Directing for the Screen (PERFORM)

Directing for the Screen is a collection of essays and interviews exploring the business of directing. This highly accessible guide to working in film and television includes perspectives from industry insiders on topics such as breaking in; developing and nurturing business relationships; the director’s responsibilities on set and in the field; and more. Directing for the Screen is an ideal companion to filmmaking classes, demystifying the industry and the role of the director with real-world narratives and little-known truths about the business. With insight from working professionals, you’ll be armed with the information you need to pursue your career as a director.

• Contains essays by and interviews with television directors, feature directors, documentary filmmakers, commercial directors, producers, and professors.
• Offers expert opinions on how to get started, including landing and succeeding in an internship and getting your first gig.
• Reveals details about working with actors, overseeing the work of often hundreds of crewmembers, writing last-minute on set, and developing a working relationship with producers and screenwriters.
• Explores strategies for doing creative work under pressure, finding your directorial voice, financing shorts and independent films, breaking down barriers and overcoming discrimination, shooting in less-than-ideal situations, and recovering from bad reviews or box office results.
• Illuminates the business of directing in the United States (New York and Los Angeles) as compared to other countries around the globe, including England, Ireland, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Pakistan, Belgium, and Canada.

Anna Weinstein is a screenwriter and educator based in Atlanta. She works as a writer-for-hire to develop features and television series, and she is on the screenwriting faculty in the English Department at Kennesaw State University, where she teaches and mentors undergraduate and graduate students. Anna is the Founding Editor of the PERFORM: Succeeding as a Creative Professional book series.