Is co-directing a feature film a bad idea, as oppose to being a single director on it

[Ryan Elder]

I thought maybe I should co-direct my first feature along with someone else, and I can concentrate on the technical process, where as the other director can be more experienced with acting and direct the acting, since I was told before that I need to get better performances out of my actors.

But I was also told that co-directing is a bad idea, cause when directors do that, they are stuck with that image for their careers from then on. The Coen Brothers for example, never split up and neither have the Wachowskis, or other co-directors who have worked together when trying to break in.

Do you think that's true though, and that if you try to break in, while co-directing a feature, then you are stuck being a co-director only most likely?

[Paul R Johnson]

Sharing responsibility (and power) is perfectly possible when both parties have the same vision, think the same and respect each other. usually it goes badly wrong because the partnership is mis-matched, leaving BOTH parties thinking they do the toughest work, blaming the other for problems and often meaning they never ever work with that person again. I tried it just once - with exactly the split you talk about. A complex production and the artistic, well known and experienced director was a technophobe. People would ask me things - often straightforward things Shall I stand here? Whatever I said would be reversed ten minutes later. My decisions on technical things were swept aside as "you'll sort them" - when I knew I couldn't. It was awful and I'd never do it again.

Ryan - I think you are the least suitable person to share anything. It will drive you mad, and be a working nightmare. Look at your record of joint decisions where nobody paid attention to your concerns? What makes you think this would be any better. What you need is a project where everybody follows your lead. Where it is something you have a strong link to, so can practice making end decisions that work.

Have you tried an advert? Making a 30 second advert leave no space for padding, just a hit them in the face product where every second has to earn it's keep. That would be really good for you.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, I can try that, but do you mean an advert for the feature film project?

I thought that before though, I was wearing to many hats and I needed more people. Who wasn't paying attention to my concerns before? If so, could I just find more concerned people this time perhaps?

[Brian Drysdale]

If you don't have a co director who you regularly work with, why would they or you want to work together in this relationship? Especially, since you're also funding it, so the relationship isn't purely creative?

The DP and editor can deal with the technical aspects, so why should the co director use you? There are quite a few films in which the director directs the actors etc, while the DP does much of the rest.

Wasn't this subject brought up in one of your other threads?

The advert refers to selling product on TV etc, not your feature film.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, but why would tv be interested in hiring me for a commercial or buy a commercial off of me? Unless you mean direct a mock commercial for experience?

Ask for a co-director, lots of directors work for money is it really that hard to find someone? Why would they be using me instead of wanting to just work with me if I'm hiring them?

As for the DP making the technical decisions, the director still gets to decide on the shooting schedules and what shots and how many takes if it's becomes too many and all don't they?

[Brian Drysdale]

Given your quoted budget, you can't afford to hire a director..

[Josh Bass]

Ryan lets step back and ask yourself: what parts of filmmaking fo you love? That excite you? And which parts do you feel uncomfortable with, hate, that bore you? Writing? Directing actors, designing shots? Editing? Sound-related stuff? VFX? etc. This will tell you if and when to delegate as opposed to trying to fill those rolls yourself.

[Ryan Elder]

I would say that VFX and post sound mixing make me uncomfortable, VFX more for sure. I would also like a DP than handle the camera operation and lighting myself. I do enjoy sound recording though. I guess another that I am not comfortable with is production design, as I would like someone else to do that job, and it's a lot more difficult when using real locations, that you cannot just repaint even. Other areas I really like. The part I like best is working with a cast and crew to tell a story.

Some of the producing/marketing aspects, I am also not comfortable with, so I would like someone else to work with me on that as well.

[Josh Bass]

Maybe I phrased wrong. those are all jobs one would normally delegate.

I really mean the core stuff. Youve stated you dont really care about directing actors....super weird for a director as that’s one of the main roles. You are however obsessed with shots, tech, editing rhythm and the like.

So again, are you sure you want to be a DIRECTOR vs a cinematographer, writer, editor, producer, etc.?

What about DIRECTING excites you that isnt covered by other disciplines?

[Ryan Elder]

Oh sorry, I didn't mean to imply I didn't care for directing actors, it's just I was told that I haven't been able to pull out good performances out of my actors, so I thought that a co-director, one more experienced in directing actors specifically, would do better in that area, along with me. But I still like directing them, just was told that maybe I could use someone else to do that job of the directing.

I don't want to be a cinematographer in terms of lighting since I am not as familiar with that, but I thought it was my job as director to decide on the shots and blocking, which I like doing. I like planning and telling a story visually, if that makes more sense? I also really like working with actors too, I was just told that I an unable to pull better performances out of them so I thought therefore, someone else maybe should do that job then, I will concentrate on the other directing aspects.

[Brian Drysdale]

Directing actors is a skill you learn like any other and you have to invest time in learning it,

There's not much of a career in "other directing aspects" in drama, Documentary would be the area t go for.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, well I can direct the actors then if that's a better investment for future career then. But I find documentaries to be much more challenging though, cause there is no real script to follow and sometimes real people do not do so well doing multiple takes, that are unplanned or not rehearsed.

[Brian Drysdale]

Documentaries are a board church, some of the most interesting ones don't have multiple takes, they have the unexpected incidents and involve interesting characters, which come together in a story, Unfortunately, you do need to think on your feet, although any good director needs to do that, even in dramas, because of the unexpected. .

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, well so far I have not liked the documentary type projects I worked on so far, and prefer to do something pre-scripted more so.

[Paul R Johnson]

Directing is a very specific skill. You may not have the directing genes, Ryan. I worked on a music project at Abbey Road studios where the person in charge was a name. He was directing a group of musicians and totally out of his depth, and they brought in an arranger, who made all the decisions, and then the 'name' simply repeated them to the musicians, in a louder voice. Stupid. He just wasn't skilled in that area, despite being called the boss!