MattHawkins Online - Film Making Forum

Does a director really need to know how to write? How many directors write there own stories when they become pro? This is a simple question and I would like to view people opinion on this.

I have a theory that directors, being the "big deal on set" should know at least the basics to nearly every filmmaking aspect--otherwise it seems foolish if he or she is telling everyone else what to do. There are plenty of directors who write their own stuff (eg. M. Night Shyamlan, P.T. Anderson, Wes Anderson, etc.) I find it important.

I don't think they have to know how to write and craft a story even if they don't do it. Look at spealburg he doesn't write any of his movies (well aside from AI) but its clear he does know how to write and craft a story.

Otherwise you get this rash of cenimtographers that know how to make prety pictures but not good stories.

It is important that directors know writing and have a great deal of say in the writing process, so that the vision the director has for the film applies everywhere and links everything together.

They certainly have to have a grasp of storytelling otherwise their films would be a mess. Doesn't mean they have to write their own movie scripts but like Gyro said, a director oversees everything so should really know how to write a story.

Otherwise you get this rash of cenimtographers that know how to make prety pictures but not good stories.

like me! I can't write movie scripts worth a darn, but I can film 'em good. I think all directors should have a partnership with a good writer, and I'm sure many out there do.

Since the director's job is to tell a story, he should probably know how to write one. A director should at least know the basics of every job in his crew. It will make his ability to direct easier.

Since the director's job is to tell a story, he should probably know how to write one. A director should at least know the basics of every job in his crew. It will make his ability to direct easier.

I know how to write a film - I had the write the entirety of "The Hoban Knight" in Celtx. I know how to do all the jobs, I'm just better at some than others. Writing a script is not my strong point, but I do know how to do it. And I agree, knowing how to do everything is useful when directing. When your fed up helpers yell "What makes you such a *&%$ expert" or "how the #%^@ do you know", you can tell them and smirk as they get red in the face.

Im making my first movie im the:
Director
script writer
actor
stunts

But i want the rest of the cast to be trying to do all the parts that im doing. More minds better.
But i think the cast will just be doing what i think that they will be doing:
Adele - Actress and script writer
Micheal - Actor and director
Shaun - Actor
Dean - Actor
Matt - Actor
Nic - Actress

Epsilon wrote:Since the director's job is to tell a story, he should probably know how to write one. A director should at least know the basics of every job in his crew. It will make his ability to direct easier.

And if they don't know, I sometimes ask myself, "Why the heck is this person telling me what to do?"

kene555 wrote:I know how to write a film

Apart from all that stuff you ripped off from Star Wars

Zing!

Reason why I asked: It seems like everyone in the amatuer filmmaking industry/matthawkins.co.uk wants to be a director, they think it's the best job there is and nothing can compare. I'll be honest, for the longest time I thought that's most definitely what I wanted to be. But, not until I gripped a large production film and watched the director did I realize and think to myself. Man, that job looks sooo boring. The director hardly did anything. I had an entirely different conception of what I director is and does. So, about a year ago I changed my opinions and views of what I wanted to do in the filmmaking field.

what d you want to be Gyro?

for the longest time i wanted to do sound, but then i realized sound dealt with math too much... and i was good at getting actors to do what i wanted... so i went that way

Cinematographer.

I want to be a martial arts/comedy actor the most, then maybe with experience go into directing.
I'm creating a movie now coz me and me mates have came up with a good movie. it might not work, we will just have a go at it and see what we can do.

Being a director is pretty much having choice of what goes on, but you also have to decide the difficult things, and if almost every take is 100%. Personally, I'd rather be an actor or something like that, but you know, I'm still young, theres still time to think about it.

Apart from all that stuff you ripped off from Star Wars

Yeah, that was coming. But I did write the film, even if using the Star Wars universe as a background plot. I know that someone else here is writing a Matrix scene, so Zing!

But seriously, my forte in filmmaking is everything but creating a script. So what position would I have?

