The director is what he does. Profession director

Directing as a profession.

The art of directing was born simultaneously with the emergence of entertainment art, and the profession itself, as we understand it now, was finally formed by the end of the 19th century. In Russia, directing is associated with the opening of the Moscow Art Theater in 1898, and its outstanding representatives at that time were theater directors - K.S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko.

In Ukraine, the emergence of directing as a profession is associated with the names of M. Staritsky and M. Kropivnitsky, the founders of the first professional theater in 1882.

Directing did not stand still, it was in motion, in creative search.

Thanks to such extraordinary and bright personalities as K.S. Stanislavsky, V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, V.E. Meyerhold, L. Kurbas and many others. other talented masters, directing became independent and formed independent creative directions in theatrical art, while the director received a leading role. The director, from an initially unnoticed theatrical assistant on general issues, gradually turns into a full-fledged “owner” of the creative process and the entire stage. Today in the theater, in cinema and on the stage, in mass holidays and performances, the director is a leader who leads the entire creative team.

IN AND. Nemirovich-Danchenko succinctly and clearly defined the nature of directorial creativity:

1. A director-interpreter, because he shows how to play, so he can be called a director-actor or a director-teacher.

2. The director is a mirror who reflects the individual qualities of the actor.

3. The director is the organizer of the entire performance.

Thus, the director is both the organizer of the creative process, and the teacher, and the creator, and the first viewer - this is how some of his main functions can be briefly defined.

The complexity and specificity of a director’s professional activity lies in the fact that it is essentially a broad-spectrum activity and includes four interrelated areas that operate in inextricable unity:

Organizational and managerial;

Social-psychological;

Psychological and pedagogical;

Artistic and creative.

Each of them involves practical, creative and theoretical activities. Director-teacher V.A. Nelly identified the main qualities of a director:

The director must be a progressive person, an innovator, a son of his people and his era;

The presence of tact, endurance and high culture;

Comprehensive knowledge;

Poetic imagination;

Good taste, subtle taste in music, language, sense of rhythm;

Knowledge of drama, its technique, theory and history;

The director is the head of theatrical production, hence knowledge in all the details of the theater and its organization, technology and auxiliary means;

The actor is the main figure in the theater, its center and basis, so the director must know the actor and his work well;

To be a psychologist, to try to penetrate into the “life of the human spirit” in order to accurately and poetically create real life on the stage;

Be a natural person. While reading a play, “feel” the work and see it revealed on stage;

Drama is the art of action. The main quality of a director is the ability to note, capture the content of events, the ability to see different segments of life in which memory is manifested, which would preserve different types of action with which real life is filled;

Inexhaustible imagination, ingenuity, resourcefulness;

Strong will, clarity of perception, creative direction and the ability to foresee the result, i.e. the ultimate goal towards which creative efforts are directed;

History of the profession

The art of directing in the modern sense developed in the second half of the 19th century; however, the word “director” appeared much earlier: in Russia it came into use back in the time of Elizabeth - with the arrival of the French troupe in 1742 (in the Russian theater the head of the troupe or the director of the play was called “director”)

In one form or another, directing, as a production art, existed in ancient times. In the ancient Greek theater, the role of didaskal (from the Greek didaskalos, didaskalos - “teacher”), the organizer of a theatrical production, was often played by a playwright, which was due, not least, to the tradition of uniting the author and performer in one person.

During the Renaissance, a playwright was often both an actor and a company leader (or vice versa - the actor leading the company became a playwright), as, for example, Angelo Beolco in Italy, Lope de Rueda in Spain or Hans Sachs in Germany. The aristocratization of the theater, which began in the second half of the 16th century, and in Italy - already at the end of the 15th century, strengthened the spectacular principle in it; complex set design and the use of theatrical mechanisms, which made flights, transformations and other theatrical effects possible, brought to the fore the art of the decorator-machinist and architect - they, accordingly, became the directors of the production. In Milan, at the court of Lodovico Moro, at the end of the 15th century, the organizer of stage performances was Leonardo da Vinci, not only as an artist, but also as a first-class mechanic, who created sophisticated mechanical structures for the court theater. And in the following centuries, the role of designers invariably increased where the theater turned into a magnificent spectacle.

In the theater of the Classical era (XVII-XVIII centuries), with its conventional scenery, uniform aesthetics and regulated acting techniques, the role of the director of the production returned to the playwright, who, like Moliere, for example, could be both the leader of the troupe and the actor. Racine himself staged his tragedies at the Parisian theater of the Burgundy Hotel.

In the second half of the 18th century, the leader of the troupe increasingly became the leading actor, who did not combine his activities with literary creativity. The head of the Hamburg theater, Friedrich Schroeder, was the first to introduce preliminary readings of plays and regular rehearsals into practice. The theater reformer at the end of the 18th century was the great French actor Francois-Joseph Talma, who headed the “Theater of the Revolution” in Paris.

