Actors Vs Directors

This is a very grey area to perfectly frank. It all depends on the Vision the director has for a performance. If they have a clear vision of what they hope to achieve then they will want to have more say in the development of a character. If however, they are looking for those rather special moments of creative improvisation, they will sit back and let the energy flow.

Both a clear vision and free-form style of directing have there place. Scripts sometimes work better in one style than the other.

I find it is not so much about the level of control the director exerts but the manner in which they exert their control. Either way, a director can be too ambiguous or too overbearing. A good director knows what he is looking for and is able to communicate this in a way that invites cooperation and in so doing commands respect as opposed to Demands respect.

This really comes down to personality, not direction.

Jeff Watkins