What makes a director good?

What are the makings of a "good" director, for both theater and film?
What distinguishes a good director frm a GREAT award winning director, especially in theater?
What makes a bad drector?

This topic has been running through my brain so I was wondering what everyone else thought....

DICUSS

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A good director is someone who understands the actors' process and nurtures it, giving time for preparation and being sensitive to his/her needs. Not just demanding that work be done at that exact time.

someone who has a vision before starting out, but is open to suggestion, making the movie, or play a cooperative atmosphere, rather than a regime.

And someone who can ask specifically what he/she wants of people, stating things clearly and concisely, NOT having the other creatives involved play guessing games.


By my standards, Hitchcock would not be a good director, even though I enjoy some of his movies.

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Updated On: 2/5/08 at 03:39 PM

Wow, this is a great question.

I direct a middle school musical theatre production every year (for the past 11 years). I approach each show with an open mind, but I do have an idea of what I want the show to look like. I try to guide my students to discover the character(s) they are playing through acting games, improvisation and I also make them create a backstory to their character to figure out how they got to this point in time. I also tell them that as the director, I am there to guide them and give them an outline, so to speak, of where to go/stand/cross, etc. while in a scene. I allow the students to put their own inflections into their lines. I also express that when they are acting, part of what they have to do is react to what is being said and done in the scene. I also take ideas from the kids because they may have a view of the show/scene/song that I hadn't thought of. It's a huge cooperative effort between myself and the kids and the end product is one that they are all proud to be a part of. I try to make it fun without the atmosphere getting chaotic. They have their chance to let off steam, make mistakes, take risks in a safe environment and develop as performers.

Many of the students that leave the school I teach end up in the theatre department at the high school, so it is great to be a part of that.

I truly love what I do and I am very proud of my students and their accomplishments.

Directing is hard...it takes planning, organization, creativity, imagination and guts. I take risks and usually they pay off. It's a very rewarding experience.

I believe that Michael Bennett was the greatest director of musicals ever. And NONE of what's been stated here describes him at all.

Some directors have very aapparent style (Fosse). Some are completely invisible (Dan Sullivan). Some always serve the piece in their direction (O'Brien). And still others (Bennett) impose their aesthetic strongly.

I've listed four of what I think are great directors. Some were total jerks to work with. Others are nurturers. Some serve the play. Others serve their own visions. There's simply not one (or even 100) right answers.

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They take the written text and translate into a physical text that includes performances, visual and auditory design concepts so that the audience can clearly understand and experience the story. Good directors generally have excellent interpersonal skills, as they need to steer numerous people to one, common destination. They should have a clear understanding of what a story is and how to tell it.

Too many directors are glorified acting coaches, and they bring little or no cohesiveness to their productions.



And remember, "Nice is different than good."

Updated On: 2/5/08 at 07:01 PM

Ask Jack O'Brien.

Updated On: 5/8/09 at 07:30 PM