Who is a production director? Profession director

The director of a film is in many ways similar to the conductor of an orchestra. Firstly, as a conductor, he must put together in his mind an ideal of how the music should sound, and the director must see in his mind how the film should look. Second, like a conductor, a film director must communicate his vision to the various performers so that everyone works toward a unified vision.

The director's work is sometimes compared to the work of a field general, constantly giving orders to military personnel. Although some directors work this way, they were generally disliked and were not successful for a long time. The most effective directors communicate their vision and encourage staff and actors to participate in the process, bringing out their best creativity.

In reality, these two processes of creating a vision and sharing it with the group are one ongoing process, initiated by the director, and constantly evolving, because all team members contribute, and the director implements ways to improve and develop the overall vision.

Of course, the director's job is to communicate. Although some directors are the creators of the film and play several roles at the same time, the only tasks specific to the director's work will be conversations, listening and persuasion.

The director needs to be able to write and tell stories well, and be able to use all the available tricks and tricks to better perceive these stories for listeners. Good directors keep notebooks or journals where they keep their thoughts, ideas and plans for the film to include in right time, and be sure that nothing will be forgotten in this chaos of production.

Reading the script

The director's primary task during the pre-production period is to read the script. In many independent films, the director is also the screenwriter, so you'd probably think that the writer would already know the story and could skip this step. When the vision of the picture is formed, you should not neglect this step.

This is the period when the director can freely look from the outside at the script as the basis of the film, dive deeply into the plot in order to clarify the initial conditions, find everything hidden meanings, psychological intrigue, ordinary questions, an explosion of feelings, images, sounds and smells, to be able to formulate it all into a single powerful and memorable vision.

The writer-director is often at a disadvantage in in this case, because it will be more difficult for him to read the script and evaluate it with fresh eyes.

Read the script as if you were watching a finished film, and you have no idea how it will end. Just let the story play out in your imagination.
After reading the script, write it down in your notebook your thoughts. Special attention Focus on what emotions you felt. Your job will be to make a film that evokes these sensations and emotions in the viewer with maximum effect. If some action is not emotional, also note this. Try to resist the temptation and come up with adjustments at this point in the plot. Now you are trying to understand how this story works.
Finally, decide what the emotional core of the film is. What is this movie really about? What goals and obstacles to achieving them do individuals encounter, what emotions did the story evoke, how will it affect the audience, what will the viewer learn from the characters.

Alternatively, you could have your friend read the script and see if the story evokes the same reactions in them as it does in you, or if the script even works.

In-depth structural analysis of the scenario

On preparatory stage The director's job is to decompose the script into pieces to find out what makes this plot act on people.

Determine exactly what the essence of each character is, what life ideas he pursues during the story and what he strives for. Each character has goals to entrust, destroy, ridicule, teach, accuse, heal, learn, find, change or conquer. Most of them will have external and internal tasks. For example, the external task may be to build a house, and his internal task will be to demonstrate his abilities and convince his friends of his importance.

Such tasks exist even before events begin to develop, or can form at the beginning of the plot. Define these tasks for each hero.

What obstacles stand in the way of achieving the goals set by the heroes? IN interesting stories obstacles turn out to be internal, based on psychological aspects person, but are presented in the form of more obvious external circumstances, such as other characters or natural phenomena, like a raging snowstorm.

What actions should the characters take to try to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals? These are the real steps that need to be taken along the way.

What tools and opportunities can the characters take advantage of? These will be some clarifications in the text, presented in the form of adverbs, for example, calmly, proudly, energetically, quickly or charmingly.

What adjustments do characters make when their actions and attempts fail?

Review each character's goals, obstacles, methods, actions, and role adjustments for each scene in which they participate. Mark important notes in your notes. These will be very useful and necessary comments when you are able to provide strong and precise instructions to the actors while working on the set.

Also try to determine in each scene what real actions The heroes can practice so as not to stand like a pillar while reading out their dialogues. In reality, people, in order to carry out their tasks and during various dialogues always busy with something, for example, cooking, reading books, surfing the Internet.

Working with a screenwriter

If the director is not the writer of the script, it is very important that the director and screenwriter be able to establish a good working relationship during pre-production and maintain it until filming. The screenwriter sees the plot and development of events in his imagination, and the director needs to translate this story into real scenes in real places With real actors performing their roles and performing on stage within a certain budget. This can often lead to disagreements in seeing the big picture. In addition, screenwriters often become too attached to their own opinions and cannot appreciate any innovations proposed by the director with fresh eyes.

