In a discussion with someone who I hope will become an avid collaborator in the future, I characterized how I hope to work with cast and crew thus…
I view my role as the writer/director as an architect with a vision. While an architect is expected to have some notion of how the real world works, he hires experts to manage things like engineering loads, designing the electrical and plumbing needs and as well as an interior designer.
I have a vision that I illustrate with the script. It’s an impressionistic idea of what’s floating around in my head. The purpose of the script isn’t to set anything in stone, it’s to produce a shared vision for the final product. I expect there to be deviations as the rest of the team joins. While I try to make sure the building is strong enough to hold itself up (engineering), has space for electric and plumbing and have ideas for the interior look, my expectation is to find a group of people with the individual expertise who can ensure those things.
While certain people will fill certain roles, such as the DP being the structural engineer and the cast being the interior designers, this is not to imply that if you’re running wires, and find a better way, that you should keep it to yourself. That being said, the time to speak up is before the walls have been plastered!
I intend to use tools like scripts, posters, and even trailers, if I get far enough, as a way to entice cast and crew into my architectural vision. My vision can’t be realised without the right team, a balanced group of people with the necessary variety of trades. The script, posters, etc. serve as my architectural sketches, to help locate a cast and crew that support the goal of the vision.
