Making Director's Decisions

​Put on Your Director Hat

By Heather Perrin

Things to remember:

• Some slides are on the same story.

• These questions are designed to get you thinking like a film director.

Read the 1-2 sentence story at the top of each slide and answer the questions.

Directions

Before you begin, pull out your vocabulary from the rest of the school year.

Or you can use this amazing Film Terminology Dictionary

Open Ended

Genre: Romantic Film

Storyline: In an unlikely turn of events, Claire falls in love with her best friend, Graham.

Question: Casting Director, thoroughly describe who you're looking for to cast as your star lady and her love.

Open Ended

Genre: Science Fiction

Storyline: In an unlikely turn of events, Claire falls in love with her best friend, Graham.

Question: Casting Director, thoroughly describe who you're looking for to cast as your star lady and her love.

Open Ended

Genre: Action/Adventure

Storyline: Despite seeing no warning of danger, the floor dropped out from below their feet, and they began to plummet.

Question: Director, why did the floor collapse? What are they going to land on?

Open Ended

Genre: Horror

Storyline: Despite seeing no warning of danger, the floor dropped out from below their feet, and they began to plummet.

Question: Director, why did the floor collapse? What are they going to land on?

Wait! The production company is demanding that we stick with the original plot.

Original plot: The floor collapsed because the mystery man set up traps. They fall into a huge pile of laundry.

Open Ended

Continuing from the previous scenario.

After the production company inevitably gets what they want, we move on. How far do they fall? What do the characters do immediately after falling?

Open Ended

Genre: Science Fiction

Storyline: On the last night of privacy, all the phones turned dangerously hot. The next morning, all phones were live at all times.

Question: Sound engineer AND director, we'll need to remind the audience constantly that the phones are streaming live. How are we going to signal that the phones are recording? Is there an audio and/or visual indicator?

Open Ended

Genre: Science Fiction

Storyline: On the last night of privacy, all the phones turned dangerously hot. The next morning, all phones were live at all times.

Question: Director, how do the characters in the small town setting respond to this change?

Read the article on the following slide before answering the next 3 questions.

Types of Animation — Styles, Genres & Techniques

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Open Ended

Genre: Animated Science Fiction

Storyline: On Herman's 21st birthday, he got a surprising gift: the ability to fly. The supplement worked!

Question: Director, do some quick research on what kind of animation style you think would be most effective?

Open Ended

Genre: Animated Fantasy

Storyline: When he left work, he could feel someone following him, but when he turned to look, there was no one around him. There was only the wind.

Question: Director, do some quick research on what kind of animation style you think would be most effective?

Open Ended

Genre: Animated Action

Storyline: When he left work, he could feel someone following him, but when he turned to look, there was a floating purple balloon.

Question: Director, do some quick research on what kind of animation style you think would be most effective?

Open Ended

Genre: Animated Action

Storyline: When he left work, he could feel someone following him, but when he turned to look, he was alone. Or so he thought.

Question: Director and screenwriter, what's following him? Is it a friendly or dangerous situation?