MOTION PICTURE DIRECTION The Director.—The director is the chief executive-artist on a motion picture set. It is his responsibility to co-ordinate the diverse talents of actors, camera crew, sound technicians, elec tricians, hairdressers, make-up men, designers, wardrobe workers, cutter, dialogue supervisor, and numerous other experts who con tribute to the work of which he is in charge. His principal aim is to create on the screen an illusion of realism or fantasy; an effect of comedy or drama already planned and outlined in the script. And to do this he must draw on the resources of some seventy studio departments; must be in full command of all who work with him on the set. The director may perform one of three functions called producing, writing, and directing, or he may per form two or three. If he produces as well as directs, he is known as a producer-director. He then selects the subject to be filmed, intimately and creatively supervises the writing of the scenario, casting, costuming, designing of sets, and choice of personnel. If not rated a producer-director, he shares this work with a producer to whom he is responsible.
The script, scenario, or screen play, is the skele ton and nucleus of the presentation. The director may write it in whole or in part. It may be an adaptation from a play or a novel, or it may be an original story conceived and written for the screen. If an adaptation, there are three distinct steps in its progress and a different writer may handle each step. These consist of (I) the story (a compression or elaboration of the original work with special emphasis on screen values) ; (2) the treatment, a rough outline of the screen play that is to follow; (3) the final, polished detailed script from which the director actually directs the picture. Even when the director has taken no intimate part in the writing of the first two steps, he becomes associated with the preparation and completion of the third, to make sure of technical accuracy and provide for his own interpre tation of the subject.
When completed, a motion picture script follows a now well defined form, dividing continuity into numbered shots, indicating camera angles, sound effects, music; embracing descriptions of characters, locale, atmosphere, and complete dialogue. The direc
tor must determine, in each case, that the script is long enough to provide a complete and artistic treatment of its subject; that its construction precludes possibility of any weaknesses, overdevelop ment or underdevelopment in the continuity which may appear after filming starts.
On being mimeographed, the script is distributed to all studio departments and their preparations to assist the di rector begin. The production and budget departments figure ex penditures and economies. The art department determines what will be needed in terms of sets and forthwith starts to design them. The camera-man and cutter (or film editor) deliberate their inter pretations and suggestions and discuss them with the director. The assistant director, who has charge of routine matters, breaks down the script into number and types of actors required, number of shooting days, locations, etc. The property department makes "break-downs" of the numbers and types of "props" required for each scene. The script is submitted to the Motion Picture Pro ducers' Association for approval or recommendations in regard to changes that may be necessary to bring the picture within re quirements of foreign countries and State censor boards. Usually the director or producer has decided on his stars in advance and has arranged for their appearance, but must decide on candidates for all other roles. These are brought to him, for decision, by the casting department.
With his art director, or head of the art department, the director must discuss preliminary sketches of sets. These must take into account atmosphere, harmony, and fidelity to the comic or dramatic values of the script. They must provide for the movement of masses and individuals, for the complete mobility of the camera, so that the director is not confined to photo graphing his characters against one wall. They must make practi cal allowance for all desirable camera angles, lights, camera and sound crews, and other essential workers.