Director is a sought-after profession. Profession Director

The head of the creative team works on the production of a film, play or show.

Wage

50,000–90,000 rub. (rabota.yandex.ru)

Place of work

Can work in cinema, television, theater, circus, etc.

Responsibilities

A production director is, first of all, a creative leader! He is responsible for the artistic component of a project in cinema, television or theater. Actors, cameramen, sound engineers, production designers and others work under the direction of the production director.

The production director himself may be the author of the literary basis (script or play), or he may take into account the works of other authors. The main thing is that it is he who is ultimately responsible for what the viewer sees. Success or failure will forever be associated with the name of the director.

Specializations: feature films or documentaries, theatrical performances, circus programs, musical shows, public events. The production director selects the actors, works with them on their roles, together with the sound engineer and stage designer thinks through the design of the performance, etc.

Important qualities

The profession requires artistry, charisma, imaginative thinking, a high level of intelligence, a broad outlook, imagination, self-discipline and high ability to work.

Reviews about the profession

“The director not only has to stage the event, but also come up with it himself, and in order to write this very script, you need to find an idea, a concept. And here the ability to observe is important; firstly, all ideas should be taken from life. You can take an idea from life through observation. After all, if you look closely, you can find many topics. But how can you become observant? Don’t worry, over time it will come to you.”

Editor of the citykey.net portal.

Stereotypes, humor

Dear, what should I give you on March 8? Choose what you want - a diamond necklace, a mink coat, a villa on the French Riviera?.. - Darling, give me only tonight and your love. - Removed! - the director announced.

Education

To work as a stage director, you must obtain a higher specialized education.

Studying in St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University, Russian State Pedagogical University named after A. I. Herzen, St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television.

Studying in Moscow: Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Moscow City Psychological and Pedagogical University, Theater Institute named after Boris Shchukin at the State Academic Theater named after Evgeniy Vakhtangov.

Profession director

The director is the most important person on the stage or film set. He is an organizer, manager, creative director and inspiration for the entire acting group. If it were not for the art and high professionalism of directors, the world would not have seen talented feature films or theatrical productions. The directing profession is quite complex and difficult, because mastering it requires not only talent and creativity, but also a lot of work, first of all, on yourself.

The time when the profession of director was born is considered to be the second half of the 19th century. Before this, there was no single leader on the theater stage. Stage productions could be staged by the actors themselves or by playwrights. Over time, the skill and professionalism of directors grew, the principles and skills of the profession were developed, and today directors appear before us not only as directors of theatrical scenes, but also of film sets, various entertainment and social events.…

Art is an integral and important part of the life of society, because man is a spiritual being. We watch such elements of art as films and theatrical performances not only with great pleasure, but also learn something from them, understand something that was previously inaccessible to us. And what contribution to a child’s soul occurs thanks to children’s entertaining and educational programs and films. A talented director who knows how to skillfully influence the sensitive strings of the human soul will be able to put into these souls the concepts of good and evil, truth and lies, the beautiful and the monstrous. The great power of art makes us kinder, clearer, a little more sentimental, we empathize with the heroes, cry and rejoice with them. To become better, a person must see and surround himself with beauty, because it is not for nothing that they say that beauty will save the world. Therefore, directorial work is extremely important for the moral and spiritual development of society.

The profession of director is quite popular and prestigious, especially now that domestic cinema is experiencing a revival. Many young people dream of creating a super film that will cause an explosion of audience delight, positive reviews from critics and will bring awards and fame. However, this profession, like no other, is not widespread. There are quite a lot of people who graduate from directing courses, but not all graduates become directors, and only a few acquire fame and name. Only real talent can make it to the top of the director's Olympus. A talent that is based on tremendous work, perseverance and perseverance. For a future director, such qualities as imagination, imaginative thinking, the ability to work and find a common language with people are also important. In addition, the director must know the basics of acting in order to properly coordinate the work of the actors.

This profession has many positive aspects, because it is associated with creation and creativity. You will have to work with many interesting people, travel to different cities, countries and exotic places. In addition, directing work is paid quite well and is prestigious.
The negative aspects of this work include irregular working hours, often round-the-clock employment. And it can be very difficult for a novice director to break through and make a name for himself.

This profession is acquired at cultural institutes, theater academies, and cinematography institutes. Today you can study to become a director not only in state universities, but also in commercial ones, on a paid basis. Competition, as a rule, is very high in educational institutions, so you need to show remarkable talent and creativity.

In cinematography and theatre, the leading role is given not to actors or producers, but to directors. It is he who is entrusted with responsibility for the final result, and it is in relation to him that the highest demands are made.

In recent years, domestic cinema is undergoing a revival. The society is regularly presented with new films that can rightly be considered masterpieces of the film industry. In this regard, the demand for people with creative specialties who will be able to maintain the achieved level and continue the development of art is increasing.

