compelling material but ultimately it's the directors call, I don't see him/her outranking the director.

But that's only how I imagine it. What is he/she actually allowed to do in terms of taking control of a area that is not his/her speciality. I mean, it's really the cinematographer's responsibility to present the images, if the Director is micro managing what can be done? I'm guessing there'd be plenty of disputes, especially with a domineering Director.

Someone like James Cameron, who you'd think would get involved in all areas as he's multi skilled in film. Yes, so I would say generally the director isn't behind the physical camera but he's behind it all if you know what I mean.
A director's main job in production is to tell the actors what to do. In preproduction, he does help with the storyboard, and how the shots should look, but he does not do that on set. The cinematographer oversees the camera'ing, and not the director. Yes, it's the director's film, but he's too busy working with the actors and people like the script supervisors to worry about every detail of a shot's composition. See, I've actually made films, so I believe I know a thing or five about this whole thing.
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You can't win an argument just by being right!
09-15-17
Originally Posted by I_Wear_Pants
See, I've actually made films, so I believe I know a thing or five about this whole thing.
That's cool but you've really drawn a long bow from your OP making such generalisations all through your thread.



Dani8's Avatar
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You can't win an argument just by being right!
09-15-17
Here you go. The DoP who sent this to me is still laughing about the wank fest. Let there be light BOOM




ynwtf's Avatar
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That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
09-15-17
Originally Posted by Nameless_Paladin
Most directors do not shoot their own films because they simply do not have the technical expertise to do so. A DoP is someone specifically trained in cinematography. It's the DoP who understands how best to shoot a particular piece of film - with regards to making decisions on textures, compositions and lighting.

But, keep in mind, the cinematographer shoots only what the director asks him/her to shoot. It's the director who decides "mis en scene" - what's on screen. You have a whole crew on set to handle the technical details of each aspect of film-making and every single person on set is working to capture the director's vision of what the film ought to be. So in the end, although the director does not directly handle any particular part of film-making, he is the true auteur of the film, the real artist responsible for what the film is.

The director is like a music composer. The composer writes music for each instrument in an orchestra which may consist of hundreds of musicians. Of course it really helps if you can get great masters to play your music for you but that doesn't change the fact that it's your composition they're all playing. The director is like the music composer and the actors, cinematographers, editors, .... are all the musicians who perform your composition.

To add to that, even the composer may make adjustments and direct sections or individual instrumental performers during rehearsal and performance if they are the one directing performance. I mean they are very literally keeping the beat and cuing parts to start or stop on their artistic preferences. The composer has already mapped out and detailed the path of the musicians, down to when to take a breath for the coming section. The musicians are reading the composer's notation. The composer is not the violinist, but I'm pretty sure the composer is fully aware of what the instrument and musician are both cable of doing and may adjust during performance to exploit those strengths or weaknesses. Hell, even highschool band directors have to be at least competent in all the instruments that they would be required to teach.

Same with design and art direction. I may not actually draw the illustration we use on a project, but I am the one thumbnailing the concept, composition, and suggesting colors depending on what our project is. The illustrator draws it sure, but I'm still overseeing and looking on for adjustments to what was already my planned design to begin with. If I really trust the illustrator/designer, I might leave them on their island to do as they see fit, but even then I would still critique and adjust details as necessary to better serve the overall vision of whatever we are making.

I've not directed a film, nor have I acted as DP. I can't imagine why the dynamic would be any different though. I also do not see this as all or nothing, being instead very organic depending on the make up of crew and talents and awareness each member brings.

But wtf do I know. I've never done it. I do know I would be a control freak if it were my movie >=\



Larry's Avatar
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Hellloooo Cindy - Scary Movie (2000)
09-15-17
Originally Posted by I_Wear_Pants
A director's main job in production is to tell the actors what to do. In preproduction, he does help with the storyboard, and how the shots should look, but he does not do that on set. The cinematographer oversees the camera'ing, and not the director. Yes, it's the director's film, but he's too busy working with the actors and people like the script supervisors to worry about every detail of a shot's composition. See, I've actually made films, so I believe I know a thing or five about this whole thing.
Oh cool, what films have you made? I never said every detail of a shot's composition but I could see him saying, lets zoom in more here etc, in certain parts. I mean he/should should be concerned about what is coming through camera as the audience is seeing the film through the camera.

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