Insider View - What Makes A Great Director?

What qualities make a good director?
Vision. Stamina. Patience. Obsessive attention to detail. Narcissism. Basically a young director is walking a tightrope. They have to appear as if they are well balanced and empathetic to the feelings of others, when in fact they need to be megalomaniacs. Schizophrenics, basically.

Are directors well served by film schools in the UK?

I have to be careful what I say. (Deep breath) ...It's getting better. The problem young film makers have is they dont do enough directing. They don't work enough with actors. Theatre directors have lots of experience here, so do directors coming up through TV. Film makers make something once a year if they are very lucky.

Why are so many young directors afraid of actors?

See question two. The best way to overcome this is to go out with an actor and then dump them. In this way you would enjoy all the intimacy and insight of their artistic souls while retaining a healthy distance. Its important not to get dumped; your career could be blighted with a crushing insecurity for years afterwards.

During the French New Wave many directors collaborated on each other's work. Why is there no scene in the UK?

I think there is regionally. In Nottingham, where Shane Meadows works, there is a gang of film makers who watch each other's shorts and who appear in each other's films. In London film makers are more isolated because it's more competitive. You sense that people are terrified of sharing ideas in case they get nicked. That said, I think there is a growing online scene, thanks to the likes of Shooting People. I will say it's a really bad idea to try to create a scene. They happen organically.

Is it true that directors who have a strong voice have a better chance of breaking out?

There are two types of cinema made in the UK, voiced cinema and cinema made by directors who look upon their job like a craft. People tend to be snobbish about both. One has to remain distinctive to get work; the other has to be bloody good at their job. Either way it's hard.

If a director has only made shorts what can they do to reassure financiers they can make a feature?

Sleep with them. Although this could backfire if they think youre going to stalk them. I think you have to become involved with something long form like editing a long feature or something. Directors must at least be able to convince they understand how to keep an audience entertained over 90 minutes.

What qualities should directors look for in a producer and where should they look for one?

They should be very, very stingy. They should lie to everyone except the director. They should have no family allegiances unless they happen to be rich. They should not be afraid of prison. Dodgy markets, used car lots, city wine bars are a good place to look. People involved with internet scams could be interesting. Whatever you do, avoid the kind of filmy types you see in the bar of the National Film Theatre.

Are agents useful to young film makers?

No.

Do you think there will be an increase in films made for less than 100k?

There is already a rash, a plague, seepage of them. Basically it's a good thing, although unfortunately they give the impression that making films is easy. Many seem to give the impression they were more fun to make than they were to watch.