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3rd Year Project: Research into my roles - Director

With the role of Director, I have been in this role several times before on projects that I have done in the past, but again, they have not been this complex, often only involving two or three characters, and one or two locations. This current documentary that I am filming involves a lot more characters, is less scripted than other projects that I have done, due to those being stories and ideas that I have come up with that were not based on anything, whereas this is filming real life, so is more natural. 
I do know a few things about being a Director, such as making sure that the shots are how you want them, in terms of the lighting, framing and type of shot, among other things. In order to be able to direct more effectively, I did some research into the role to see if there was anything that I could improve upon, and found out some very useful tips that I could utilise. One of these was how to direct the crew effectively. Your crew needs clear instructions for what is expected of them, and this can be helped by showing visuals or examples of what you envision for the project in advance. It is also  critical that you've built trust in advance with the people you're interviewing, because if you mislead them in any way, they may become unhappy to participate in the interview, or even outright refuse to be interviewed. To prevent this, let the interviewee know how many people are going to be in your crew, and depending on what the subject of  your project is, ask if there is anything that you should avoid asking about. Also, when you show up for the interview, make sure the person is as comfortable as possible and that they understand what's happening.


Depending what is being shot, such as a dramatisation with actors, live event or interview, always ask yourself "how will this fit in with the rest of the footage?" Think about safety of each shoot, as the crew and documentary subjects are your responsibility. Also, make sure I have gotten permission in advance to shoot in that location. You also need to always make sure you show up on location prepared and organised. Always be professional and courteous to those around you. Prepare yourself to remain calm even if things don't go according to plan. For a director, flexibility and a clear head is key in making sure that the shoot, and even the project overall, stay on track

As Director, I made sure to go to the locations that I planned to shoot at in order to check them over and identify good spots and angles to shoot, plus if there were and hazards that I would have to be careful of, and to also put on the risk assessments.I was also able to ask some of the people at the lunch club, both volunteers and customers, if they would be willing to be interviewed for my project, and get an idea of how many interviews I could film and what questions I can ask people 

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