In this video essay you'll finally learn how to recognize a great director no matter how well he thinks he is hiding himself behind his discreet invisible style.

Find out here how, through Strong Frames and movement, the great directors Roman Polanski, William Wyler, Federico Fellini, Clint Eastwood and Vincente Minnelli stage a shot in a way that tells you all you need to know in an instant and fills up their movies with endless life.

Other great directors not put in the spotlight but also featured here are Kenneth Branagh, Francis Ford Coppola, Satyajit Ray, Peter Greenaway, David Lean, George Stevens, Martin Scorsese and Rouben Mamoulian (the best director you've never heard of).

Remember those Divergent movies? You'll see here how poorly directed one of them is, as well as other pictures.

00:00 Identifying one of the greats
00:43 Strong Frame
01:13 D'Après une Histoire Vraie / Based on a True Story
02:54 The Paper Chase (bad directing)
05:25 Geometrical Space Application
06:44 Jezebel
07:17 8 ½
07:43 Unforgiven
08:51 Giving LIFE to the Movie
09:14 Movement
10:19 Vincente Minnelli
10:47 Evita (bad directing)
11:48 Allegiant (godawful directing)

For those curious, here's a list of the paintings at 09:02, in order:
-Vercingetorix Throws Down his Arms at the Feet of Julius Caesar (Lionel Royer, 1899)
-The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (Paul Delaroche, 1833)
-Luncheon of the Boating Party (Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881)
-A Gondola (Julius Exner, 1859)
-Marriage a-la-Mode: 2. The Tête à Tête (William Hogarth, 1743)
-The Battle of Jena (Horace Vernet, 1836)


Copyright free photos from Unsplash
Copyright free music from Bensound
"Scheming Weasel", "Investigations" and "Circus Waltz - Silent Film Light" by Kevin MacLeod
Copyright of all photos belongs to their respective owners; no copyright infringement intended.