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This is our first production meeting, I recorded it just to outline what it is I want to get out of our session and sights everyone was on the same page. We had 2 people missing from the start of the lesson so I made sure to document/outline what we were planning to achieve within our lesson.

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Here you can see two of my cast crew preparing for the opening scene of our performance. I directed Josh (the camera operator) to ensure that he got multiple close ups of all the judges reactions to the contestants auditions. I did this because I knew it would add another element of comedy to our piece. Especially as I told all of the judges to perform very over the top reactions to what they were witnessing.

I made sure that our scene was set up exactly how the real set is in the show so that it would be obviously recognisable to our audience. I made sure to ask James that w could use the green screen as not only would it add a better production element to our piece but it would also tie it together and allow us to use the actual back drop from the show.

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Attached is the link to the script I put together to help with our Jeremy Kyle scene.

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For my performance I am the director. Which means I will have final say over all creative decisions during rehearsals and performing. It will be down to me to keep everyone on track and ensure that everyone is confident in what we are doing.

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I got everyone together at the start of the second week of filming to explain why we were still recording X factor. Because Nat was in an exam all of our last lesson meaning we were delayed in our filming of his section. This shouldn’t be too problematic because the way we set out our rehearsal schedule meant we had a couple weeks left at the end to film things we’d missed.

This was important to catch Nat up on what he had missed in the lesson and explain what we needed him to do

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According to 'Masterclass.com' a director is 'one of the most important people on a film set. They do more than shout “action” and “cut” behind the scenes—they’re the person who determines the creative vision and makes all of the film’s biggest decisions'. They have the final say on all major creative choices and are in charge of ensuring everyone is kept on track, up to speed with what is happening on set. This means it will be my job to check in with people, remind them of what I need them to be doing and make sure that they are all on track.

Average salary: Variable

Typical hours: 39-41 (irregular hours).

Skills I need:

Knowledge of media production

To be thorough and pay attention to detail

Leadership skills

Strong initiative

Accept criticism

Ambition

People skills/communication

Skills I posses:

Leadership skills

Strong initiative

Accepting of criticism

People/communication skills

And I pay attention to detail

However I need to work on being strict with people to make sure they stay on track and to build a knowledge of media production.

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I recorded this meeting because we had to bring forward filming strictly come dancing as we were falling behind waiting on other people to turn up so I had to update the members of our group that were available so they all knew what we were doing for the day. This mainly involved olly, Harriet and me as olly and I were performing the dance with Harriet teaching us.

We needed an earlier rehearsal to make sure we were all prepared and so we booked that out ahead of the lesson.

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I recorded this meeting because we were missing Nat (due to him being sick) so I needed to update the rest of my group on what we were doing. Luckily Nat wasn’t a lead role so it didn’t affect us too much. I needed to prep Olly on what we needed for the day, costume wise. After the meeting, Olly went to fetch costume whilst Liv took us to the location she chose and we set up.

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In the three images above you can see me working with Josh and directing the rest of my group. During this scene I directed Mike and Harriet to be sat at opposing sides of the table until Harriet's characters announcers that she is leaving home at which point she gets up and leaves. From there I told Mike I wanted him to get up and follow her a bit before screaming at her. Whilst their scene is playing out I had Harriet, Olly and Emma set out behind them drinking their own drinks and engaging in their own conversations. Accept for when Mike and Harriet have their argument kicking off, at which point I directed them to react and engage with what was going off around them.

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In these screenshots you can see my communication as director with my team ahead of filming X factor.

Firstly I messaged Nat (props manager) to ask him to source the props we need for X factor ahead of lesson since we knew he’d be unavailable during our lesson. I did this so that we wouldn’t be further delayed as a result of his absence, and so that we could crack straight on with filming.

In the second screenshot you can see me Liv (locations/media manager) to make sure that the room we required was booked for when we need it meaning that there would be no confusion with other groups as to who is using what room and we can start filming ASAP.

And finally, you can see me asking Mike (editor) to make sure that his camera (which is what we used for all filming) was charged and ready to film on so that we didn’t have any problems when it came to filming.

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I recorded this meeting because I needed to talk with Liv about all the locations we might be using for filming today. In the end we used all of them because I thought they fit what I had envisioned perfectly.

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This is a clip from our Baby Reindeer section. During shooting this scene I directed my camera operator (Josh) to follow just over the shoulder of Olly so that the focus starts on him, but both characters are visible and in focus.

I directed Mike to develop a 'creepy' run as he followed Oliver down the alley to add to the suspension of the scene. Obviously this clip has been shot in a comedic style, however I still wanted to develop an element of unease and suspensions within this scene so that it still lived up to source material.