The director should always maintain his positive attitude and enthusiasm for the written script. Recognize that the screenwriter worked on this work for months or even years in relative isolation. They understandably have their egos kicking in and may be reluctant to consider changes.

It is common practice at large film studios to hire a second screenwriter immediately after signing the rights to a script, who will make the necessary changes and thus can prevent a clash of two creative egos. It will also allow the new screenwriter and director to absolutely new approach to history.

If new screenwriter is not invited, the director needs to determine what he can do with original version screenwriter. Answer the following questions:

What initially inspired the screenwriter for this story?
What is the reason for writing this story?
Which life lessons does this history teach?
How does the screenwriter feel, what is this story all about?
What does the writer think about the main relationships in the story?
What is the background to this plot and the biography of the main characters?
Are there any characters based on real people, and what's the point?

Writer and director will no doubt find differences, and it is important to work from the most important areas agreed upon to the most specific areas where there are different points vision in order to resolve them. Ultimately, you need to come to a common vision between the director and screenwriter.

You can almost always find weaknesses in scripts. The director must make it a point to ask tough questions about the logic and truthfulness of the emotions in the script. The director should also include "What if..?" questions when suggesting any changes to the story, such as casting the hero as the villain, or changing the actors' actions in key scenes.

These questions will almost certainly lead to the need to rewrite the script, and will add weight to the story. Some writers are better than others when it comes to rewrites, and some will simply give it up if they don't feel mentally prepared or aren't willing to make changes that the director feels are necessary.

This will make it clear to independent filmmakers that it is important to buy back the rights to a script, otherwise the entire production could be shut down by a disgruntled screenwriter.

One important factor to remember about re-recording is that re-recording one scene can change the logic of the rest of the script, which can force other scenes to be re-recorded. This can delay the preparatory process for a long time. The challenge is finding the balance and writing a script that is strong and impactful without needing absolute perfection.

Reading a film script

A valuable technique at this stage is for the actors to read from the rewritten script. This can be a pretty smart and objective move, especially when the actors haven't read the script yet, or when the actors are still rehearsing their lines in discussion with the director. It is advisable for the screenwriter to be present at the reading of the script so that he can understand key points story when they are presented in something other than in the author’s head.

Scenario reanalysis

Now that the script has been perfected, the director needs to reanalysis script to update and expand the notes to fully understand the goals, the obstacles that arise, the methods of achievement, the actions of each character from scene to scene, step by step. These comments will be invaluable during the shoot. An assistant director is often involved in this part of the work; the following points are determined here:

How many actors and what types are needed?
How many scenes will each actor participate in, and how long will his overall presence on screen last?
Requirements, number and types of premises/locations
What stunts and special effects are present in the film?
What special costumes and makeup will be required?
What details will be needed?

This kind of script analysis is often done in big films. professional companies. Good analysis The script is an invaluable production tool in films of any size.

An important part of the scenario analysis will be precise definition the duration of each scene, which is calculated by the percentage of text occupied on the page. The number of page fractions each scene occupies, in the upper left corner of each scene.

Considering that film crew per day fits into 2-5 pages of script, which greatly depends on many factors, knowledge total number Scenes shot in a day will help you stick to your schedule to a reasonable extent.

Selection of creative team

The director's next task will be to select his creative team. Usually this process extends over the entire preparatory period.

The creative team is part of the film crew, and it will help carry out the work of implementing the director's idea and realizing the director's vision. The rest of the crew will be more like soldiers, performing specific tasks and only occasionally working on the creative process.

The creative group usually consists of the following persons:

Cinematographer, or Director of Photography, who is responsible for the creative work of the camera and lighting.
A production designer, or Technologist, who is responsible for creating the visual appearance of a film, working with sets, costumes, and makeup.
Head of the acting department, works with the director to select the best available actors for the film.
Actors.
An editor-editor who works with the director to create a cohesive film from individual scenes and shots.
The head of the music department, or composer, is responsible for selecting the right music to match the emotions of the current scenes.

The director interviews and selects suitable people to co-author the film, shares his vision with them, and then talks and communicates with them, encouraging them to help in realizing the plan.

Sometimes this process can lead to some sort of creative conflict. The director needs to use his communication skills and ability to persuade and resolve conflict situations until he finds common decision, ultimately achieving better results.

Actors casting

In large production studios, the casting process is largely influenced by the producers, because... the results of negotiations with stars to sign contracts often take precedence over questions of artistic ability. For independent filmmakers, the process of finding actors can be a busy and challenging process.

For more details about casting, see the corresponding section.

Main rehearsals

The director is responsible for preparing the actors for their work, conveying to them his performance and vision of the film during rehearsals. Rehearsals are described in more detail on the corresponding page.

