by Adam Bowers.

While there are an enormous amount of elements that go into making a film (like cinematography, sound, and hair), many directors would argue that the most important element of all is the performances you get from your actors. For a long time, I could have sworn it was hair, but I’ve come to realize how important the actor’s role truly is (yes, even more important than the person in charge of the hair).

No one knew how important the actor was more than Alfred Hitchcock, who once said, “All actors should be treated like cattle” (I’m pretty sure he was Hindu). But, in addition to being the most important part of a film, directing actors can also be the most difficult. Why? Because actors, like most people, are human beings, and each human being is as individual and unique as a snowflake that went to DeVry University.

Since working with actors can be a daunting task for many directors, I thought I’d share some tips I’ve gained from my experiences working at an Olive Garden (the manager there has directed a TON of actors).

First, let me suggest that the best way to understand the mind of an actor is by BECOMING one (you might want to stop and check to see if you just got a nosebleed). Once you’ve cleaned yourself off, look into taking an acting class. It will help you to learn more about the actor’s general process and to go through the same difficulties that they may encounter on your set, firsthand. This way, you can say to yourself, “Oh, she must be having the same problem understanding her character’s point-of-view that I had when I did that scene out of Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,” when you’re shooting that shot-for-shot remake of Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.

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When directing actors who want to improvise and change their dialogue, make sure you and the actors all know what the intent of the scene is first. Once you all agree on the scene intent, the actors can go ahead and improvise (improve) their dialogue – as long as the objective of the scene and the story points are still met.

If you have any questions or concerns about directing film actors, please post your questions in the “Leave a Reply” box below and I will answer them as soon as I can.

About Peter:

I have worked in the Film and Television Industry for over 35 years – as a film director, television producer, first assistant director and TV Series creative consultant.

I have Directed over 30 episodes of Television Drama such as “John Woo’s Once a Thief”, “Wiseguy”, “21 Jumpstreet”, “Neon Rider”, “The Black Stallion”, “Scene of the Crime”, “Big Wolf on Campus” and “Largo Winch.”

As a First Assistant Director, I have worked for directors such as John Woo, Zack Snyder, Phillip Noyce, Ed Zwick, John Badham, Roger Vadim, Dennis Dugan and Anne Wheeler.

I have also worked with actors such as Peter O’Toole, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Kathy Bates, Michelle Pfiefer, Marcia Gaye Harden, Madeleine Stowe, Mel Gibson, Ashton Kutcher and Adam Sandler.

I am a part-time directing instructor at the Vancouver Film School. I also teach my own acting and filmmaking workshops around the world (EX: Canada, Dubai, Singapore).

I also write and publish the monthly filmmaking ezine, “The Director’s Chair” which is currently read by over 3100 filmmakers in 100 countries around the world.

“What On-Camera Directors Mean When They Say…” by Jean Schiffman

This article is from The Actors Resource Backstage.

Film and TV directors are notorious for not speaking the actor’s language. Actors fresh out of drama school or with a stage background or with very little acting experience can be baffled by the directions they’re getting. Worse, they can be led astray — into indicating and/or result-oriented work.

“Film schools tend to short directors on acting training,” explains Eric Kline, who runs the Tony Barr Film Actors Workshop in Los Angeles and has consulted on about 25 episodics. “They teach them camera angles, lighting. They spend a lot of time looking at old Hitchcock films and may have inherited some of Hitchcock’s disease: ‘Actors are like cattle.’ So they never develop the vocabulary to communicate with actors at all and resort to obtuse, subjective, overly technical, misleading, or just plain weird orders, such as ‘More magenta!’” How is a perplexed actor to decipher what the director wants?

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Directing Actors (Judith Weston) – This is essential reading for anyone interested in directing or acting. Judith Weston’s brilliance is to recognize that directors, actors, writers, and technicians are involved in a process that is at essence a collaboration. In order for them to have the best shot at creating something true and meaningful, they must share a language and a method of exchange that fosters creative cooperation. Weston rightly sees the director as the central figure in inspiring the energy of a production’s harmony. She advises the prospective director on every aspect of a stage or film production, showing how the director can draw the best performances possible from actors.