Questions Writers Frequently Ask Directors

Q: I can “see” the movie in my head as I write it. Why can’t the director see it too?

A: You’ve heard of “the director’s vision”? The director CAN see the film before a single frame is shot, but since he or she is a unique individual, as are you, there is no way that your vision can be the same. We each come to a project with a personal history and a point of view about the world that defines our ethics, our judgments, and our actions…and therefore, our choices. So you have to hope that a wonderful director of vision is hired to direct your script. And if your blue is navy and the director’s is turquoise, you can choose to embrace that divergent choice or resist it. Since it’s a collaborative medium, we always vote for embracing. It makes for a happier set, more creative relationships and a better end product. If navy is crucially important to you, be specific in your script. If the director still picks turquoise, be open to considering whether in fact, that was a better choice. If you can’t embrace it, write a book the next time.

Q: I absolutely love the director of my episode, and I love how it came out. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out exactly what he did to make it good.

A: The job of a writer is fairly (pardon the pun) black and white: there’s a blank sheet of paper, and the writer must fill it with the words that originate the story. The director’s job is far more ephemeral, and unless you were with that director 24/7, it’s difficult to determine what all he did. It helps to remember, though, that the director originated, approved, or impacted every single element within the frame. Every object, every color, every movement, every performance. The director may do something as small as tilt an actress’s hat or as large as casting that actress in the first place. The director may ask for just a hint of a tear in an eye, or require a visual effects flood that destroys a town. He may elect to shoot the climax in one achingly simple close-up or employ a technocrane, a stunt coordinator, special effects, and a thousand extras. The job is one of vision and the leadership necessary to realize the script by sculpting the efforts of the entire cast and crew, while staying on time and budget. It’s extremely complex, but often accomplished in tiny decisions and moments, making it difficult to point to what “exactly” the director did. It’s really the accumulation of a myriad of right decisions that comes together to make a good finished product.

Q: Whenever I give a note on set, the director rolls his eyes when he thinks I’m not looking. I’m infuriated by this. But it’s hard to call him out on something so seemingly minor. What can I do?

A: We can think of a few reasons why this is happening.

1. The director is insecure, made more so by your notes.
2. The director is disrespectful of the script, and adjusting it to fit his vision.
3. Your notes are about your ego, not the script.
4. You’re overdoing it on set, being obsessive about the actors’ adherence to every comma.

In short, you two are not on the same page. You’re not creative partners. You don’t see eye to eye. (There’s probably more similar clichés here, but we’ll refrain.) You need to have a sit-down and try to work it out. Don’t be accusatory. Start with something like, “I don’t think we’re working together well on set. How can I help?” Remember, while the director knows that it all starts with a good script, he’s on the firing line now, trying to make the best picture he can. It doesn’t help him or the production to have ongoing tension. Try to get your hurt feelings out of the way and take the high road for the sake of your story. If it’s totally the director’s fault (see #1 or 2), you can either walk away or love him/her more. That’s really the only thing that will overcome insecurity and dissolve this passive/aggressive dance you’re both doing.

Q: I had a certain actor/person in mind when I wrote the part. Should I share this with the director?

A: You most certainly should! Whether or not an actor is available to play a part that was written with him in mind, there is a wealth of knowledge that comes to the director from knowing this information. It can also become a jumping off point for a collaborative conversation between you and the director or the person casting the show. The director might want to know if you are looking for the physical characteristics (tall, muscled, handsome) or the essence of the character (formidable, commanding, sexy). These details, and your choice to write the character this way, are the puzzle pieces the director fits together to define the story she’s going to tell. It also informs the director about the history of that character. Characters are like people; they come with baggage, needs, disappointments, accomplishments and dreams. It is the director’s job to find a dynamic, living breathing person for each and every part that appears on the screen.

Q: I wrote that a scene takes place in the kitchen, but the director moved it to the dining room. Why would she do this?

A: A director makes countless decisions that effect a production. She balances the weight of telling the story with the responsibility of bringing in the production on time and budget. If the director chooses to change something, you should know the decision is not arbitrary. She prioritizes where the “money scenes” are and might have to tweak another detail in order to squeeze money out of the budget where it will have the most value for telling the story well. This might not be just a location, it might be a costume or prop you had in mind when writing details into your script. Try to look at the director’s choices with a fresh eye and see if the change matters to the whole.

Q: I want to be on set while filming. Is this a problem?

A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. And it depends when. The director must first and foremost create a safe environment in which the actors dare to do their work. Actors come in all shapes and sizes, with different skill sets, fears, and ways of working. The director has an enormous job being the facilitator, molder, therapist to each actor individually and to all of them as a whole while at the same time being a storyteller and arbiter of good taste. There are certain people who must be present during a first blocking rehearsal in order to make production go smoothly. These are the AD, DP, prop person, and script supervisor. That’s already 5 people, including the director, who the actor feels judging him at his most vulnerable. The director must ultimately protect this vulnerability from which comes an actor’s unique and often subtle performance. Once the entire crew is present, it again becomes a judgment call. If your presence on set puts any undo pressure on the actors, it is the director’s call how to handle it. The upside is that often actors LOVE having a writer on set, knowing that if an idea comes up that might tweak the scene, the writer is there to make an immediate adjustment. They also love the warmth they feel from another supportive entity such as yourself who likes what they are doing.