Filmmaking / Directing

Today I heard something about producing that stayed with me: that a producer’s real mission isn’t just finding financing but stepping into the role of a CEO. And it made me reflect on the parallel truth for directing:

A director isn’t just “guiding performances” or “choosing shots.”

A director is the keeper of the vision, the emotional CEO of the story.

Directing means:

✔ Holding the emotional through-line of the film

✔ Translating the script into a living, breathing world

✔ Aligning every department toward the same heartbeat

✔ Making a thousand decisions a day while staying open to discovery

✔ Protecting the story’s soul when chaos inevitably arrives

✔ Leading with clarity, empathy, and intention

It’s creative, yes, but it’s also leadership, communication, psychology, logistics, and stamina.

And because of that, every director I know faces a moment where the craft and the responsibility collide.

What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in your filmmaking or directing journey right now?

Is it creative? Logistical? Emotional? Strategic?

And what kind of support or clarity would help you move through it?

1. Who is the Character? (What is their background history?)

   What is the character's name, age, gender, occupation, and background? These basic details establish the character’s identity and context within the story. A character’s background can include their family history, education, and significant life events, which shape their personality and worldview. Their background can influence their motivations and how they interact with other characters and the plot, adding layers of depth to their role in the story.

   2. What is the Character’s Spine?

   The character spine refers to the core motivation or driving force behind the main character's actions and decisions throughout the story. The character spine is what gives the character depth and complexity, as it reveals their inner desires and drives. What are their short-term and long-term goals? Their spine includes their overall goal or objective, the actions they take to achieve it, and the obstacles they encounter along the way. The spine also reflects the character's evolution and how they respond to various challenges and conflicts in the story.

   3. What is their Super-Objective? (The main needs of the character)

   The super-objective is the main need or desire that the character is striving to fulfill throughout the story. It is often related to their emotional or psychological growth and can be seen as the main goal that drives their actions and decisions. The super-objective provides a clear focus for the character's journey and helps to shape the overall story arc. Understanding the super-objective can clarify the character's motivations and highlight their personal stakes in the story’s outcome. Their super-objective often ties into the main themes of the story and the character's development.

   4. What are the Character's Scene Objectives? (What do they want?)

   What does the character want to achieve in every scene? The objective is the specific goal or desire that the main character is actively pursuing in a particular scene or moment. It is what the character wants in that specific context and often involves making active choices or taking decisive action to achieve it. The objective can change from scene to scene as the character faces new challenges and encounters new obstacles. These objectives drive the character’s immediate actions and reactions, influencing the scene's dynamics and progression. Each scene objective contributes to the character’s overall journey and development.

   5. What are the Character's Primary Motivations (Desires and Goals?)

   Why does the character want to achieve these objectives? What are their deeper desires, fears, and needs? What do they want most in life, and how do they plan to achieve it? Exploring the character’s motivations provides insight into their actions and decisions. Motivations are often rooted in a character’s past experiences, personal values, and emotional needs, adding depth and complexity to their behavior. This understanding can clarify why characters behave in certain ways and helps to predict their future actions.

   6. What is the Character's Role in the Plot?

   How do they contribute to the main plot and subplots? This helps clarify their importance and function within the story structure. Each character has specific functions and influences the plot in distinct ways. Protagonists drive the main story, antagonists create conflict, and supporting characters help develop the main characters. Identifying each character's role aids in understanding their impact on the story and how they interact with others.

   7. What is the Character's Story Arc?

   How does the character change throughout the story? What significant events influence this transformation? A well-defined character arc shows growth and development, making the character’s journey compelling. The arc can be positive (overcoming a flaw), negative (succumbing to a vice), or complex (a mix of growth and setbacks). Understanding the character’s arc helps in ensuring that their journey feels authentic and engaging.

   8. What are the Character's Relationships?

   How does the character interact with others? What are their key relationships and how do these dynamics evolve? Relationships reveal different facets of the character’s personality and can drive the plot forward. Analyzing relationships with family, friends, allies, and antagonists provides insights into the character’s social world and emotional life. The evolution of these relationships often reflects the character's growth and helps to advance the story's themes and conflicts. These relationships also provide context and depth, influencing the character’s story decisions.

   9. How does the Character Contribute to the Theme?

   How does the character’s journey reflect or enhance the main themes of the story? Characters often embody thematic elements, reinforcing the story’s central message. Analyzing this helps in understanding how the character’s actions and growth contribute to the broader story themes. By examining how a character interacts with the theme, one can see how their personal journey parallels or contrasts with the larger message of the story.

   10. What are the Character's Conflicts?

   What internal and external conflicts does the character face? How do these conflicts impact their journey? Conflict refers to the obstacles, challenges, or opposition that each character encounters throughout the story. These conflicts drive the story and force the character to grow and adapt, adding tension and interest to the story. They can include inner conflict (struggles within their own emotions), relational conflict (conflicts with other characters), societal conflict (conflicts with social or cultural forces). and situational conflict (conflicts arising from the setting of the story).

