KMC Forums - What makes a great film director?

What makes a great film director?

1. Stress-Tolerant. A great director can roll with the punches, be cool in a tough situation, and still make the decisions needed while under pressure. They don’t crumble under stress and have healthy stress-coping mechanisms in place.

2. Flexible. A great director is open to new ideas so they can make the best film possible. They don’t turn their nose up at ideas that could make the film better. The director doesn’t always have the right answers and has to rely on many professionals, including actors, crew, and other collaborators to advise him/her.

3. Positive Attitude. Great directors aren’t self-obsessed divas. They’re leaders of a team. Everyone on set looks to him/her to set the standard for behavior. If the director is always gloomy, pessimistic, has low morale, etc., so will everyone else on set.

A great director is mindful of this and sets the example (see ‘leads by example’ below).

4. Uses Time Efficiently. A great director has no time to waste—there’s a movie to be made, and time is money! Great directors understand the value of time and uses it properly. There’s a time for everything. If it’s time to rest, they rest. If it’s time to work hard, they work hard.
5. Knows How to be Diplomatic. Great directors didn’t get where they are by treating people poorly when they were in a bad mood. Great directors have self-control and can deal with people cordially, even if the situation is frustrating or someone is being unreasonable.

The great director understands that you can’t always take a sledgehammer to an issue and call it a day. Sometimes you need to use more delicate tools; approach people with finesse.

6. Knows When to Speak Up (or Shut Up). This is basically an extension of being diplomatic. Sometimes that thing you really want to say, you don’t say. The great director knows this and exercises restraint in what he or she says.

7. Thinks Outside the Box. The great director doesn’t feel constrained or threatened by others creative ideas/input. Instead he or she uses them to his or her advantage. The great director is willing to try new things and take risks to get great results instead of only okay results.
8. Problem-Solver – Not a Problem Creator. There are those that focus on pointing out problems, often in a complaining manner. They want to be the first ones to point it out but don’t offer any solutions. There are also people who create problems where none need exist. This is counterproductive.

The great director identifies problems before they occur and current problems, but he or she never walks away without offering one or two solutions. The great director is always working to move the team forward one step.

He or she doesn’t unveil a brick wall in the path, only to walk away and tell others, ‘good luck’.

9. Takes Responsibility. The great director understands the distinction between fault and responsibility. He or she understands that everything that goes wrong or right about their film (as the leader of the filmmaking team) will be attributed to the director.

The great director accepts the risk and possible reward, his or her own mistakes, and always works to correct them without blaming others, because it is a waste of time to play the blame game.

Lastly, the great director isn’t afraid to attribute a ‘job well-done’ to members of the team that deserve recognition for their good work.