Behind the Scenes: A Day in the Life of a Film Director

The day hasn't even started and I'm already tired. Tired, but fulfilled.

Today I want to share with you a day in my life of directing my first (official) short film: Echoes of Delusion. Every filming day is different just as every project you work on is different so I'll give you an overview of what it's like along with some insider scoop on the project ;)

As a film director, a lot of the work you do is done before being on set, therefore at the start of Day 1 of filming I'd already been immersed in this project for months (I also wrote and produced "Echoes" so my whole heart and mind have been on this project for a while).

Bright and Early: Morning Prep

I'm usually so excited to start filming that I can barely sleep the night before so I've already done a lot of my packing and prepping before waking up. However, coffee and breakfast are my first tasks of the day as I review the shot list and schedule for the day. I also take some time to meditate and focus my intentions on building a positive and uplifting working environment in my sets.

On-Set: Bringing the Vision to Life

I promise this is a candid photo and I didn't pose for it! Photo credits: Baru Tomašková

As we set up our first scene of the day (in this case it was outside of the Hermitage Hotel in Prague) I started rehearsing with our actors.

"Echoes" is a romantic comedy short film where the chemistry and tension between the characters has to be palpable so we blocked some of the movements out to make sure that came across on screen.

This scene in the script was half a page - and in the final film it's only around 30 seconds - but it took us 4 hours to shoot. Mostly because we had a lot of angles and coverage that we wanted to get and the stabilizer we were using with the camera kept on giving us problems, but also because this is one of the most important scenes in the film, and when you see the film you'll understand why :D

This meant we had to move one of the scenes we wanted to get in midday for the next day of filming. Things like this happen all the time and as a director, you have to make decisions quickly and trust your instincts when it comes to troubleshooting.

One of the most fascinating things about directing a film is seeing your ideas come to life due to the hard work of everyone on set, and as a director with an acting background I'm very focused on the action itself so I trusted my AD (Franklin Garcia) and my DOP (Mihir Kulkarni) with making a lot of the framing and lighting decisions.

One of the most fascinating things about directing a film is seeing your ideas come to life.

In-Between Takes: Balancing Chaos and Creativity

One of my main goals as a director is to create high-quality work while maintaining an enjoyable set life (which isn't always the case because it's easier said than done). To achieve this I like to give the crew their space to work and do what they are good at and I check in with them regularly in case they have ideas to make something better or more interesting on screen.

Once we are on our lunch or coffee breaks I do focus on recharging my energy and having fun. Most of the great moments on set come from the inside jokes and the shared experience you are having with everyone around you.

Photo credits: Baru Tomašková

Wrapping up: Ending the Day

As we wrapped up in our last location of Day 1 (It was up in the beautiful viewpoint Vyšehrad), we needed to take the filming equipment to our first Day 2 location which was down in Old Town Prague, so after we did that I went to get KFC and ate it at the steps of the National Museum of Prague... Because after a day like this, a bucket of chicken and a beautiful view made the perfect moment to reflect on a successful filming day.

But for real, reflecting on the greats and not-so-greats of the day is super important so that you come back the next day with a clearer plan on how to make your vision come to life. I also checked the shot list for the next day and prepped whatever I needed to prep for the next day before heading to bed.

The Magic of Directing

Our short film took two days to film so once it was over I was tired but I was able to rest and recover quickly, however, it didn't end there. As a director, you're also overseeing a lot of the post-production work, and in my case, I also edited the film so my work kept going for many months after that.

Through all the challenges, however, filmmaking is one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in my "short" 25 years of life. I'm a very visual person and seeing my vision come to life on screen is a feeling I can't really explain - It's a mixture of fulfillment, gratitude, and excitement, knowing that our story will one day resonate with an audience one way or another.

So there you have it! A day in the life of a film director based in Prague :D

I'd love to know - Who is your favorite film director? (or if you can't choose one, who are your top 3?) I'll leave mine in the comments.

Speak to you in the next one!

With love,

Adri

Proof that I did end up eating KFC at the steps of the National Museum that day :D