   NEXT ARTICLE: 30 Questions to Ask About EACH Character (pt2)

This week, I’ve been challenging myself to step outside at the end of each day before sunset.

One unexpected benefit of the recent daylight savings shift is that the sun is still out when I wrap up work, which means I actually have time to enjoy it. And I realized something… when you work from home, it’s way too easy to go days without stepping outside if you’re not intentional about it.

For the first time since I left my parents’ home at 18, I have a backyard. And one of the very first things my husband did when we moved in a couple months ago was install a porch swing for me.

So this week, I’ve been making it a point to unplug, sit outside, and just be present for a few minutes every evening. My 3-year-old pup runs around the grass, completely in his element, and I’ve been giving myself permission to step away from screens, breathe some fresh air, and soak in a little Vitamin D.

It’s a small shift, but it’s been a meaningful one for a perfectionist who constantly pushes herself to be doing something "productive" at all times. Creative growth doesn’t always come from doing more, sometimes it comes from pausing, resetting, and creating space for your mind to wander and imagine.

What about you? What have you been doing this week to grow creatively, professionally, or personally?

Amazon MGM just gave a tiny update on the next James Bond at CinemaCon. Courtenay Valenti (head of film) basically said: "We know you're all wondering who's playing Bond. We're taking our time. That film is coming." The big news? Denis Villeneuve is directing, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing, and Steven Knight writing. That's a pretty stacked team.

No casting announcement yet. No release date. Just a promise that they're doing this "with care and deep respect."

Honestly, after the Buffy reboot got killed and the Disney-OpenAI deal fell apart, it's kind of nice to hear a studio say "we're being careful" instead of rushing something out. Bond fans are intense, so getting this wrong would be a disaster. Who do you want as the next Bond? And does Villeneuve feel like the right fit?

Read about it here: https://deadline.com/2026/04/amazon-mgm-courtenay-valenti-james-bond-fil...

Lately, I've been realizing how much of writing isn't just about getting the story down but understanding what the story actually is.

With my current feature, Pie & Coffee, the first draft helped me find the characters. The rewrites are where I'm really discovering what the film wants to say.

It's interesting how feedback, time away from the script, and even silence from the outside world all play a role in that process. Sometimes not getting immediate responses forces you to rely more on your own instincts and in a strange way, that can be valuable.

I'm currently in that phase of refining focusing on emotional clarity, character choices, and making sure every moment feels earned rather than just written.

Curious to hear from others

Have you ever had a phase where things felt quiet externally, but internally your work was evolving the most?

It’s very important for a director to identify the most important characters in their film for several reasons:

a. Allocating Screen Time and Resources: Identifying the most important characters ensures that the director prioritizes screen time, story focus, and production resources (costumes, rehearsals, shots, editing etc.) to highlight the significance of these characters in the story.

b. Clarifying Story Focus: Identifying the key characters allows the director to understand whose stories drive the plot. These primary characters are often central to the conflict and resolution, making it essential to build the story around their journeys, motivations, and interactions.

c. Establishing Character Dynamics: Focusing on the main characters helps the director analyze the relationships and dynamics between them. These interactions often form the emotional and dramatic core of the film, and understanding how these characters influence one another is crucial for maintaining tension and engagement throughout the story.

d. Guiding Performance Direction: By determining the most important characters, the director can give clear direction to the actors portraying them. This ensures the actors understand their roles within the story, helping them deliver performances that fit the character’s arc and significance to the overall plot.

1. Who is the Protagonist? (Main Character)

Who is the central character around whom the story revolves? The main character, or protagonist, is typically the character with the most significant arc and the one who drives the story forward. They are the characters whom the audience identifies the most and whose perspective the story is primarily told from. Understanding the main character involves digging into their background, personality, motivations, and relationships.

This knowledge is essential in order to create a relatable and engaging character whose journey captivates the audience. By exploring these elements, the director can ensure that the protagonist's actions and decisions are consistent and believable which helps to create a compelling story that engages the viewers.

2. Who is the Antagonist? (Main Adversary)

The antagonist is the character who opposes the protagonist and creates conflict. This character is crucial in creating tension and challenging the protagonist's goals. Understanding the antagonist’s motivations, goals, and background is essential to creating a compelling conflict. This character might not always be a villain; they can also be a rival, a love interest with opposing desires, or an environmental obstacle.

The antagonist's actions and decisions often directly impact the protagonist, forcing them to confront their limitations and grow throughout the story. This dynamic interplay between the protagonist and antagonist is key to maintaining the story's momentum and engaging the audience.

3. Who are the Main “Secondary” Characters? (Support the Protagonist)

This character often supports the protagonist but can also have their own significant subplot and development. They can also provide a different perspective or highlight different themes within the story.