And besides, isn't starting out by making a film based off of another a good way to learn tricks, techniques, and directing the actors and creating shots? Isn't learning what this forum is about???

I now step off my podium.

Sometimes writing a film that is set in another universe or based off of something can be harder then doing an orignal plot, mostly becuase you can't just invent your way out of somethings. One of the hardist scripts that I had to write were two fan films beause I had to think of how do I out do Lucus, and make it orignal and very me (without having Jedi talking like they walked out of pulp fiction or clerks) Or when I was writing a Diablo script I had ideas for way to do things, but had to make sure that it stayed true to the mood tone and plot of the sorce and if it didn't then no matter how cool an idea I had it was moot.

I am a producer/director/cinematographer currently...I'm working on leaning more toward the DP side of things. I've hooked up with a few good writers. I write well, but couldn't possibly ever finish a script...I don't have that kind of brain. On set, a director shouldn't get a chance to be bored...if they are, they are doing something wrong. Either they don't have the trust of the crew, or they've made the environment bad on the set where the crew doesn't feel they can ask anything. Ultimately, everything that goes on tape/film is the responsibility of the director. If it's not perfect, it's the director's fault. They should be the nexus of all decisions for the piece. Every department should go through them.

I've never had a boring moment on set, either dealing with problems or personality conflicts, deciding where to put the camera, what shirt to have an actor wear, what to have in the background/foreground of a shot. Perhaps the director of that piece did such a thorough job in preproduction, that everyone just knew what the goal was for every shot.

Gyro wrote:It seems like everyone in the amatuer filmmaking industry/matthawkins.co.uk wants to be a director, they think it's the best job there is and nothing can compare. I'll be honest, for the longest time I thought that's most definitely what I wanted to be. But, not until I gripped a large production film and watched the director did I realize and think to myself. Man, that job looks sooo boring. The director hardly did anything.

If anyone gets a chance to see the Hot Fuzz extras on the DVD, Edgar Wright is constantly complaining that everyone else was having so much fun, jumping around, firing guns, talking to old school oscar winning actors between takes. He hardly got a chance to do anything, and was so tired by the end of it that he had to miss his own wrap party.

It's one side of the coin though I guess. Different people enjoy different things. I'm sure he wouldn't really complain if he wasn't doing a kinda mock-anger for the DVD

kene555 wrote:And besides, isn't starting out by making a film based off of another a good way to learn tricks, techniques, and directing the actors and creating shots? Isn't learning what this forum is about???

No. Like Foxwood says, it means you're stuck with someone elses ideas and therefore can't develop and create your own ideas. It also means you can't develop your own style to get you noticed. It might help you with special effects but that usually involves downloading ready made Star Wars models or doing lightsabre effects (the likes of which we'll never see on the big screen ever again if Lucas can help it) so yeah, I wouldn't say it was the best way to learn.

I have nothing against fan films (that's a lie, but I try not to slam people for making them 'cus at least they're making something and are getting something out of it) but next time, free your creativity.

Plus making something that isn't Star Wars related gets you all the girls, and that's why we're here, right guys?

Guys?

On a side note, I'm aiming to be an editor at the moment

but next time, free your creativity.

My only comment is that my creativity comes from my directing, editing, and cinematography. I do not write my own films if I can help it. I would rather take someone's script and make something out of it. That's how I operate. Since I am in Honors English, my script writing suffers after grueling classes, so I am against writing my own stuff.

I express myself through film, not through writing my own material. Filmmaking should be a collaborative process, one in which several people work together, each contributing something different to the process. If not, that is where arrogance and the "better than you" attitude begins to come in.

Not that I'm saying it happens here - but it does happen as a result of someone doing it all.

Plus making something that isn't Star Wars related gets you all the girls, and that's why we're here, right guys?

Guys?

Believe me, making something like this gets you plenty noticed.

It all depends on how stupid and/or nerdy the girls are. Girls at my school kick butt (sometimes literally, its funny)..