A directorial philosophy is an interesting thing because at the end of the day you would want to include absolutely everything that you can. However it also needs to be well summarized so that things don't get out of hand. Actually, much like making a film. I guess it comes down to a few key points.

1. Know what you are attempting to convey - If you don't know what the theme and meaning of your film is then you won't be able to create a proper vision or connect to the correct audience. Understand who your audience is and what your message is so that you can impart a vision for the project.

2. Create a proper vision - A good director must be able to create a proper vision for a project so that everyone is willing to jump on board. You must be able to not only craft this vision but impart it to your cast, crew, investors, distributors, etc. or everyone will be working on an entirely different idea. If what I am telling you is not infectious, then we either need a better vision, a better project, or a better director.

3. Get the right people on the bus - Skilled workers should be celebrated for the work that they know how to do better than anyone else. For example, if I have an amazing Key Grip (which I do) and I tell them my vision for the scene, then that scene is going to work out much better than if I tell them to roll out X number of feet of track and do this and so forth. When you allow people to work within their area of expertise then you get the benefit of their expertise, but if you micro manage every little action then they are only going to work to my level of expertise in their area - which is likely much lower. This counts for everyone on set - cast and crew.

4. Every person on set is important - There is no yelling on the sets that I direct. Why? It takes focus away from what needs to be done. Yelling is an act of one ego over another and when every single person feels respected on set then you don't have to deal with egos. It's important to remember that the most important person on set is not the director, but rather crafty. They are the ones bringing in coffee in the morning! Try to get a proper set going without them first thing in the morning and you will instantly learn why they are so important.

5. It's a craft and a business - I am a filmmaker, and I am also a business person. Because of my involvement with theatrical distribution through Nova Vento Entertainment, and having worked the entire pipeline from development to exhibition, I am acutely aware of the implications that actions on set have. It's an old saying, but it's true, "Every dollar in time and money spent in pre-production saves you ten dollars in production and a hundred in post production."