Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics

After the viewing:
• Ask for impressions of the film as a whole.
• Say little; listen much. Your film must stand or fall on its merits, so concen-
trate on what your audience may be telling you.
• Focus and direct your viewers’ attention, or you may find the discussion quite
peripheral to your needs.
• Avoid the temptation to explain anything. Explanations confuse and com-
promise the audience’s perceptions, and can even imply that they are inept
viewers.

Ideal films for studying compositional relationships in film and visual rhythm
are classics by the Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, such as The Battleship Potemkin
(1925), Que Viva Mexico! (1931–1932), Alexander Nevsky (1938), and
Ivan the Terrible (1944–1946). Eisenstein’s origins as a theater designer made him
very aware of the impact upon an audience of musical and visual design. His sketch-
books show how carefully he designed everything in each shot, down to the cos-
tumes.