Actor/Director Interaction

Let's face it.  All directors are different.  Some will be fundamentally the same, but as unique individuals, they will have their own quirks and ways of doing things.  If you've never acted before, you may have a preconceived notion of what film directors are like and how they will interact with you.  I certainly had a preconceived notion when I went onto my first professional film set, and it was drastically different than I expected.  Since then, I have worked with MANY different types of directors, and I want to share a little about my experiences so you can have a few ideas about what to expect.

First of all, my idea of a director was someone who would communicate with me a lot and take the time to pull the best performance out of me.  At least, that's what I HOPED, since I only had one speaking role under my belt before I walked on set to play the LEADING ROLE in "Touched by Grace."  I memorized my lines, I felt like I understood my character, I had been on several film sets before, but other than that, I felt like a total rookie.

Director Donald Leow blocking a scene with Patrick Hussion and me for Touched by Grace

The first couple of days went by on Touched by Grace, and I was surprised at how little "direction" I was getting from director Donald Leow.  He would give me blocking, then settle down behind the monitor at video village and let me do my thing.  The scene would finish, and I'd wait expectantly for notes, feedback, adjustments...but usually it was just an announcement that we'd do the scene again, or it was good and we could move on.

By the second and third day I was thinking, "I know I'm not THAT good!!!  I can't possibly be doing it just right every time!"  Granted, at the end of every day, Donald would ALWAYS tell me what a great job I was doing and pour affirmation and encouragement into me (which meant a LOT!  It's so important to affirm and appreciate your actors!), but I still couldn't imagine that I was really nailing it in every scene.

By the end of the first week of filming, I started approaching Donald at video village after any scene that I felt slightly questionable about, and ask him if it was okay or if he wanted me to do anything different.  Invariably, I got a thumbs up and a "great job"!

By the end of the shoot, I learned that Donald always directs that way.  He brings on actors that he has faith in to perform the role, and he lets them do their thing.  If there are problems, he'll step in and make adjustments (I think he only gave me a note or reminder once or twice during 18 days of shooting), but otherwise he gives you the space to do your job.  He respects his actors and their ability to bring characters to life.

Before I launch into a few more examples, here are a few lessons you need to know:

1. Do your homework. Come prepared. Filming is always on a tight schedule, and the director shouldn't have to do more than tweak your performance if necessary.

2. TRUST the director. You're in a vulnerable place, and it's really hard to gauge how your performance is reading on the other side of the camera. Sometimes you'll feel like you're not getting it right. But trust the director when he tells you it's good. You will usually see he was right when you watch the film.

3. Don't be afraid to ask questions. But don't be constantly barraging the director either. Trust the director to fix a problem if it's there, but it's also okay to ask for feedback if you're really feeling unsure of something.

Waiting for direction from Director Nathan Jacobson on the set of Wanted

Here's a quick rundown of some other types of directors...

• Some won't talk to you about your character until you walk on set.  Others will offer to meet or Skype with you before the shoot to discuss the character and address any questions you have.

• Some won't give much (if any) feedback on specific takes or scenes.  Others will provide feedback virtually every time the camera cuts.

• Some are so busy wearing other hats (on smaller budget films) that they won't have as much time to devote to their actors as you (and they) would like.  Others have the luxury of focusing almost entirely on the actors.

A note to directors -- Please understand that we have NO idea what you're seeing on the monitor, or how our performance is reading. Feedback is really appreciated, and if a scene has to be taken again because of a technical error, it's really helpful for us to know that.  I am always grateful when a director says, "Going again. You're doing great. We need another for camera."  That lets me know it wasn't my fault and eliminates that concern from my mind, which helps my performance.  When a scene is taken several times over and over with no mention of WHY, an actor's mind can become crowded with doubt - "Am I messing it up? Is this my fault? Why are we doing this so many times? Do I need to make an adjustment?"  Those thoughts will negatively affect the performance.

This video really nails what a director should say to an actor after calling "cut":