Production art in Russia

In Russia, when the first “theater for presenting tragedies and comedies” was established on August 30, 1756, the directorate was entrusted to the playwright A.P. Sumarokov, who at first was both the organizer of the Russian drama theater and the director of performances. The leading actors, Fyodor Volkov and Ivan Dmitrevsky, also performed directorial duties for the Russian troupe. After Sumarokov’s resignation, Volkov was called “the first actor” and “the first comedian” in the decrees, and this title assigned him the responsibilities of managing the troupe.

Since the beginning of the 19th century, the position of director was part of the staff of the drama troupe, but his responsibilities were mainly administrative and technical. At the same time, major playwrights, in particular N.V. Gogol, A.N. Ostrovsky, sometimes artists, such as M.A. Shishkov, and very often prompters could act as directors of performances

Birth of a profession

Throughout the 19th century, in the drama theater, as well as on the opera stage, premieres and prima donnas reigned, performances were staged mainly for them, not only the roles, but also the play as a whole could be reshaped for the leading actors of the troupe, the demonstration of their acting skills turned into an end in itself, everything else turned out to be insignificant and became overgrown with cliches; different plays could be performed in the same conventional settings.

The first professional directors are considered to be Charles Kean in England and Heinrich Laube in Germany, who back in the 50s of the 19th century tried in different ways to streamline the relationship between drama, on the one hand, and acting, set design, costumes, etc. - with another. While Keane, in his monumental productions, developed methods of “spectacular directing”: they were distinguished by the splendor of historical surroundings and skillful organization of crowd scenes, Laube professed “conversational” directing: in his much more modest performances, contemporaries noted the unprecedented ensemble acting and high stage speech culture. Duke George II, who had directed the Meiningen Theater since 1866, was also a professional director; but George II, who often created sketches of costumes and scenery himself, was mainly interested in the artistic and design part.

The real turning point came at the end of the 19th century: first, the Meiningen Theater under the direction of Ludwig Kroneck, a little later Andre Antoine’s “Free Theater” in Paris and Otto Brahm’s “Free Stage” in Berlin for the first time put forward the principles of ensemble, subordination of all components of the performance to a single concept, careful attitude to author's text, authenticity in recreating historical or everyday surroundings. New tasks required the transformation of production management into a special profession - a director in the modern sense, possessing the full range of knowledge and skills necessary to solve these problems, and contributed to the establishment of his dominant role in the dramatic theater. French theater historians consider the date of birth of directing to be the day when the first performance of A. Antoine's Free Theater took place - March 30, 1887. In Germany, the emergence of directing is usually associated with the activities of the Meiningen and Bayreuth theaters and, accordingly, attribute it to the late 70s or 80s of the 19th century.

Director in the 20th century

If in Western Europe and in the 20th century they could argue about who is more important in the dramatic theater, then in Russia Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, initially relying on the experience of L. Kronek and A. Antoine, made the professional director the unconditional main figure. In Russia, the director's theater was established by their numerous students: Evgeny Vakhtangov, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Andrey Lavrentyev, Alexey Dikiy, Alexey Popov, Andrey Lobanov and many others; in the future - students of students: Konstantin Tverskoy, Nikolai Okhlopkov, Georgy Tovstonogov...

Western European theater had its own outstanding directors, most notably Max Reinhardt and Erwin Piscator; director and playwright teamed up once again in the person of Bertolt Brecht. At the same time, many outstanding directors, including B. Brecht and M. Vallentin in Germany, Louis Jouvet and Georges Pitoev in France, were influenced by the Russian theater.

In the theater of the 20th century, when staging a play, everything was already subordinated to the director’s plan, which involves the interpretation of the play as a whole and each individual character, the determination of the features of the actor’s performance necessary for a given play, the solution of the performance in space (development of mise-en-scenes) and in time - the determination of its rhythm and pace; often the director took upon himself the artistic design of the performance, especially if he was an artist by another profession, such as Nikolai Akimov; in other cases, he determined the principles of artistic design together with the artist, and musical principles with the composer.

Participation in the creation of a performance by a sponsor (producer) could significantly limit the freedom of the director, in particular in the choice of actors; in other cases, the appointment of performers was also within the competence of the director.

At the same time, even within the framework of the “director’s” theater, the relationship between the director and the actors could be different. Speaking about the largest directors of the Soviet theater during its heyday (50s-70s), S. Bushueva noted that, for example, G. Tovstonogov, as an artist of an epic nature, in the absence of a pronounced directorial voice, imperiously directed the performance, subordinating the play of each ensemble , allowing the actor “that maximum self-display that is possible within the framework of the epic structure”; Oleg Efremov in Sovremennik, always remaining a leader, dissolved in the team of his actors: “It was an acting brotherhood, a monastery, a commune, where even the personal beginning of everyone appeared in the form of a feeling of common involvement in the generation,” - in a certain sense, Efremov’s Sovremennik " could be called a "self-regulating artistic organism." Anatoly Efros was a leader of a different kind: “He not only carefully selected actors who were in tune with himself... He purposefully cultivated certain traits of each artistic personality, concentrating them in a mask that absorbed the essential principle of the actor’s individuality.” Yuri Lyubimov, on the contrary, fully remaining the “author of the play”, provided his actors with complete freedom of self-expression and, within the limits of the director’s exact plan, left them ample opportunities for improvisation.