For example:

a. Buddy: Often seen in buddy cop films or adventure stories, this role focuses on camaraderie and mutual support, highlighting the importance of friendship. They often provide contrasting traits to the protagonist, creating a dynamic and balanced partnership that drives the story forward.

b. Comic Relief: They provide humor to lighten the mood of the story, offering a break from the tension and drama. The comic relief character often has witty lines and humorous actions that add levity to the story.

c. Love Interest: This role typically involves a romantic subplot that helps to humanize and develop the protagonist, providing an emotional anchor. Their relationship with the protagonist often drives key emotional and story developments, adding depth and complexity to the story.

d. Mentor: Frequently found in fantasy and hero’s journey stories, the mentor offers wisdom, training, and crucial support, helping the protagonist to grow and overcome challenges.

e. Sidekick: This role supports the protagonist, often providing comic relief, assistance, and a contrasting personality. The sidekick helps to highlight the protagonist's traits and can offer an additional layer of depth to the story.

NEXT ARTICLE: 30 Questions to Ask About EACH Character (pt1)

After reading the script, making notes about the story structure and doing your scene-by-scene analysis, the next part of the Director's pre-production homework is figuring out the development and objectives of the characters through detailed Character Analysis.

A character analysis is when you describe a character's personality and reveal details about the character “as a real person.” You want to describe everything about each character: from their physical appearance to their family background. Audiences get to know the characters in our stories through what they say, feel and do.

To find the "heartbeat" of any script, a director needs to understand the "subworld" of the characters by discovering their backstory, scene objectives, internal and external traits, strengths and weaknesses, and their relationships with the other characters. This process involves several steps:

1. Character Backstory: Understanding the history and experiences that shape each character's motivations, fears, and desires. This helps to create a subtle and believable character whose actions are rooted in their past. A well-developed backstory adds depth to the characters, making them more relatable and allowing the audience to empathize with their struggles throughout the story.

2. Character Dynamics: These play a central role in scene analysis, as interactions between characters drive the scene's emotional and dramatic intensity. Dialogues, gestures, and facial expressions are scrutinized for nuances that reveal underlying tensions, conflicts, or alliances. By examining how characters respond to each other and their environment, viewers gain insights into their personalities, motivations, and relationships.

3. External Traits: Examining a character’s physical attributes, mannerisms, and outward behavior. These traits help to visualize the characters and make them distinct and memorable. They also serve as visual cues for the audience, reinforcing the character's personality and emotional state through their appearance and actions.

4. Internal Traits: Exploring a character’s internal qualities, such as their psychological makeup, emotions, and moral compass. These traits reveal why characters behave the way they do and how they respond to various situations. Internal traits often drive the character's growth and evolution, influencing the choices they make throughout the story.

5. Scene Objectives: Identifying what each character wants to achieve in every scene. This drives the character’s actions and decisions, creating purposeful interactions that move the plot forward. Clear objectives also help actors understand the motivation behind their character's behavior, leading to more authentic performances.

6. Strengths and Weaknesses: Analyzing what makes each character strong or vulnerable. This balance adds depth, making characters relatable and complex, and it creates opportunities for growth and conflict within the story. Strengths can lead characters to success, while weaknesses often result in challenges or failures that propel the story.

7. Relationships: Understanding the dynamics between characters, their alliances, rivalries, and emotional connections. These relationships influence the characters' motivations and actions, adding layers to the story. They also serve as a driving force for the plot, as changes in relationships can lead to pivotal moments and emotional turning points.

By exploring these character qualities, directors can ensure each character's journey is compelling and logical. This understanding helps the director guide actors in delivering authentic performances and make informed decisions about the film's visual and narrative style, ultimately bringing the story to life in a way that connects with audiences.

NEXT ARTICLE: Characterizations (Describing Characters in Depth)

So WB is getting into the specialty film game again. The new label is called Clockwork (cool name), and the first movie they picked up is Sean Baker's Ti Amo! — the follow-up to Anora.

The label is supposed to be a home for "singular filmmakers" with movies that actually need to be seen in theaters. Christian Parkes is running it, and apparently, his boss loves that Baker's "poster game is on point." Moreover, this does seem to be a reference to Kubrick as the label's Twitter account's first post is a photo by Matthew Modine of Kubrick's director's chair (presumably from Full Metal Jacket), along with a quote from the man himself.

Honestly, this feels like a smart move. Studios keep saying they care about indie film, but then they bury those movies. Clockwork sounds like it's actually built for theatrical releases.

Baker is the perfect first director for this — the guy makes movies people actually get excited about. Curious to see who else they sign up. Does anyone have predictions?

Director Kat Coiro breaks down how You, Me & Tuscany came together, from casting the leads to creating authentic, spontaneous moments on set.

"The challenge honestly was casting [the support] because you go to a foreign country with an American script and you realize that there are huge differences in rhythm, sensibility, comedic timing. So the beginning of the audition process in Italy was a little bit rocky. And then we started thinking outside the box"

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcR4DD1xNtA)