Chapters 3 and 4 of “Directors Tell the Story” by Rooney & Belli Research Paper

Introduction

The third and fourth chapters of Directors Tell the Story talk about casting and production design. Casting is the process of auditioning candidates for various roles in a film and selecting the ones that performed the best or have the most potential for breathing life into a character. The production design is “everything within the “frame” that is not human” (Rooney & Belli, 2013, p. 106). Although these two processes are seemingly independent, casting and production design are closely related because decoration should fit the actors’ performance and vice versa.

Main body

The thing that stood out for me in the third chapter was that the author recommends casting the best actor rather than a person that looks right for a role, which sounds reasonable but unfair. Casting is challenging because it sometimes requires auditioning thousands of people to find the best match for a part. The fourth chapter provides information about three essential elements of production design: style, color, and impact. In terms of production design, hair and makeup professionals should consider the individual characteristics of each actor to help them look best for specific scenes. Indeed, dressing up with artists is crucial in moviemaking because it may affect actors’ confidence (Rooney & Belli, 2013). Finally, the production design is essential because every single element of it helps to tell the story.

Conclusion

In summary, these chapters in Directors Tell the Story talk about two essential components of filmmaking, casting and production design. Casting is a challenging process because directors need to choose one best fit for a role among multiple candidates. The production design is also tricky because it requires the collaboration of various departments and considering every aspect of the story, the director’s vision, and the actors’ preferences.

References

Rooney, B., & Belli, M. L. (2013). Directors tell the story: Master the craft of television and film directing. Routledge.