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).

Many people would like to become famous by directing their own film or staging an original play. In a sense, the profession of director is complete freedom of expression, but it also has its pitfalls. To become truly in demand and successful, talent and artistic taste alone are not enough.

What does a director do?

The director can work in various institutions: circus, theater, opera, film studio. Even concerts of vocal performers often introduce a pre-developed element of show performance.

There is a lot of work for a director in the advertising field, when creating videos. The very first task of a specialist is to develop a concept for the project, then discuss and write a script together with the playwright. After this, the director selects members of the production team who will work with him on the play or film (assistant, lighting operator, choreographer, costume designer, choir director, movement and stunt director).

Based on thoughtful scenes, sketches and a general work plan, a financial estimate is drawn up, which will be the budget of the film or production. Then the selection of actors is carried out, who must best correspond to the images conceived by the director. The director can appoint his own assistant, who will monitor the correct fulfillment of the director’s requirements, as well as record each stage of the work.

Qualities and skills of a director

A director's work on a production is a colossal effort that includes many elements. Together with the artists, he designs costumes and scenery, participates in the selection of music with the composer, develops and corrects plasticity and movements with the choreographer.

The director must be able to do everything that his troupe does, be a specialist in everything. This is the only way he can achieve harmony and integrity of all components, completeness of the work. Each stage of the troupe’s work is approved by the director and, if necessary, changed and finalized.

As for the director’s personal qualities, they are not at all ordinary. In addition to the obligatory talent and taste, a specialist must be a strong and strong-willed person, be able to dictate his opinion and defend it in a dispute. He must have a subtle sense of harmony, be able to communicate with a large number of people and find an approach to each of his employees. In addition, the director must have technical knowledge in his field, the ability to understand the equipment and use its capabilities in the production.

Making your own film or creating a production is not an easy task. It requires time and is not always appreciated by critics and viewers. To become successful, the director must be able to find a compromise between his idea and the expectations of the audience.

Pros and cons of being a director

Advantages:

• creative profession;
• working with interesting people;
• fame and success in successful projects.

Flaws:

• work takes up all the time;
• practically no personal life;
• creative crises are possible.

Career growth and salary

A director's career path can develop in a certain field: theater, cinema, animation. There is no growth as such, professional production skills are being honed. In any case, the profession requires the ability to manage people and achieve goals. Another direction is working on your own project or producing. Here it is necessary to develop entrepreneurial qualities. A director's salary largely depends on the scale of the project he is directing.

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Reference

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 work not only on theater stages, but also on film sets, various entertainment and social events.

Demand for the profession

Little in demand

Profession Director is considered not very in demand, since there is a decline in interest in this profession on the labor market. Directors have lost their relevance among employers either due to the fact that the field of activity is becoming obsolete, or there are too many specialists.

Description of activity

Selects material for performances, theme nights, and other club events, recruits a creative team, conducts training, and directs the creative process of actors. As the artistic director of a theatrical or cinematic production, the director brings together all the work on its preparation and implementation, distributes roles, approves actors, invents and stages the performance or filming. He needs to convey a certain idea to the audience, evoke emotions, make them laugh or cry, be happy or upset, be horrified or delighted. The work schedule is irregular; you may need to work almost 24 hours, indoors or outdoors, in any weather conditions. Frequent flights and relocations are possible.

Uniqueness of the profession

Rare profession

Representatives of the profession Director really rare these days. Not everyone decides to become Director. There is a high demand among employers for specialists in this field, so the profession Director has the right to be called a rare profession.

What education is needed

Secondary vocational education (college, technical school)

To work in a profession Director, it is not necessary to have a higher professional education in the relevant specialty. For this profession, it is enough to have a diploma of secondary vocational education obtained from a college or technical school, or, for example, it is enough to complete special courses.

Job responsibilities

He chooses the script, sometimes changes it, describes the shots for filming: what exactly should be shot and how it should be shot (this is usually not only described in words, but also sketched). The director works with a huge number of people, manages their activities, coordinates the actions of the film crew and actors. After filming, the director is present during editing, coordinating the work of composers, etc.

Type of labor

Mainly mental work

Profession Director- This is a profession predominantly of mental work, which is largely associated with the reception and processing of information. In progress Director the results of his intellectual reflections are important. But, at the same time, physical labor is not excluded.

Features of career growth

Few people can make a career - few people would risk investing in the project of an unknown dreamer, or trusting a budding university graduate to direct a blockbuster. Directors in theaters receive a salary (usually quite modest), and the salary of a film director depends on the agreement with the producer. Naturally, beginners should not count on big earnings; it’s good if anyone is ready to invest money in their ideas. The director does not always have orders, and how long he can sit idle is unknown. Any implemented projects increase fame and status and provide an opportunity to claim future achievements. And when a person has already gained fame in the director’s field, he can set his own conditions and earn very well. The fees of world-famous directors can be simply fabulous.

Career Opportunities

There are enough opportunities

The vast majority of representatives of the profession Director believe that they have enough opportunities for career advancement. If an ordinary specialist has such a goal, then it is quite possible for him to occupy a leadership position in this area.