Planning a shoot and directing actors

Directing a film is not an easy task. I know I’ve watched movies where I’ve said, “Whoever directed that sucks,” or “Man, even I could go out and make that movie.” That is something that I will never say again. Directing is a highly under-appreciated job that many people write off as being an easy, fun job — it’s not easy at all.

I had to recreate a scene from Michel Gondry’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” for my Advanced Production class, and boy, it showed me just how hard it is to control lighting, sound, and the camera all while trying to pull the best performances I can out of my actors.

I didn’t have a game plan like I should have. I should have mapped out a storyboard and shot-list so I could be efficient and know exactly what I needed to technically, that way I could devote more of my attention to my actors. However, that wasn’t the case.

When I thought everything was good to go for the first take, I called “Action!” and did a take of the entire scene. It was only after we finished that I realized I had forgotten to hook up my microphone, so I had no sound. It’s these kinds of mistakes that happen when you don’t plan well for a shoot. I plugged in the microphone and did about 20 more takes of the scene from different angles and such. I ended up letting my actors interpret the script in their own way, and I dedicated more time to the technical aspects of the shoot.

From this project, I’ve learned that planning and shot-listing a scene are two things that any director should do before he goes on set. They may take some time, but the finished product is much more likely to match the idea that you have in your head. Even if you want to intentionally not shot-list a scene for aesthetic reasons, perhaps to make the scene feel more raw like a Cassavettes film, then at least plan for the technical aspects of the film. Make sure there is power, make sure you have a mic, and make sure your location is suitable for recording sound. After all, art is an organized extension of reality, so make sure you are organized!