Who is the director?

– a specialist who manages a set of key processes on film sets, stages, circus arenas and other theatrical and concert events. He interprets the script and has a complete understanding of how a particular scene needs to be played to make the plot look as realistic as possible.

The profession of director arose relatively recently - at the end of the 19th century. Of course, the need for people coordinating actors and working on staging performances appeared in an earlier period, namely during the formation of the theater. However, at that time, theater troupes mainly managed on their own, so the number of such specialists was limited.

The idea of directing in its modern presentation belongs to the German and French theater - it consists in the formation of an ensemble and the subordination of the entire performance to a single concept.

Emergence and rapid cinema development caused not only an increase in the popularity of the profession, but also the range of responsibilities assigned to directors, which would be quite difficult for one person to cope with. This determined the need to highlight narrower areas:

The production director is an experienced professional who heads the entire team and is responsible for the result of its work. He selects actors, corrects their performance, and makes amendments to the script.
The director has the second most important level after the production director and, in fact, is his assistant, who learns from him and gains experience. He is involved in major projects and is given responsibility for selecting extras and filming minor scenes.
An assistant director is the lowest level of the profession and at the same time a good start for career growth. Despite the fact that he is “in the wings” and does not perform any important functions, many graduates of educational institutions begin their activities in this position.
The sound engineer is improving the quality of voices. He expresses his expert opinion on what exactly needs to be said and with what intonation so that the sound matches the picture as closely as possible and evokes certain emotions in the audience.
The editing director is an expert who combines individual episodes into a single, complete picture. In his work, he is guided by the recommendations of the chief director and works with him, selecting the best scenes from the footage.

A theater director has a completely different specificity of work. Theater productions require special training and skills. The acting, the script, the scenery - everything must be built flawlessly, since in the theater the director will not have the opportunity to shoot another take that the audience will like.

Depending on the type of specialization, the main responsibilities of a director may vary, but the most important aspects of the job include:

interaction with screenwriters, producers and other participants in the process;
distribution of roles, control and staging of actors' performances;
lighting adjustments;
viewing the footage and highlighting the best shots;
making changes to the script;
instructions regarding the appearance of actors;
resolving controversial situations and maintaining an appropriate work environment, etc.

It should be noted that directors are unique specialists. Often they can combine work with related professions and act as producers, screenwriters, and actors. In this case, the range of their responsibilities expands significantly.

What personal qualities should a director have?

To unleash their creative potential and achieve success in their careers, directors have to work hard and put in a lot of effort. Therefore, it is very important for them to be purposeful, hardworking, strong-willed people.

As in others creative professions, in their activities they must be creative and have a broad outlook.
A high level of intellectual development, erudition and imaginative thinking are constant companions in the work of directors.
Curiosity and a desire for self-development are required to increase experience and better understand the profession.
Since people in this profession have a large number of employees under them, they must have leadership qualities and be sociable.
The ability to organize work and find compromise solutions in problem situations is the key to a favorable atmosphere in the workplace.
Objectivity and observation will also be useful on the creative path, which will allow you to give a correct assessment of what is happening and choose the right direction.

Advantages of being a director

The director gets great pleasure from the opportunity to self-realize and bring his ideas to life, which, if successful, will be recognized by the public, and he will gain popularity and recognition.

High-level specialists do not need to look for work - she finds them herself. Majority famous directors are very much in demand and receive large fees, the amount of which is usually not disclosed. Naturally, the level of their salary directly depends on the scale of the projects, but, basically, they can independently set the amount of remuneration for their work.

The profession is very exciting due to the fact that directors travel very often and participate in various events. In addition to the opportunity to see the world, an equally attractive aspect of the job is meeting famous people and making connections, which will undoubtedly bring great benefits.

Disadvantages of being a director

The main disadvantages of the profession include the low probability that a specialist will be able to achieve success in his career. For beginning directors it's quite difficult. Lack of experience and a recognizable “name” often means lack of work. A significant part of sponsors choose only famous personalities for their projects, who will certainly be able to create a masterpiece. Of course, you can start your career by working on small projects, but in this case you won’t have to count on a substantial reward. And there are no guarantees that in the future you will be able to get into the major leagues.

Being a director means not only entertainment and loud parties in honor of the premiere, but also hard work. This work most often does not provide for a standardized schedule and scheduled vacation. It is not uncommon for directors to work late into the night or around the clock until they achieve the desired result.

Very often directors experience stress and are in a state of increased psycho-emotional stress, which can have an extremely negative impact on their health. Also, do not forget that the main share of success in the creative profession is associated with inspiration. Depression, apathy and stress are unlikely to lead to the creation of something worth attention.

Where can I get a job as a director?

It is impossible to master the profession of a director on your own or with the help of special courses. Although studying the basic principles of directing self-education will not bring harm; you can become a real specialist only by receiving an appropriate higher education.

