Director's Chair: Back to Film School

Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D
August 2007

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All good directors are students of film. They devour film, looking at the way their peers chose to present the script - their shot choice, transitions, music and form. To get the most out of watching films and glean new ways of shooting scenes and presenting ideas, you have to start with the basic elements that make up any film or video production. In this column, we will look at these various elements and provide a simple guide that you can use to begin your journey into the film classroom.

To really give a film your total critical attention, you have to distance yourself and become a totally objective viewer. This can be difficult to do, especially if the film is well done and pulls you into the story with characters that you begin to care about, thrust into a situation that seems insurmountable. Will they escape? Will they fall in love? Finding the answer pulls you away from your primary task, which is to study the various aspects of the film, so that you may grow in your own filmmaking. There is a very easy solution, though somewhat time-consuming: watch the film twice, once for enjoyment and once for study. Soon, you will be able to do both at the same time, though it does tend to reduce your overall enjoyment of the film.

When you watch the film a second time to study it, break it down into its various scenes, use slow motion and step advancing to go through it, and study edit points and transitions. Watch how the movement of the scene flows from one action to the next. Take note of the director's shot choices, the actors' blocking, the Director of Photography's lighting. Carefully study the film and glean from it as many new ideas as possible.

Prepare for your study by recording your favorite shows and movies on tape or by going to the local video store and renting some film classics on DVD. Whether you use video or DVD, you will be able see how the film was created by stepping through it frame by frame.

Like any good class, a film has a number of easily-understood chapters or elements. When Videomaker editors critique a video project using their Take 20 process, they look at lighting; editing, including pacing and continuity; audio - miking, dialog, music, sound effects, overall clarity and consistency; story; camera work - composition, use of angles, shot choice and screen direction; and finally, the effects and graphics. Throughout the process, they discuss and critique the director's choices. You can use the same format to critically review a film. You might also add elements such as visual design, acting and overall directing techniques. Let's take a look at each of these elements.

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