A director is responsible for the interpretative aspects, depending on which area they are in, of a stage, film, or television production; supervising the integration of all elements, as acting, staging, and lighting, working alongside the writer and others to fulfil their artistic vision to it's potential.
A Stage/Theatre Director: oversees a theatre production whether it be a play, an opera, a musical, or a devised piece of work.
A Film Director: directs the making of a film, controlling the artistic and dramatic aspects, guiding the technical crew and actors to fulfil that vision.
A Television Director: is similar to that of a film director, giving cues to actors and directing the camera placement and movement.
As we have been looking at professions in the theatre, I will be focusing on the Stage/Theatre Director.
The stage director goal is to be able to construct a theatre production with quality and completeness whilst also leading his members, encouraging them to bring out their own artistic elements to further gain that goal.
Stage directors have to constantly collaborate and interact with people so have to have traits of being bold, direct, quick-thinkers, and being able to work under pressure. To bring out the creative and artistic elements as best as possible, directors have to work alongside other staff such as the set designers, costume designers, props, light designer, the actors, stage manage, casting director, play-writer and many more.
The stage director takes the vision that he sees in his head and helps it to manifest for the audience to enjoy by relaying it to the technical crew and incorporating ideas and suggestions from other staff. To be able to help bring the artistic vision out the Director works differently with each profession.
The Stage Director works with the actor, by helping the actor bring out the character that will appear on stage. The Director will relay to the actor what he wants to see, and will pick at the actor to help the actor to reach his full potential in really bringing the character out whilst also allowing the actor to bring some of their own ideas to the stage and not restrict the actors creative aspects in bringing the character to life. To help the actor achieve both their goals, the stage director will do character building exercises, warm ups and if need be to help the actor might tell the actor to help understand the director further to have a character journal for example. To establish trust, make good contacts, and lift any uneasiness to prevent any restrictions or nerves, it is a good idea for the director to be friendly but professional at the same time.
A director has to be able to compromise in case something doesn't work out as plan or there is an over-budget and have to work with something else. This might be the case when working with the technical crew.
The Light Technicians will help create lights, atmosphere etc, in response to the text and the Directors vision to help lift the production off the paper.
The Sound Technicians will add more atmosphere to the production on the direction of the Director by manipulating or generating audio or a composition to create a desired effect or mood
The Set Designer will build the emphasis of the creative aspect of the production based on the direction of the Director especially if the production is contemporary and classical and would both help the set designer and director if they knew history so it's easier for the creation to be made with no confusion, making everyone happy. The aim is to help the audience be engrossed in the production even more. This can also be noted for a costume designer as sometimes the set designer can also be the costume designer. The set designer helps enhance a character's personality, show a social status or periods between characters, they help tell a story to the audience when the character comes on stage.
The playwriter is a writer of plays; a dramatist. The works of a dramatist can be written to be performed and produced on a stage or can just be written using dramatic forms with no intent of performing. Working with the director allows the playwriter's potential to be realised when combined with other theatre artists to transform the script into a production of a play. At times there can be a process called collective creation where directors and/or actors are involved with developing the script.
If the Director decides the production of a play wants to be modernised, the playwriter may work alongside the Director. Not only in such cases will the playwriter work alongside the Director, but the playwriter can be seen as the driving force of the artistic vision of their works, the Director helps push that vision and enhance it.
The Director has many dictatorship qualities and interacts with everyone, usually after the show has been premiered, theatre directors have done what they need to do and hands over the reigns to the stage manager who has to work alongside closely with the Director. It is the stage managers job to make sure the production runs just as the director intended each and every time until the production is finally completed.
The stage manager is the communication link and support between the director and backstage crew or actors for example. The stage manager will usually be responsible for the stage management, cues and exits, correct props, scene changes so will usually have a very annotated script in hand. In conjunction with working with the director, the stage manager is in charge of scheduling rehearsals, meetings, dress rehearsals etc and makes sure everyone is notified.
To become a director, one must be not only qualified, but have the interpersonal skills and qualities to uphold the standards of being a respectable director. These are some research points I had done before in the interest of my choice of my chosen profession.
Director
Education:
- HND or Foundation Degree in Creative and Performing Arts/ Drama and Theatre Studies/ Music/ Arts in the community
Experience:
- practical theatre
- stage management
- acting
- direction in amateur or fringe theatre e.g. youth theatre or student drama society groups
Relevant Qualifications:
- english literature
- music
- drama theatre studies
- creative and performing arts
- languages
- humanitary based subjects e.g. Philosophy, psychology, history
Skills:
- ability to express yourself orally and written
- persuasive
- creative
- willing to take artistic risks
- excellent negotiation
- an ability to motivate
- team working and time management
- dedicated
- enthusiastic
- awareness of technical issues and the workings of a theatre
- consider issues of ethics and awareness of the audience
Responsibilities of that job:
- programming and budgeting
- working with writers
- collaborating with playwrights
- holding auditions for productions
- attending production meetings
- helping to publicise productions
Training:
- developing your work
- experience, reputation and credits are essential in order to progress
- some drama schools specialise in courses
Personal Qualities:
- interpersonal skills
- visually and artistically brave
- ability to express their creative vision clearly
- assertive
- problem solver
- aware of relevant of health and safety rules
- aware and respectable of traditional theatre etiquette