Facilities mass media, entertainment in the form of films, shows, plays, theater productions and the like have become firmly established in our lives. Now we cannot even imagine how we would live and have fun if there were no television and theater. But someone comes up with all these productions and films, develops the script, and embodies what was planned in the actors’ performances. This is the profession we will talk about in this article.

In any movie, show or production, the profession “Director” appears. Under the mysterious name hides a certain job description. Although a person who is far from the industry of filmmaking understands the director’s list of actions quite vaguely. Or perhaps it doesn’t represent him at all. So, what kind of profession is a director?

In fact, the director is the most important person in the film. It is on him that the acting, the presence and type of scenery, the quality of the film, the correctly selected cast, writing staff, voice acting, special effects and so on. The profession of "Director" involves continuous communication with and management of many people. Without him, there would be chaos and complete misunderstanding between people on the site.

Profession "Director": description

This profession is very complex, capacious, but also exciting. The director can be compared to the conductor of an orchestra. It is he who directs the actions of all the specialists who are on the set. Its task is to achieve productivity in people’s interactions, to coordinate the sequence and need to perform different tasks, to convey to creative staff, what exactly is required and from whom, and most importantly - in what time frame and in what form. The profession of "Director" is the most important in the field of cinema and theatrical productions. It is thanks to these people that truly exciting and fascinating masterpieces of world cinema and productions are presented to our attention.

History of the profession

The history of the “Director” profession is not as long as one might assume. It appeared only in the second half of the nineteenth century. Before this, there was no such position. It would seem, how did theaters function then? In those days, performances were staged either by the authors of the works themselves or by the acting troupe together. The need for directors arose with the increase in the number of theaters, as well as with the advent of the film industry.

Demand for the profession

The profession of "Film Director" is one of the most prestigious in the world. currently. Make your way to wide screens, to work on films that will later be seen by millions of people - cherished dream many people who connected their lives with directing. However, not everyone can really reach such heights. On this moment a director can engage not only in film editing, but also accompany holidays and concerts of various sizes, stage plays in theaters, work with a group of animators, and so on. So, we can say that the demand is average. In big cinema there is almost none of it, and in very modest circles there is enough of it, but there are not enough people willing to work from time to time, and even for a small remuneration.

Human qualities

In order to get through to good position in this profession, you should have a set of certain human qualities. The profession of “Film Editing and Theater Director” is exclusively creative. A candidate director must have an exceptional sense of beauty. Bring the actors' performance to a perfect level, feel the temporary components of the production, see what additional and main effects are needed, lighting, sequence of actions, and so on. The director must see the picture as a whole and at the same time in parts, so as not to lose sight of any important detail. In addition, communication skills must be well developed. Still, you will have to constantly work with a huge amount the most different people, explain to them their tasks, find an approach to everyone.

Director's skills and abilities

You can learn the profession of director at colleges, academies, universities, cultural and cinematographic institutes. At least one of them in any city provides the opportunity to learn this craft. The profession of "Theater and Film Director" requires excellent knowledge of both foreign and national, both modern and historical. The director must understand genres and be able to correctly express his thoughts, both orally and in writing. Developed oratory and competent speech are important. No director can achieve anything in this matter without leadership data. Imagination, broad outlook, personal artistry, ability to quickly accept the most unexpected decisions- the director must have all this. The specifics of the profession require constant improvement of this data.

Director's responsibilities

This person is responsible for selecting the script, reading it, and correcting it. His tasks include collaborating with screenwriters and producers and finding funds for the film adaptation. director" and "film director" means direct participation in the production and organization of a film adaptation or theatrical performance. These people select suitable applicants for a particular role and spend time with them preparatory work, explain the essence of the future role, the nuances of the game, set the time for filming and rehearsals. On final stage The director's responsibilities include checking the proper level at all stages of work. He needs to make sure of the quality of the sound, lighting, music, decorations, work of stylists, and so on. The director is the most important co-operator of all representatives on the set. In addition, he is an organizer, manager and manager rolled into one. His tasks include promoting his brainchild, advertising, and selling to cinemas or theaters. Without him active participation no one will ever hear about the new masterpiece.

Most famous universities

Almost everything Russian directors are graduates of two famous Moscow universities. This is All-Russian state institute cinematography named after S.A. Gerasimov (VGIK) and These two universities have produced many creative and talented individuals. It's quite difficult to get there. And most likely, you will have to study on a paid basis. There are only 5-8 budget places available. But the prospects that these educational institutions give their students are worth the money they have to pay for education. Education and the fame of the place in which it is received is very important point in his career as a public figure.

