Additional Tools for articulating Director’s Style

Additional Tools for articulating director’s style

Which of the adjectives listed below are descriptive of his or her style?

1.     Intellectual and rational or emotional and sensual?

2.     Calm and quiet or fast-paced and exciting?

3.     Polished and smooth or rough and crude-cut?

4.     Cool and objective or warm and subjective?

5.     Ordinary and trite or fresh, unique and original?

6.     Tightly structured, direct, concise or loosely structured and rambling?

7.     Truthful and realistic or romantic and idealized?

8.     Simple and straightforward or complex and indirect?

9.     Grave, serious, tragic and heavy or light, comical and humorous?

10. Restrained and understated?

11.  Logical and orderly or irrational and chaotic?

What common thematic thread is reflected in the director’s choice of subject matter? How is this thematic similarity revealed in the nature of conflicts he or she deals with?

In the films you’ve seen, what consistencies do you find in the director’s treatment of space and time?

How is the director’s style revealed by the following visual elements: composition and lighting, “philosophy of camera,” the nature of the camera movement, and methods of achieving three-dimensionality?

How does the director use special visual techniques (unusual camera angles, fast motion, distorting lenses and so on) to interpret or comment on the action and how do these techniques reflect his/her style?

How is the director’s style reflected in the different aspects of the editing in the films, such as the rhythm and pacing of editorial cuts, the nature of transitions, montages and other creative juxtapositions? How does the style of the editing relate to the other elements of the director’s visual style such as the “philosophy of the camera” or the point of view emphasizes?

How consistent is the director in using and emphasizing setting ? What kind od details of the natural setting does the director emphasize and how do these details relate to their overall style? Is there any similarity in the director’s approach to entirely different kinds of settings? How do the sets constructed especially for the film, reflect the director’s taste?

In what ways are the director’s use of sound effects, dialogue and the musical score unique? How are these elements related to his/her visual style?

What consistencies can be seen in the director’s choice of actors and in the performances they give under his or her direction? How does the choice of actors and acting styles fit in with their style in other areas?