When I began directing and shooting shorts I had to decide "What type of Director do I want to be". We all have to find our style, no matter what the job in film, whether shooting, editing, etc. What's your technique, how do you get the best performance from your talent. The truth is, it varies as every actor has their own personality type, and needs. I've linked a video from one of my favorite educational sites Film Courage, hope this helps those who are learning or struggling to find their style.
Dan MaxXx hard to argue with his style not only based on the quality of the vast majority of his films, but also the constant accolades from the actors who have worked with him.
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What a great perspective, thank you for sharing, Dustin Quinteros! I love his comparison of directing actors to holding a baby!
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Dan MaxXx That's very much how we worked on Double Threat and Night Train under Shane Stanley. Great guy and really looks after the well-being of his crew! The question is - how much prep did that cast & crew get in order to make it that efficient? I find the key to confidence on set is allowing for sufficient pre-production from all the necessary parties.
Even now, I'll be directing a short film later this year, and I've met with my actors over a table read only. As its comedy, we've agreed that we didn't want too much rehearsal to keep things fresh on the day. BUT the table read and the blocking rehearsal with my DP are enough to keep us moving forward and keep us feeling prepared, ya know?
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Thesy Surface, if you're not interested in being a Director, what does interest you most? Are you mostly focused on acting and writing? Is there a specific project that you're working on currently?
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Loved this video, thanks for sharing Dustin Quinteros!
His point of "actors want to be directed" is a vital one. I've been on sets where I can see the actors are at sea, and the director doesn't offer much feedback. The director needs to listen and dial in to the performance.
He says don't just take an acting class, teach one. Funny, that's what I've done! I've tought a class called Acting for Animators, and it helped me focus on what makes for good acting.