Pros and cons of being a director

The work of a director is quite labor-intensive and requires full dedication from a person. In order to get to a more or less enviable position, you will have to work a lot. Sometimes even for days on end. Look for opportunities, find and make useful contacts, maintain contact with many people at the same time the right people. In addition, you will have to invest a lot of emotions and your own feelings into the creative process and the process of conveying your point of view to the people around you. You will have to work a lot, for a long time, persistently and not always with good pay. Perhaps in order to get good project, you will have to go through several competitions for free. But if the plan is realized, respect, position in society and the material side of the issue will not fail to please.

Salary expectations

You can start your career with Depending on total cost project, the salary of assistants ranges from twenty thousand to forty. Directors and producers of various large-scale conferences and exhibitions, various presentations, designed for a large number of participants can receive a salary ranging from seventy to two hundred thousand rubles per project.

It is quite difficult to estimate average salaries for this profession. Successful directors can earn millions for their films, and ordinary industry representatives involved in low-budget films and productions can really work for pennies. In the theater, the director can receive either a percentage of the proceeds for the entire performance or a clearly fixed salary. The salary usually in such cases ranges from thirty-five to fifty thousand rubles per month. Interest rate may be more profitable, but it does not promise stability.

Stage director - director creative group, working on the creation of a film, play or show.

Who is the director?

(fr. regisseur, from lat. rego manage) - the head of a creative team working on the creation of a film, play or show. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in world artistic culture (see choosing a profession based on your interest in school subjects).

Features of the profession

A production director is the creative leader of a film, television or theater project. He is responsible for the artistic component of the work. Actors, cameramen, sound engineers, production designers, movement directors, etc. work under his leadership. Literary basis serves as a script or play, and the director is not always their author. But in the end, it is he who is responsible for what the viewer sees. The success or failure of the project will be associated with his name.

A production director may specialize in the production of feature films or documentaries, theater performances, circus programs, music shows, mass events.

Usually the production director is simply called the director, because and without a clarifying “trailer” it is clear that he is responsible for the production. This applies to any production director, regardless of specialization.

Let us describe some options for this profession.

In the theatre the director manages the creative team involved in the production: he selects actors, works with them on roles, together with the sound engineer and stage designer thinks through the design of the performance, etc. At the same time, he reports to the creative director of the theater (if he is not one himself), and they jointly select the plays for the production. The assistant director helps him solve organizational issues during rehearsals and during the performance. He interacts with technical services, actors, and makes sure that everything happens without a hitch during the performance.

Circus art radically different from the theatrical. Just as a circus troupe differs from a theater troupe: circus performers They work in dynasties, practicing their numbers for years. They often involve a risk to life. In addition, the circus troupe is not only people, but also trained animals. The circus works to entertain the public, and the main task of the circus director is to make each act as bright and spectacular as possible. All this brings its own specifics to the work of a circus director. However, the principles of his work are similar to the work of a theater director. He thinks through the intrigue of the performance, works with the actors, production designer, design engineers, prop makers, lighting engineers, sound engineer and other participants in the circus show.

Movie- This is a complex production process. (Like television.) A film director has a whole team of assistants: a second director, a director for working with actors, an assistant director (an assistant director who keeps track of the footage), consultants, etc.

Although at least two of this crew are designated by the word "director", they perform other tasks. For example, the second director (in Western cinema - First Assistant Director) helps the production director in developing the director's script, formulates information for makeup artists, costume artists, acting assistants, etc., and plans the filming process. And makes sure that the entire production process goes smoothly, so that every time set was ready to work, the actors and costume designers were in place, etc. This is very large volume work, and usually a film director has two second directors. The acting director (also known as acting assistant or casting director) looks for suitable performers for roles and organizes their photo and screen tests.

The main organizational burden when creating a film is borne by producers, who deal with issues of budget, distribution, etc. The film producer is also responsible for attracting key participants in the process, including the director, unless, of course, he himself is the initiator of the production. Both the producers and the director report to the management of the film studio. The director's work on the film begins with the script. He can take a ready-made script, or he can write it himself or in collaboration with a professional screenwriter. He can take ready-made literary work or a completely fresh plot. Even if a film director makes a film based on a ready-made script, he finalizes it in his own way: second-by-second and frame-by-frame he describes the shooting plan for each scene. The result is director's script. He always studies materials related to the theme of the film and turns to specialists who can advise him on some issues. Participates in drawing up estimates and, together with the producer and second director, outlines a work plan. Together with the production designer, chief cinematographer, and sound engineer, he discusses the artistic concept of the film and its design, approves sketches, designs, scenery, etc. Together with the composer and sound engineer, he outlines the explication of the sound (graphic diagram). Selects actors (with the help of a casting assistant), works with each of them on the role, rehearses scenes, etc. Supervises the filming. When the filming process is completed, he selects the necessary takes and manages the editing and dubbing process.

