Acting : What's the thing you hate about some directors? by Mike Chinea

Why the negative? Is it somehow helpful to describe why we hate something? Maybe I'm wrong and many people will want to revel in hate and pet peeves.

There are a lot of Dos and Don'ts. By expressing some of the negatives we may be able to resolve issues. On some sets it's a love fest and we all get along just great on other shoots people seem to get in each others way. Issues can be from smoking areas to vegan meals and everything in between.

Cool. Mike. I hope you find the stories of hate you're looking for.

everything?

D. Marcus then I guess your pet peeve is surveys about pet peeves :)

Not at all, Mike. I was just curious about why you wanted to talk about what people hate - seemed kind of negative to me. You answered my curiosity.

It was more of a tongue-in-cheek discussion about things that bother actors on the set that's all.

As a lighting man by profession, I've spent most of my time viewing the actor/director relationship from the perspective of distance, though in close proximity, I see both sides working to achieve the same thing. Adversarial relationships between the two are wildly misplaced and counter productive. That said, having been trained as an actor by one of the great Group Theater founders, Morris Carnovsky, I've often wished I could intervene with a suggestion or two. I've seen so many directors tell their actors to "make it big". I've seen this in lesser acting schools as well. One thing Morris taught me: Before even thinking of "making it big", find the small, discovery that kernel of dramatic truth that touches your heart and your soul. Lock that in. Then you can make it as big as want without losing that core of truth. He also said, "Play the opposites. If you're playing a comic role, first find the core of tragedy or pathos at it's center. If you're playing a tragedy, first find the comedy or at least the irony at it's center." I think that every actor and director could benefit from this wisdom.

You're so right, finding that kernel of truth in the scene makes all the difference.

In Denver I worked with a "Director" who had been to "Film School" but was asking me, the Writer, for shot direction on every scene. I should have been credited as the Director, and he as the 1st AD, for all the Direction I gave.

Count your lucky stars Christian, most of the shoots around here do not let the writer anywhere near the set. :)

35yrs, many directors ......you had to take the good with the bad...........................In my day mostly good.....

Alle...The Cinematographer is the person who specifically enhances the shot with lens choice, focal point, lighting intensity & color, etc. when the Director has said, "Shoot these lines from over here". My "Director" looked at the script [he'd read], looked at me, and said, "So, what are we doing here?" I had to explain the entrance of the actors, my ideas on the best framing of the shot, the movements of the lead and background, and how the following shot would keep our continuity. If I'd taken the time to tell the actors what to do, too, oh wait...I did have to do that in a couple scenes.