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film director

film director

20 3.2
A person who leads actors and the camera crew to make a movie
  • noun
  • /fɪlm dɪˈrɛktər/
translation icon : director de cine
  • The film director gave the actors clear instructions to achieve the desired performance.

Yes, yes, that a British film director discovered you while you were still in Med school.

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Examples

  • Taiwanese-born American film director Ang Lee's career is difficult to pin down.

    Blog text (30)
  • It made my career as a film director.

  • How would you like to meet the greatest film director who ever lived?

  • I mean, I know how busy film directors get and all.

  • Would an editor leave this place to become a film director?

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Well, I found a film director with a strange name who lived in Vancouver.

  • Shooting short films was part of the training of prospective film directors.

    Academic text (2016)
  • You'll be a famous film director in no time.

  • She'd come here at the request of one of the most beloved film directors in Hollywood history.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • A great musician and film director, Emir Kusturica, is doing just that for his town in Serbia.

    Blog text (34)

Synonyms

director
vsfilm director
2.9

A person who leads and shapes the creative parts of a film, play, or concert

focuses only on creative leadership specifically for films
filmmaker
vsfilm director
304 3.2

A person who makes movies, often as a director or producer

focuses specifically on directing actors and guiding technical crew
moviemaker
vsfilm director
  • US
6 3.7

A person who makes movies

focuses more on directing actors and managing creative decisions than production
movie maker
vsfilm director
  • US
4 2.7

A person who makes films by directing or producing them

focuses on directing actors and guiding technical crew rather than producing
film maker
vsfilm director
1 2.9

A person who makes movies, usually as a director or producer

is mainly responsible for directing actors and guiding the crew rather than producing

Surface Forms

film director singular

Morphology

film + director

The meaning 'a person responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of making a film' is directly and transparently composed from 'film' (a movie) + 'director' (a person who directs). The noun+noun compound follows a common, predictable pattern found across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Film director comes from film meaning 'movie' and director meaning someone who 'directs' or leads others. Think of a person by the camera telling actors and the crew what to do — that's why a film director is the person who guides the acting and the look of a movie.