Some directors successfully combine work in theater and cinema. For example, the artistic director of the Lenkom Theater Mark Zakharov became known back in the 1960s as theater director. Having headed the theater in 1973 (at that time - the Moscow Theater named after Leninsky Komsomol), he very quickly brought it to the ranks of the most popular in Moscow. Every performance by Zakharov is an event theatrical life capitals: “Funeral Prayer”, “Royal Games”, “Barbarian and Heretic”, the legendary “Juno and Avos” and many others. At the same time, he is the author of wonderful films, loved by millions: “The Twelve Chairs”, “ An ordinary miracle", "The Same Munchausen", "The House That Swift Built", "Formula of Love", "Kill the Dragon".

Workplace

A production director can work in cinema, television, theater, circus, etc. - depending on his specialization. Although some directors successfully realize themselves in different areas.

Salary

Salary as of 03/21/2019

Moscow 90000—90000 ₽

Important qualities

The profession of a stage director requires artistry, creative thinking, good intelligence, broad outlook, imagination, self-discipline, high ability to work and leadership skills. One more thing important quality- sense of modernity. The director must feel how relevant a particular topic or idea is in the modern world.

Knowledge and skills

The director must master the theory and practice of directing, acting, the basics of stage and musical arrangement, camera art, understand the laws of dramaturgy. Knowledge of literary history is very important. visual arts, theater, cinema. Knowledge of classical and modern works drama, cinema. Knowledge of foreign languages is desirable.

Where to study to become a stage director

Drama and musical theater

Russian University theatrical arts- GITIS. Directing department. Department of Drama Directing
St. Petersburg Humanitarian University of Trade Unions. Faculty of Arts. Specialty: Theater Directing
Theater Institute named after. B. Shchukina. Directing department. Specialty: Theater Directing

And other universities of theatrical art.

Circus, show programs

Russian University of Theater Arts - GITIS. Directing department. Department of Circus Directing. Specialty: Circus Directing
Moscow State University culture and arts (MGUKI). Theater and Directing Faculty. Specialty: Theater Directing. Specialization "Variety Directing"
Specialty: Directing theatrical performances and celebrations. Specializations: “Directing theatrical performances and celebrations” and “Directing show programs.”
Russian State University physical culture, sports and tourism. Direction of “Directing theatrical performances and celebrations”

Film and television

All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S.A. Gerasimova (VGIK). Directing department. Specialties: “Directing feature films”, “Directing non-fiction films”, “Directing animated films”;
Higher courses of cinema and television at VGIK. Professions: “Film directing”, “Directing non-fiction films and television films”;
Humanitarian Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting named after. M.A. Lithuania (GITR). Faculty of TV and Multimedia Directing.

The names and surnames of the world's and country's leading directors are on everyone's lips. However, few people know how to get this profession, where to study and how to get a job. Find out by reading our detailed review.

Demand

Payability

Competition

Entry barrier

Prospects

The director is the person who controls everyone creative processes in theatre, cinema or television. He has a fairly wide range of responsibilities, the competent implementation of which will allow him to create a real masterpiece. The first directors appeared simultaneously with theatrical performances. They are first mentioned in Dahl's dictionary as people who control the performance of actors and the creation of a performance. But the very concept of directing arose only at the end of the 19th century. It was used as an ensemble or the subordination of all processes in the theater to one concept. This idea simultaneously originated in Paris and Berlin. In the 20th century, directing began to develop rapidly in cinema. But it should be remembered that the origins of this art remain in the theater, from where the director's experience was transferred.

Description

Nowadays, directing has undergone tremendous development. Now this is not one person, but a whole range of specialists who report to the production director. Depending on the type of work, the essence of the profession is determined. There are such directions of directing:

The essence of the director's profession is the management of filming processes. He sees the big picture and clearly understands what each character should be like. The director is the interpreter of the script, who conveys the author's idea to the actors and monitors its implementation.

What specialties to study?

In order to get a chance to get a job as a director, you should choose one of the following specialties:

Theater directing.
Directing feature films.
Directing non-fiction films.
Directing an animated film.
Filmmaking.
Directing non-fiction film and television films.
Directing theatrical performances and celebrations.
Directing shows.
Stage direction.
Circus directing.
Directing.