Today, in most Russian cities there is at least one university that trains directors. Many universities are for-profit, but there are also plenty of state universities where you can get this profession. All educational institutions offer training primarily on a paid basis, with a minimum number of budget places, and it is very difficult to enroll in them. Applicants are selected according to strict criteria, the main one of which, however, remains talent.

Future employment largely depends on the choice of university, since in this profession the prestige of the university plays an important role. The most popular educational institutions among employers include:

Image sources: macdigger.ru, tvkinoradio.ru, vnews.agency, severinform.ru

The director's profession belongs to the category of creative ones, and its essence lies in directing the creative process of creating a work - a film, a play, a circus performance, a variety show, etc.

A representative of this profession is responsible only for the creative side of creating a work. This distinguishes the director from the producer, who raises money for the project and resolves financial, technical, and organizational issues. However, there are masters who combine both roles and avoid possible conflicts of interest (commerce and creativity).

What types of directors are there?

Stage director

The production director is the main person who is responsible for everything that happens on the set or on stage. Actors, cameramen, sound engineers, screenwriters, decorators and other specialists report to him - he organizes them and is responsible for the final result. Therefore, the word “director” is not always used in relation to him.

Theater director

The tasks of the theater director include organizing and conducting all activities for staging the play - from working on the text of the play, selecting performers and scenery to staging the work, synchronizing the actions of the actors and their compliance with both the storyline and the artistic concept (both the author of the play and his own ).

Film editor

The profession of editing director (or film editing) hides an ordinary editor who brings together pieces of filming into one work (film, TV show, commercial, clip). Of course, this is not an ordinary technician who presses buttons on a computer, but a specialist who works side by side with the director, who knows all the subtleties and nuances of the future film and, in addition, knows how to perform all the technical functions.

The main task of the editing director is to make the output what the chief director expects.

Places of work

The position of director is provided for in many organizations producing entertainment and entertainment products:

in film companies and film studios;
in theaters and circuses;
in large advertising agencies.

And some other organizations.

History of the profession

Before the advent of cinema, the profession of a director belonged to the theatrical field. At all times, there have been people who staged plays, performances and various shows. These could be playwrights, actors or someone else, but they were the progenitors of future directors.

The popularity of the theater and more complex productions around the second half of the 19th century gave birth to the profession of director. The Meiningen Theater, directed by Ludwig Kroneck, can be considered her birthplace.

Directors appeared in cinema almost immediately with its emergence: in the documentary genre - the inventors of cinema themselves, the Lumière brothers, in the fiction genre - Georges Méliès, in the animation - Emile Reynaud.

Over time, this activity became more diverse; not only film and theater directors appeared, but also circus directors, organizers of large public events, etc.

Director's responsibilities

The list and scope of specific tasks and responsibilities of the director can vary significantly depending on the direction and specifics of the activity. For example, a film director does the following things:

writes or selects a script;
determines the overall artistic style of the painting;
selects actors and directs them;
supervises the work of decorators, costume designers, screenwriters, cameramen, editors, assistants and other specialists;
manages the installation procedure (sometimes participates in it).

For comparison, we will describe some of the functions of a television director who creates programs and broadcasts:

creates scripts;
accepts ready-made stories and programs;
participates in editing television programs and advertising videos;
works live.

Requirements for the director

The basic requirements for the director are simple:

higher specialized education;
experience in a certain field of directing: film, theater, television, etc.

At the same time, “profile” specialists (editing directors, sound engineers, etc.) are sometimes required to know the relevant equipment and software.

How to become a director

Becoming a director, especially a high-level one, is not so easy. To do this, you need to obtain a higher education in the specialty “director” - for example, graduate from the directing department of VGIK, a theater academy, a cultural institute, or another specialized university.

Moreover, it is advisable to choose an educational institution immediately according to the desired specialty: very few manage to retrain, for example, from a theater director to a film director during the course of their career.

Director's salary

How much a director earns is a big question. Famous artists make millions, but they always risk that their next creation will fail and they will end up in the red.

In addition to famous directors, there are also a lot of unnamed specialists. Their incomes are usually not very high. A director's salary can range from 30 to 250 thousand rubles per month (depending on the employer and the level of projects).

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

A director is a person who manages all 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 productions. 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 originated simultaneously 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

There are not so many higher educational institutions where 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 a guarantee of the success of 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 enormous creative potential. The director is impartial and does not play favorites - this is important in a creative team. This specialist must be well-read, artistic and intellectually developed. A broad outlook is the director's best assistant.

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 are completely different numbers. The amounts are not disclosed.

Is it easy to get a job?

If you are a famous director, then projects will find you on their own. 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 assignments 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.

A stage director is the pinnacle of a career. You get all the power and assistants who will take care of secondary processes. Now you are in charge of the creative areas of 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.