It varies, but in my experience, directors who are the most comfortable with themselves and confident in their work give you and everybody on the crew the freedom and the space to create.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I don't wilt easily, and a director can't either. He's the captain of the ship and he's got to be in total control. He also has to have respect for the people he's working for. From being an actor and being on a set my whole life, I'm very comfortable there. And I'm not afraid.
You spend enough time on set as an actor and it's great when a director was at some point an actor or understands acting. They're able to finesse performances out of you that a lot directors can't get.
The point of having a director is that they make the final decision; it's their point of view, they set the rhythm and they make the final decisions.
Being on a set where the director has lost control is just sickening. No one goes the extra mile, there's a lot of eye-rolling... it just breeds inertia. If a director is in control, the crew follow their leader. But the second anyone senses the directors are not sure, people just swoop in.
When you work with directors who really love actors, who love their contribution, it feels amazing. But sometimes when you work with directors, you feel like you're in the way.
I don't go to a lot of other directors' sets; directors don't come to mine. Directors are all very cordial with each other, but they're not necessarily friendly.
Whatever it takes, the job of the director is to be the leader and to get your actors where they need to go. That's a philosophy that I have.
There are times when you work with directors on set, and things are a bit rudderless, and those can be good directors.
The most nurturing of directors can make you feel too comfortable, and you don't really push for that extra whatever.
There is an isolated experience to being a director. It's very communal because there's a crew, but it's only you. You're the one on the hook.