All of the above specialties will allow you to work as a director. You should choose based on the area in which you would like to show your talent: cinema, theater, television, circus, pop, etc.

Where to study

Higher educational institutions There are not so many schools in which directing is taught in our country, but the most prestigious are:

Russian University of Theater Arts (GITIS).
All-Russian State University of Cinematography named after S.A. Gerasimova (VGIK).
Moscow State University of Culture and Arts (MGUKI).
St. Petersburg Humanitarian University of Trade Unions.
Theater Institute named after. B. Shchukina.

These universities are not the only ones, but they are recognized as the most prestigious. If you managed to enter one of them and successfully graduate, you will definitely not be left without a job.

What do you have to do at work and specializations?

Each director performs a whole range of management responsibilities:

The director, in the full range of his responsibilities, acts as a link between all components of the filming process. Good direction is the guarantee of success for any film or show.

Who is this profession suitable for?

This profession is suitable for strong and strong-willed people. The director must be a born leader and be able to manage a huge number of personnel at the same time. He must be a professional in his field and have great creative potential. The director is impartial and does not play favorites - this is important in creative team. This specialist must be well-read, artistic and intellectually developed. Broad outlook - best helper director

Demand

This profession is not in great demand. Few people dare to invest in young, unknown directors.

How much do people working in this profession earn?

The director's fees depend on where he is employed. If these are not very profitable small theaters or a circus, then the salary is about 15-30 thousand per month. Large-scale performances in large, famous theaters and filming a movie is completely different numbers. The amounts are not disclosed.

Is it easy to get a job?

If you famous director, then the projects themselves will find you. It's difficult for beginners. Investors usually look for eminent professionals, not university graduates. Directing is available to those who have connections and solid sponsors. They are the decisive factor and help to reach people.

How does one usually build a career?

The beginning of his career is the position of assistant director. You will carry out small tasks and gain the most important thing - practice and experience. After all, by watching a professional work, you will very quickly learn from his accumulated experience over the years.

The director is the next stage of development. If you are not working on a very large project, this is the top. In large-scale events, you are an assistant director. You control the supporting processes and get the opportunity to show your directorial qualities. Your work is checked and corrected by the production director. It is he who corrects shortcomings and teaches you the most significant subtleties of this work.

Being a stage director is the pinnacle of your career. You get all the power and assistants who will take care of secondary processes. Now you're in charge creative directions work. This position is given only to the most experienced and well-established directors.

Prospects for the profession

The main prospect of the profession is participation in famous film projects. As a result, you will be able to gain popularity and love from the public and investors. They are the ones who will provide you with further work and substantial fees. High-quality films that are admired by critics are a passport to the world of foreign cinema. This is a completely different level and an opportunity to earn substantial amounts.

The director's task

You can’t talk to actors in dry scientific language, and I myself am not a man of science, and therefore I could not take on something other than my own business. My task is to speak with the actor in his own language: not to philosophize about art, but to discover in a simple form the techniques of psychotechnics practically necessary for him, mainly in the internal area of artistic experience and transformation.

K.S.Stanislavsky

For any director, the main material in his work is the creativity of the actor. None of the problems of modern directing will acquire real artistic value if it is not revealed in the actor. That is, if the actors do not create, do not think and do not feel, if they are passive and creatively inert, the director has nothing to do, there is nothing to create a performance from, he simply does not have the necessary material in his hands. Therefore, the issues of the director’s work with the actor in the process of creating a performance are the most pressing in the creative practice of any theater. It is necessary to evoke the creative process in the actor, to awaken his organic nature for constant, full-fledged, independent creativity. The director must be able to “interpret” the role, be able to show “how to play,” and reveal to the actor everything that he does on stage. And this is his main responsibility. When this process arises, then the second responsibility of the director will be born - to continuously support this process, not to let it fade away and direct it to specific purpose in accordance with the general ideological and artistic concept of the performance. The director must feel the individuality of the actor, in the process of work continuously monitor how the plans of the author and director are reflected in the actor, and at the same time see where the actor’s imagination and desires call him, and to what extent he can insist on this or that task. Follow the will of the actor and at the same time direct it, correct it, without letting you feel pressure.

The director works not with one actor, but with a whole team, so the next most important task is to constantly coordinate the results of the creativity of all actors, so that the result is a harmoniously integral ideological and artistic work of theatrical art. The director solves all these difficult problems in the process of fulfilling his main function - the creative organization of stage action.

