Summary
Director’s role
Versatile conductor
The director starts from a scenario and interprets it by directing his team with all his personality.
His work begins well before filming, with the development of the scenario and its division into shots, specifying all the details concerning the sets, the image and the sound.
In the cinema, he is also called the director. It is up to him to choose the actors, to orient their way of acting, the axis of the camera, the focal length, the rhythm…
Outside the cinema
The director has less leeway when working for television. He can be employed by a channel that imposes constraints on him: a script already tied up, a precise budget or well-defined production conditions.
As a set director, the activity consists of designing and carrying out a television program, respecting a certain number of criteria.
For documentaries, the director works from reality, with objective facts and specific constraints.
Some projects are commissioned films, often for advertising purposes. The director then works on behalf of a company.
To note : like many film professionals, the director is often part-time performer.
How to become a director?
Technical diplomas
The bachelor’s degree and the pro audiovisual master’s degree offer vocational training.
The BTS Audiovisuel offers training in image and sound professions which affects both the media and the performing arts.
Private schools
Most private film schools are located in Paris. Be careful, not all of them are recognized by the State. Among the major schools recognized by the profession are the ENS-Louis Lumière and the ENSMIS (formerly FEMIS).
The barrage of competitions is sometimes dissuasive (between 30 and 40 students per promotion for more than 2,000 candidates). But the students trained in these schools are, for the most part, placed on professional projects as soon as they leave school.
How much does a director earn?
The remuneration of a director varies enormously according to the type of film made, the employer, the success or not of the film, and finally the notoriety of the director.
As for the TV director, we can count on a gross basis of €4,000 per month.
Qualities needed to be a director?
The director must compose with the professionals who surround him, the time and the money which set the limits of the project. His talent consists in relying on these constraints to find possible creative paths.
of imagination, of creativity and a taste for teamwork are essential.
Content updated on 07/13/2012
Our tips:
Experiences as a volunteer or trainee on amateur productions allow beginners to discover the profession. Versatility is a plus.