Style and The Director
A director has a distinctive filmmaking style that differs from other directors, similar to an author's own distinctive writing style. Through the analysis of film techniques, differences between filmmakers' styles become apparent.
There are many technical possibilities to use in a film. As a result, no single film can have every single technique. Historical circumstances limit the choices for the director. During the silent film era, filmmakers were not able to use synchronized dialogue until sound became possible in the late 1920s. Films before the 1950s had to be black and white; now directors have the choice of shooting in color tints or in black and white.
There are many techniques that a director has to choose which techniques to use and which ones not to use. One of the most noticeable ways to adjust film style is through mis-en-scene, or what appears on the screen. Lighting, costumes, props, camera movements, and backgrounds are all part of mis-en-scene. There are countless ways to create a film based on the same script simply through changing the mis-en-scene. Adjusting these techniques creates meaning and highlights similarities in the narrative. Many filmmakers will relate the overall film style to reflect the story.
Read more about this topic: Film Styles
Famous quotes containing the words style and/or director:
“I shall christen this style the Mandarin, since it is beloved by literary pundits, by those who would make the written word as unlike as possible to the spoken one. It is the style of all those writers whose tendency is to make their language convey more than they mean or more than they feel, it is the style of most artists and all humbugs.”
—Cyril Connolly (1903–1974)
“Your audience gives you everything you need. They tell you. There is no director who can direct you like an audience.”
—Fanny Brice (1891–1951)