The basis of any action is always one or another conflict, which causes a clash, struggle, interaction between the characters of the play. The director is called upon to identify conflicts through the interaction of actors on stage. This gives rise to another quality of the director - to be the organizer of the entire performance. But to carry out this function convincingly - so that the actors on stage work truthfully, organically, and the viewer believes in the authenticity of their actions - is impossible by the method of ordering, commanding, and pressure. The director must captivate the actor with his tasks, inspire him to complete them, excite his imagination, awaken his artistic imagination, and unobtrusively “lure” him onto the right path of true creativity.

The main task of any true creativity in realistic art is to reveal the essence of the depicted phenomena of life, to discover the hidden springs of these phenomena, their internal patterns. Therefore, a deep knowledge of life is the basis of all artistic creativity. Without knowledge of life you cannot create. This applies equally to the director and the actor. If we assume that the director has a certain stock of knowledge, life observations, thoughts and judgments about the life that needs to be depicted on stage, and the actor has no baggage in this regard, then the actor will be forced to mechanically obey the will of the director, the director’s influence on the actor will be one-sided, creative interaction will not take place.

Let's imagine the opposite picture: the actor knows life well, but the director is young and inexperienced. What happens in this case? The actor has the opportunity to create and influence the director with his creativity, unfortunately there is no interaction, and the director loses his leading role and is forced to helplessly trail behind creative work acting team. Thus, both options - the one where the director despotically suppresses the creative personality of the actor, and the one where he, due to ignorance of life, loses his leading role - equally have a negative impact on the overall work - on the performance.

It’s a completely different matter if the director and actor both know and understand well those phenomena of life that the author of the play made the subject of creative display. Then the right creative relationships are created between them, interaction or co-creation arises.

The director gives the actor some instructions regarding this or that moment of the role - some gesture, phrase, intonation. The actor, having received the instruction, comprehends it, internally digests it on the basis of his own knowledge of life. As a result, the director’s instructions and the actor’s own knowledge interact and form, as it were, a kind of “alloy” or synthesis. The actor will not mechanically and thoughtlessly reproduce what the director demanded of him, but creatively. While fulfilling the director’s assignment, he will simultaneously demonstrate himself, his own creative personality. The director, having given his thought, will receive it back in the form of stage “color”, that is, a certain movement, gesture, intonation, will receive it enriched and bright. That is why the director must, by all means available to him, awaken the creative will and initiative of the actor, cultivate in the actor a thirst for knowledge, observation, and the desire for creative independence.

“Influence and convince others by your own example - then you will have a big trump card in your hands, and they will not say to you: “Doctor! Heal yourself!” or “Before teaching others, turn to yourself!” Your own example is the best way to earn authority.”

K.S.Stanislavsky

A real director is not only a theater teacher for an actor, but also a life teacher.

Proper well-being of an actor on stage

Awakening and directing the actor’s creative initiative in the right direction is the most important responsibility of the director. The desired direction is determined by the ideological concept of the entire performance. The ideological interpretation of each individual role must be subordinated to this plan. It is necessary for the actor to follow the path indicated by the director freely, without feeling any violence against himself. The director should not only not enslave the actor, but on the contrary, he should protect his creative freedom, because freedom is necessary condition and the most important sign of the actor’s correct creative well-being, and therefore of creativity itself.

Let's say that the director has indicated a certain mise-en-scène to the actor, and the actor is obliged to perform it. Moreover, he is obliged to perform it every time, at every rehearsal, and then at every performance. He must carry it out because this mise-en-scène is not accidental, it is thought out by the director, felt and contains certain meaning. She reveals this fragment of the play and behavior in one way and not another. characters. And that means it is this, and not any other mise-en-scène, that the actor must perform. And the essence of the matter is that the actor must perform this only possible mise-en-scène in such a way that the process of execution is his organic need. And this will happen only when the actor understands and feels that the behavior assigned to him is absolutely necessary and obligatory for a given character in given circumstances. It is this mise-en-scène, this gesture, this intonation. Then he will not have the need to implement another mise-en-scène. And this feeling of inner necessity to do this and not otherwise will cause a feeling of freedom.

Fulfilling this requirement may not be easy. Only when the necessary is done with a sense of freedom, when necessity and freedom merge, does the actor have the opportunity to create. As long as the actor uses his freedom not as a conscious necessity, but as his personal, subjective arbitrariness, he does not create. Creativity is always associated with free submission to certain requirements, certain restrictions and norms. And if an actor mechanically fulfills the requirements set before him, he also does not create. In both cases, there is no full-fledged creativity. Both the subjective arbitrariness of the actor and the rational game, when the actor forcibly forces himself to fulfill certain requirements, is not creativity. The element of coercion in the creative act should be completely absent. This act must be extremely free and at the same time subject to necessity.

