How To Direct A Feature Film

Learn What It Takes To Succeed As A Film Director in Hollywood

Jan 13, 2009

Award Winning Director Ray Griggs shares advice on his process as a Film Director.

Suite101 sat down with Director Ray Griggs who discussed how he prepares before filming, his partnership with his Director of Photography, and the three most important things every filmmaker needs to be a good Film Director.

Griggs: When I directed Super Capers, there were twenty-two days of shooting. You can’t think about day twenty-two when you’re on day one, you think about day one. Everyday you can only concentrate on that day. Now you need to prepare yourself long before that day during pre-production. Pre-production is cheap because it doesn’t cost anything. Production is where money starts rolling. So do as much pre-production as possible.

Make sure you have all your ducks in a row. And also have Plan B’s because it’s Murphy’s Law, “If something can go wrong, it will.” That really holds true in filmmaking. You need to be prepared because there are numerous things you can’t account for. You may have a scene laid out, but suddenly it rains. Or your lights go out, you’re missing a piece of equipment, or one of your actors doesn’t show up. There are all kinds of variables.

Suite101: What’s your relationship with the Director of Photography and Assistant Director?

Griggs: We work together as one. When you’re on your location scouting, show your D.P. the shot you see, but if he has a different idea for a shot, by all means look at it to see if that works better for what you’re trying to do. At the same time you can do a pre-blocking of where you see the actors moving. My D.P. is right by my side all the time so we’re working hand in hand with each shot so we know which direction we’re moving in. And my relationship with my A.D. is I make sure he knows what I want so I’m not micromanaging everybody.

Suite101: What to you are the three most important things that make up a good director?

Griggs: One is the ability to tell a story. I think that’s really important. What’s the use if you’re a comedic Director and you have this off the wall sense of humor that only you understand? So it’s good to have a story sense.

Second is your ability to work with people. As a Director, you’re dealing with hundreds of people everyday and they all have problems. At the end of the day everyone has problems whether it’s personal problems or work problems and this all reflects onto you because you’re in charge of that set. You have to have the personality that's able to deal with all kinds of different people. That way when you work with actors you can get the performance you want without hurting your project or hurting their creativity.

Third is determination. You have to have a goal and be determined to do it. If you have that drive and determination to make a film, you will eventually be able to make a film because you’ll never give up. The only person that will give up is you. You can get so many “no’s”, but eventually you’ll get a “yes”. Continue on, don’t give up, get back on the horse, and you’ll be a filmmaker.

Ray Griggs is the Award-Winning Director of the short film, Lucifer. Ray's first feature film is Super Capers, which stars Justin Whalin, Tom Sizemore, Adam West, and Clint Howard. His is CEO of RG Entertainment, a film production company in Beverly Hills, CA.

The copyright of the article How To Direct A Feature Film in Filmmaking 101 is owned by Joe Lam. Permission to republish How To Direct A Feature Film in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.