For another section of this scene I made sure that Mike and Oliver were comfortable getting uncomfortably close with one another. There's a part of this scene where Mike's character pushes Oliver's up against the wall and holds him there. I told him Mike to get as close to Oliver's face as he could when he spoke and to talk in a high pitched whisper. I thought this would add another 'creep' factor to Michael's character.

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As Nat was off last lesson and had been ill for a few days after, I messaged him to make sure he’d be in on Thursday so that we can finish X factor as his part was the only thing left to film.

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I held this meeting as due to unfortunate weather conditions we had to change our filming locations. Luckily Liv had already accounted for this and made a backup which is what we ended up using. Nat once again was off but fortunately he wasn’t needed for this scene so it didn’t impact our productivity at all. We got all we wanted to film done and had time to spare after to discuss what we would be doing next week.

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In this image you can see a behind the scenes shot of our gogglebox scene. Within this scene I directed Josh to get shots just of our reactions so that I could then get my editor (Mike) to layer the Baby Reindeer footage over the top. Unlike the previous scenes I told our camera operator (Josh) to just let the camera role and trusted that Nat and I would be able to improvise enough lines to fill the scene. This ended up being a brilliant decision as we developed some of the funniest parts of our performance.

Moreover, I also directed Oliver, Liv and Harriet (who played a small family for this scene) to set up as a family dynamic with Liv (the child) on the floor and the parents (Olly and Harriet) on the sofa behind her. Before we started rolling we came up with some basic dialogue topics; stereotypical family banter, the dad falling asleep and the mum telling him off, the child acting up and getting told off etc.

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I held this meeting to update everyone on some developments within the group. Livs kitchen was being redecorated and so we couldn’t use her house for filming, luckily Mike stepped in and said we would be able to go to his to film so this didn’t set us back much. After discussing the length of our film with our editor (Mike) I decided to cut our Hells Kitchen section because we had already reached 15 minutes of footage so we didn’t think it was necessary. I also had to inform our costume manager (Olly) that he would need to prepare the costumes early as we were all meeting at Mikes house so he’d need to bring them with him.

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In this post, is all the links we used as inspiration for our videos. For the most part we kept the same script and just copied the same lines that they used in the videos.

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In these two pictures you can see me ask Harriet (dance choreographer) and update the rest of our group about a new rehearsal schedule. It didn’t make much difference to the rest of the team as they weren’t that involved with this section however it’s my job to keep everyone up to date and on track with what’s going on.

Due to people being late and absent I had to make sure that Harriet would be able to finalise her choreography for Strictly so that we could continue to film and stay on track instead of falling behind. This did mean that Harriet had to work quicker than she’d thought however she did it well and it all worked out.

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In this picture you can see me updating my group and making sure that everyone is on the same page and prepared for our day of shooting so that I don’t have to waste time telling them on the day, we can just get started.

Liv had already asked me about using spoons so I just needed to ensure that we would actually be able to use it to film before we arrive at the location.

As well, I was aware that Olly was still sorting costumes for it so I just wanted to make sure he was on top of it so we don’t lose time on things we could have got done before.

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Film directors have ultimate responsibility for the production of a film, from start to finish, and need effective communication skills to coordinate everyone involved

Directors are integral to the success of any film project, and in your role as director, you'll contribute to all the creative elements of a production and shape them into a cohesive film.

To do this, you'll need a strong creative vision and the ability to communicate your ideas to a variety of people throughout the production process. This will include your production team, crew, actors and those responsible for financing the film.

Responsibilities

As a film director, you'll need to:

read scripts

work with writers and provide feedback on the further development of scripts

select actors - sometimes working with casting directors and producers during this selection process

monitor rehearsals

direct actors during the filming

select locations for filming

hold meetings with key departments such as the camera, art and costume departments during the planning stages and throughout the filming

agree the budget and schedule of the film with the producer

be responsible for staying on budget and schedule

supervise all creative aspects of the production

work with the editor to present the final version of the film

select music for the final film and/or work with a composer to decide on the musical score

build and develop a network of contacts including writers, producers, film festivals and public funding bodies

maintain contemporary technical skills

have an awareness and knowledge of emerging industry trends.

Salary

Employment is usually offered on a freelance or self-employed basis and the fees you command as a freelance director will vary considerably, depending on the size and scale of the project and the level of experience of the director.

Information about freelance rates and other general topics is available from Directors UK, where you can also promote yourself through its Find a Director listing.

Income from directing work is often erratic so it may be necessary to work alongside full or part-time jobs. If this is the case, you may be able to find work which is related to your directing, such as teaching and lecturing, or other industry roles, such as editing, assistant directing or production management.

Working hours

Like many roles in film and television, directing often involves working unsocial hours in the evenings and at weekends. During the production phase, a typical filming day is between 10 to 12 hours. However, as a director you should expect to supplement this work with extra time spent in meetings discussing other aspects of the production.

Filming is often on location, and you should be prepared to travel within the UK, and sometimes abroad, for work.

What to expect

It can take a long time to develop and plan a project. The development phase is often unpaid, or you may only receive expenses until the project has received the necessary financial backing to proceed into production. You'll need resilience and the ability to remain motivated during these times.

The nature of freelance work can cause employment insecurity.

A lot of work is in London and in large cities, but location filming can take place anywhere in the country and even abroad. For this reason, mobility is important, and you should be prepared to be flexible and willing to travel for interviews, meetings and filming.

Qualifications

There are no specific qualifications, entry examinations or professional memberships required to become a film director. However, you'll have to convince individuals such as producers and financiers, and organisations such as public funding bodies, broadcasters and film distributors, that you're someone worth supporting.

A degree in film production, or a related subject, provides a way of keeping abreast of new technical developments and industry trends, while developing your craft.

Therefore, your route into directing should be seen as acquiring skills and gaining experience while developing a network of contacts and a reputation for producing work of interest and quality.

Skills

You'll need to show:

creative flair

initiative and problem-solving ability

excellent communication

diplomacy and sensitivity

motivational and leadership skills

the ability to work under pressure

excellent time management

attention to detail.

Work experience

Gaining as much experience as possible working on film and broadcast television projects will provide you with real-world insight into how films are made and how a production is run.

Aspiring directors often combine work as runners and assistants on projects alongside making their own self-funded or low-budget film projects to develop their directing skills and build their reputation.

Look for job vacancies at:

Work experience provides an opportunity for you to network and build your contacts. Those working within the industry have often followed a similar career path of paid or voluntary work experience, so networking is expected and supported.

Location filming takes place across the whole of the UK on a regular basis. Film productions often seek the assistance of local film agencies to help them find local crew and locations. Staff at these agencies can help you find paid and voluntary work experience on film productions.

Creative industries agencies include:

Employers

Directing jobs are rarely advertised. Working as a director is largely dependent on word of mouth and developing a reputation.

Within the film industry directors are usually employed on a freelance, self-employed basis by independent production companies. They can make films for the large and small screen, delivering them to film distributors, sales agents and broadcasters.

Independent production companies and individual producers often initially develop projects without a director attached - they'll start looking for a director as they begin seeking finance for the project. The choice of director is often key to receiving financial backing for a project, as it's the director's experience, reputation and artistic value that will help to convince or satisfy the requirements of individuals or organisations funding the film project.

Directors seeking employment should research production companies to discover the projects they have in development.

Attending networking events is a good way to meet contacts from production companies, broadcasters and screen agencies and is important at every stage of a director's career. Be prepared to make direct approaches to production companies with evidence of your work in the form of short films, your showreel or a CV detailing your experience.

Being represented by a talent agent is another route into finding employment as a director. Employers often use agents to find directors. Most agents working in the audio-visual industry are based in London. An agent will promote you to potential employers and negotiate deals on your behalf.

Competition for representation by an agent is fierce and agents will only take on a small number of clients per year. The key to gaining representation relies on building a track record and a body of work that an agent can use to sell you and your talents to potential employers.

You may find representation with:

Professional development

The government-funded organisation ScreenSkills works with creative screen industries to develop skills and talent. It provides information and access to training courses, including free and subsidised training including e-learning modules. These courses will help you develop the necessary skills you need as a film director and to establish vital industry connections and contacts.

For more information, see ScreenSkills - Training, events and opportunities.

Creative industries agencies including North East Screen, Screen Yorkshire, Film London and Screen South occasionally offer training courses and opportunities to engage in professional development. This is often through initiatives aimed at new talent, such as short film commissions and schemes.

Career prospects

You'll generally work as a self-employed freelancer on fixed-term contracts. The length of your contracts will be dictated by the size and scale of each project.

There is no fixed route for career development or promotion and progression ultimately relies on building a portfolio of work and gaining a reputation in a particular format or genre which allows you take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

The way your career develops may in part be down to your own creative interests. One possible direction is that you could progress from short film and broadcast television work to independent feature films, studio films and large-scale TV productions.

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Discover what it takes to be a Film director. Find out expected salary, working hours, qualifications and more.

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In this screenshot you can see me asking Liv to investigate where we can shoot our Horrible Histories section next lesson. I’m now waiting on hearing back from her about what locations she discovers and then we can tell the rest f the group in our next meeting out finalised list of performance locations.

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In this picture you can see me updating my team on our new location for filming our upcoming scene.

I also checked in with Oliver to make sure that he was all prepared with our costumes. He got back to me saying he was and from there filming went very smoothly.