Directing Actors - Advice from the best

This is a compilation of advice given by some of the greatest filmmakers and directors ever, sourced from all over their public appearances, writings and Masterclasses. Most of it is their knowledge, maybe sometimes differently worded by me.

Quentin Tarantino

In an ensemble piece were actors are very different with different methods of different styles and different like things you have to know what they like. Speak with each one as individuals

Christopher Nolan

Examples

Let's do that one more time. There's more at stake.

Ron Howard

If your Casting is meticulous and you give your actors the right setting -- the chance is pretty high that they will perform well.
Talking with actors is not the most important thing that Ron Howard does on a day of directing
The most important thing is how to stage and capture it and making an enviroment for the actor.
Protect the actors and help them if they go of the road
You have to build a working relationship with your actors.
- This begins with how the actor relates to the character
Find the equilibrium of give and take.
Different actors approach things in different ways. You have to understand how that affects them.
Some actors thrive on minimal feedback, like, "faster", "shorter", "louder". Giving them a result
Some actors would hate that. Would feel like robots. Would be angry. They operate from a psychological place and you undercut their process. They might not say it but your not helping.
- If you need "speed" with these actors, but think they won't respond to that. Then you would talk about the "urgency" of the situation. Or the time pressure. Or that other person would use gaps to do something. Work from a very real world place.
Understand how to help the actor. What works best for them.
New Directors who have not been actors: It is vital to take some acting and scene studies classes.
Understand how anxiety producing acting is. Make the actor know that you understand them.
- You can then push them to working under pressure.
If there is a situation where the actor is failing, firstly, it's the directors fault. If there has been good casting and good practice, then there is normally no problem.
- But anyway: You try to be efficient when working, so you have time to deal with these problems.
- You have to find the 45 minutes to help the actor get there.
- If the actor is really struggling, slow it all down. Have a private conversation. If you know how the actor works like that, then just say I don't have enough emotion. Some people might need a deeper discussion about the real things in the scene. "Why is your character in this position now?" "Because my child is missing" "Why?" "I didn't watch it?" "Ah what's that feeling?" "Guilt" "Ahhh, we need that".
Trust experienced actors to get there.
Actors are really good at summoning emotion
Allow the actor to express themselves. Create an enviroment where they participate.
Sometimes, he asks: "Do you have a pattern?" Do you think you get better with takes, or is your best work in the beginning?
- Sometimes you go into a take where Actor A and Actor B differ in this.
- Then he starts in the coverage, with the longest shots on Actor A, then the wides, estahblishing, then the longest on Actor B.
- Different Actors work in different ways.
  - Hollywood trained etc. Liked his marks on the ground and executed dialogue to precision
  - Some are the exact opposite.
  - Ensemble Casts are difficult.
Camera Angles and Stylistic Choices with Lens and movement influence Performances. If your wider then body language is more important. If the actor is awkwardly frozen, you want them to loosen up.
If your working with more inexperienced actors, use telephotos farther away. Makes them less nervous. They don't notice the camera so much
Mentally, Directing is less exhausting than acting. At least in a hard day.
As a director, your energy levels are staying the same throughout the day.
As an actor, your energy levels go up and down.

Martin Scorcese

You have to go in front of the camera. You need to know about the challenges, fears, the techniques that actors face and use. The different approaches
You're looking for the connection and spark between you and the actor.
You work with what you get, ultimately. You may want one thing, but you will wind up with other things.
Give Actors the freedom to fail. Sometimes Directing is misleading.
Shooting out of sequence means the actor is looking to you to help them know how they are emotionally at the moment.
They also need to explore. "Try anything" If you had the time on set, have the time to fail. Tell them that they can do anything. Especially in rehearsal. A discussion develops from there.
If something goes into a direction where people don't agree. There are things you know won't work immediatly, but you should shoot them anyway. Let the actor work it out themselves. By the time you discussed it, you could shoot it.
It's based on a similar life experience and a way of looking at life.
DeNeiro came from the same neighborhood. DiCaprio had the same curiosity.
Trust each other. You must trust each other.
If they want to take it into a different direction, do it. You may or may not use it.
If they take it into a direction we don't think the character would do, talk about it.
There are situations where someone is completely incapable of working. In a case of that... you sometimes have to recast. Happened to scorcese. Sometimes, you're able to get them to do just enough through time and patience. You will cast someone better next time.

Spike Lee

Establish Trust and Respect
- Can be intimidating. But you got to know how to do it. You have to be able to talk to your actors.
- Starts in the rehearsals. Respect the actors, the artform. Let them hear your praise in a meaningful way. Let them know they are appreciated. Doesn't have to be right away. But at the end of the day...
- Don't yell it out to everybody. Have a one on one conversation. No one wants to be embarassed. You just don't do that.
Get their best performance.
- There are a lot of similarities between coaches and directors. Not all players and actors are the same. It's your job to see what you can do to get the best performance out of them.
- Not everybody responds to the same stuff.
  - Some people you gotta get on their ass
  - Others can't take that.
  - --> You have to find out quickly. What do they do best? Watch their past work. Look at their past films
- If there is something in he script that might induce differences between director and actor, work it out in rehearsal. If you don't, that shit is gonna come out on set in front of the whole crew. The ADs gonna say everybody clear the set.
- Even though it might be painful, talk about any issues that MIGHT COME UP!!!
  - It's gonna reveal itself when your shooting.
  - You want it done before cameras rolling
Give them more takes. Easiest thing to do.
- Actors aren't robots. You have to have patience.
- Some do it in 1, some later. You have to keep that in mind and work with it.
- You of course don't have to do 80 takes. If actor wants to do one more even though you know we got it? Give it to them. But then move on. Actors love that.
There is a phenomenon where having your lines on script and hearing actors say them is totally different.
Readthroughs and rehearsals.
- The first time you hear the words is on auditions. - The first rewrite is after readthrough. Tells the actors: "Don't act, I just wanna hear the words as written". How does it sound?==
- Does it make sense? You find out everything.
- Break down into groups and work the material.
- Spike is really straightforward.
- Just talk about everything. Whatever. Get to know each other.
- Two Week rehearsal, last week you commit to what's on the page. Sometimes you get to rehearse on set as well. Actors love that.
Bonding with Cast
- Get a feeling of family. Have dinners together.
- Watch films together. Many times. Films that are similar to what your doing.
- Doing stuff like that will make actors not complain.
- Make people feel connected and like their family.