ABSTRACT
Most directors simply do not grasp the fundamental aspects of the actor’s craft, a condition compounded by the fact that there are so many, often competing, schools of thought on how an actor should, people know, act. Directors with a theatrical background tend to fare a bit better, but most young directors coming out of film schools have neither a deep understanding of nor a genuine appreciation for what an actor goes through. All direction to the actors, indeed all the choices made by a director, must serve the needs of the story. The director’s preparation revolves around understanding the overall intent of the story and then parsing each scene into a dramatic conflict that serves that idea. Some scenes are more confrontational than others, but every scene must involve opposing forces fighting for what they want. The rehearsal process must always contain room for the birth of new ideas and happy accidents born of the actors’ spontaneity.
