A Director Prepares: A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing to Make a Movie provides a detailed, step-by-step description of how a film director collaborates with every key member of a production team from the decision to make a movie until the first day of filming. This descriptive guide, aided by visuals and links to external resources, teaches a director what he or she must do to prepare to shoot a movie, including key concepts like screenplay analysis, budgeting, casting, and how all of the key players on the production team work together, as well as a discussion of the skills the director must possess, like superior organization, communication, attention to detail and leadership. Pre-production is the most critical phase of the complex process of movie production, and the director is the captain of the ship - having a clear concept of what must be accomplished is critical for any successful director. Ideal for classroom use, the book lays out clear objectives at the beginning of each chapter and concludes with test questions and discussion topics.