Adrian Paul the director

What is directing to me? I suppose it is how one person
can visually interpret a story. For me, the script is the very basis of a great film. Firstly, I have always believed that a story cannot be told without good structure and good character development. Every time I work on a piece, whether as an actor or director, I comb the script for the obstacles and look for the "through lines" of the story and characters. I am also very much a visualist and believe that an image can tell so much more than simply writing some lines into a scene.That is why we love good actors - because they can portray an emotion that we cannot put into words ourselves. I am also a
fan of Chinese films because some of them are visually stunning in a different way. They express a moment through an abstract image, like the fluttering of a butterfly to symbolize agility or the falling of a drop of blood to depict the death of a character.

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eye of the audienceThere are many directors I like for different reasons, such as Steven Spielberg, Bryan Singer, Akira Kurosawa, Ang Lee, Peter Jackson and Mel Gibson, to name but a few. I enjoy watching a scene where a director somehow does not let you "see" or "feel" the camera while watching a scene. A camera move is for a reason. If I notice the camera movement while watching a film, then I am taken out of a scene by a director trying to be clever with his camera techniques. The camera for me is the eye of the audience. It should be the "fly on the wall" at times and at other times make you truly feel what you are supposed to be experiencing.

One of the most important lessons I have learned while watching directors that I have worked with personally, is how editing can make a project a success or a failure. During Highlander: The Series I would spend hours and hours in my trailer as well as in the editing suite watching the dailies (the previous day's shooting scenes) and observing how each director differed in his craft. I saw how putting together a scene could benefit or sabotage a moment simply by the lack/addition of a certain angle or type of shot.

Adrian Paul the director 

I believeWhen I direct I like to prepare as much as possible so that I know how I am going to convey the story. I am a fan of storyboards since producers, as well as the crew, need to know what it is a director has in mind. Set decoration, stunts, extras, props, makeup, lighting, and especially actors all have a part in creating the movie or television show you are going to direct. In order to manage all the details the rest of the people involved need to know what's going on in your head. Storyboards are an easy way to convey that, although when shooting a television series you don't usually have a chance to have these drawn up, because of a time factor and because a television show already has a style that you have to adhere to, whereas on a film you can create a style and feeling because there is no precedent.

Adrian Paul the Director

I have a long way to go as a director, but it is something I love to do and find to be very creatively stimulating.
I believe that if you have passion
for something you can make
magical moments. It just takes
time, patience and dedication.