Book recommendation: Directing Actors

Directing Actors could serve as an introductory textbook for training film/television directors; however, for me, it served as inspiration for how to teach elementary students leadership skills. In fact, it has influenced my entire understanding of leadership and how to facilitate it among students.

This book provides two advantages over more traditional leadership programs: level of specificity and degree of authenticity. Some student leadership programs provide generic guidance, like “leaders establish trust,” and then the students practice with a trust fall. In contrast, Weston explores how directors can inspire and lead actors to truthful performances with specific, actionable guidance, called result directing.

Good directors provide instruction and feedback that actors can use. For example, Weston writes: