On the short film The Assurance, director Chad Perkins took on multiple positions on the film crew. Assigning many roles to a single person can cause that person to be distracted, and not perform any of the jobs well. In this filmmaking tutorial, examples are given from the set of The Assurance, showing cast and crew members reacting to the director having many jobs.
- As we've talked about pretty consistently…in these training courses,…I wore many hats on The Assurance.…Some of those jobs like editor,…director, and visual effects artist,…I took on so I could speak to those tasks…in this training.…Others like producer and director of photography,…I took on only out of necessity.…As we saw in our interview with actress Eva Jane…in the last training course on acting,…it was obvious to everybody…that I spread myself too thin.…Well obviously everybody but me.…I thought I was doing okay…at handling all these roles…but it was a distraction…and my team totally felt it.…
A lot of times when you're new to film making,…you're prone to all kinds of amateur mistakes…so it's kind of hard to get people to get on board…with you and your vision…so you might have to take on multiple roles…just to get your film project off the ground…but I just wanted to make it clear…that what I did on The Assurance…is not the ideal situation.…That film would have been so much better…if I would have found other producers…
Author
Chad Perkins
Released
8/18/2016Watch and learn how to shoot a script, using visual motifs, atmospherics, framing, and different types of shots to tell the film's story. Find out how to give direction to your crew and be a good leader, while staying on budget and on schedule. Plus, get tips to improve shots during retakes or in post, and to become a better director, storyteller, and communicator.
Note: Like the rest of the Creating a Short Film series, this course was shot during the production of The Assurance. It offers a unique window into the actual struggles and challenges filmmakers have to overcome to get films made. Find the rest of the courses in the series on Chad's author page.
- What a director does
- Interpreting the script
- Scouting locations
- Choosing the tone and theme of the film
- Using motifs
- Shaping the story through visuals
- Being a good leader on set
- Respecting budgets and schedules
- Planning shots
- Moving the camera: on a tripod or dolly or in handheld shots
- Using rolling takes
- Framing shots
- Adding atmospherics
- Directing in post-production
- Becoming a better director
Skill Level Appropriate for all
Duration
Views
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Introduction
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What does a director do?1m 53s
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The Assurance7m 43s
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1. Preparing for Production
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Choosing your crew1m 37s
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Interpreting the script2m 4s
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Creating a visual style2m 36s
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Scouting locations1m 37s
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2. Themes and Tone
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Controlling the tone4m 39s
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Using themes1m 58s
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Using motifs2m 13s
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About the blur motif2m 18s
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3. Shaping the Story
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Killing darlings3m 59s
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Cutting to add clarity1m 54s
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Adding tension2m 19s
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Showing, not telling4m 35s
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4. Running the Set
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Being a good leader3m 29s
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Sticking to your vision3m 3s
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Throwing away your vision2m 57s
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Knowing when to reset2m 45s
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Wearing multiple hats1m 25s
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5. Planning Shots in a Scene
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Understanding the scene2m 45s
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Planning the shots4m 19s
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6. Getting the Shot
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Getting coverage4m 2s
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Cheating and stealing shots3m 20s
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Utilizing rolling takes4m 10s
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Breaking the "fourth wall"1m 45s
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Fixing it in post1m 43s
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7. Improving the Shot
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Improving takes4m 11s
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Using extras3m 38s
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Framing the shot5m 28s
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Adding atmospherics3m 8s
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8. Directing in Post-Production
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Directing the edit1m 36s
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Directing VFX shots1m 49s
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Directing audio choices2m 46s
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Conclusion
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Becoming a better director1m 31s
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Directing resources2m 52s
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Final thoughts1m 1s
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Video: Wearing multiple hats