How can this be achieved? First of all, it is necessary to have endurance and patience, not to be satisfied until the fulfillment of the task becomes an organic need of the actor. To do this, the director must captivate the actor with this task. It must explain and captivate, influencing simultaneously the mind, feeling, and imagination of the actor, until the creative act arises by itself, that is, until the result of the director’s efforts is expressed in a form that is completely free, as if completely unintentional. , the actor's involuntary reaction. It's all about the internal psychological drawing, the precise selection of the actor's means of expression. First of all, the way of thinking changes. These two people - the actor and the director - think differently. Not about different things, but in different ways. And because you want to penetrate the mystery of their thoughts and are constantly in the process of comprehending this, you receive aesthetic joy.

You can't give the viewer the opportunity to guess what the actor will do next. If he is ahead of the actor, then he is in captivity of the archaic manner of performance. The artist must lead the viewer along, controlling his emotions.

So, the actor’s creative well-being is expressed in the fact that, while on stage, he perceives any previously known influence as unexpected and responds to it freely and at the same time correctly. It is precisely this feeling that the director should try to evoke in the actor and then diligently maintain it.

The language of directorial assignments is action

The most “harmful” way of directing is to demand from the actor the immediate “output” of a certain feeling in a certain form, that is, the demand for an immediate result. The actor, no matter how much he wants, cannot do this without violating his natural nature. Helping the actor carry out this preparation is the true task of the director. And this preparation consists of suggesting to the actor not a feeling or a form of expression, but an action that will lead the actor to the desired feeling and cause the desired reaction. From a certain point of view, the most important "enemy" in acting is a designation of feelings instead of their true presence. Stanislavsky's statement that feelings cannot be played is understood by many as the absence, the destruction of emotionality in general.

If we talk about methodology, then the director and actor must achieve a “high temperature” of emotional intensity on stage, after which we can take care of the expressiveness of the means. The director must be able to suggest to the actor not a feeling, but the right action for every moment of his stage life. So, the language of directorial assignments should be the language of action, not the language of feelings.

Directing assignment form

Any director's instruction can be made both in the form of a verbal explanation and in the form of a director's demonstration. Verbal explanation is rightly considered the main form of director's instructions, but it is impossible to get by with words alone. The show is, of course, necessary, although this entails a very serious danger of the creative depersonalization of the actors. Obviously, a good director in his shows will not proceed from his own acting material, but from the material of the actor with whom he works.

A very important stage in the director’s work with the actors is the so-called table period of working on the play. This is laying the foundation for the future performance. How this period proceeds depends to a great extent on final result. The director must convey the idea to the actor so that it - the idea - becomes the creative idea of the entire team.

The director's work on the mise-en-scène.

Mise-en-scène is usually called the location of the characters on the stage in certain physical relationships to each other and to the material environment surrounding them. The purpose of mise-en-scène is to express their internal psychological relationships and actions through external, physical relationships between characters. Preliminary development of mise-en-scène in the form of a detailed score is as natural for a novice or inexperienced director as improvisation is for a mature master. The director's work on the mise-en-scène consists of mobilizing the director's imagination, which allows the director, firstly, to see the stage area and the actors moving across it in certain combinations with each other, and, secondly, to internally play out, live each mise-en-scène for each of the performers . The end result must come together in accordance with the actors and their interaction with each other.

Removing Creative Blockages

One of the serious obstacles to achieving the desired result in acting is the lack of attention to the partner and to the stage environment surrounding the actor. Such an obstacle is overcome, for example, in the following way: after the next repetition of an important part of the role, the director stops the actor in the most pathetic place and invites him to take a closer look to a partner. Consider, for example, a button on a partner’s jacket (what color it is, what it’s made of, how many holes there are in it), then his hairstyle, then his eyes, and when the director sees that the actor is focused on the object given to him, you can continue the text.

An equally serious problem is muscle tension. Here sometimes it is enough to tell the actor to release, for example, right hand, or face, forehead, neck, so that the actor gets rid of creative pressure. In fact, there are a great many different obstacles, but the director must know: you should never move on without achieving an impeccable execution of a given passage from the point of view of artistic truth.

One can imagine what knowledge of the acting material, what a keen eye, what sensitivity and insight a director must have to realize his plans! Fortunately, all these qualities develop if the director appreciates and loves the actor, if he does not tolerate anything mechanical on stage, if he is not satisfied until the actor’s performance becomes organic, internally fulfilled and artistically truthful.