Career · Lesson Plan

Becoming a Movie Director

A career-exploration lesson on movie directors — the people who guide everyone who works on a film. Students learn the director’s many jobs, the crew they lead, what it means to “block” a scene, scheduling, and staying within a film’s budget.

Grades 5–8 Lesson Plan 30–45 minutes Free Lesson

Becoming a movie director career lesson illustration

For Teachers

Lesson at a glance

Topic: Career
Grade Level: Grades 5–8
Resource Type: Lesson + Worksheet
Estimated Time: 30–45 minutes
Format: Reading + worksheet
Materials: Printable lesson, worksheet, whiteboard

What Students Learn

Learning objectives

List the professionals a director works with and describe each role
Explain the various aspects of a movie director’s job
Explain what it means to ‘block’ a scene
Explain why directors must keep a film within its budget
Explain how a person can become a movie director

Materials

What you’ll need

Printed copies of the lesson reading and worksheet (one per student)
Whiteboard or projector for discussion
Optional: a short clip to discuss camera angles

Key Terms

Vocabulary

Director: The person who guides everyone working on a movie.
Screenwriter: The person who writes the movie’s script.
Cinematographer: The person who films the scenes.
Editor: The person who assembles scenes and checks for mistakes.
Blocking: Deciding how and from what angle a scene is filmed.
Budget: The money set aside for a project, which the director must not exceed.

For Teachers

Lesson plan

Estimated time: one 30–45 minute class period.

Lesson sequence

Introduction (5 min). Ask who is in charge of making a movie. Introduce the director’s role.
Read the lesson (12 min). Students read about the director’s jobs and the crew they lead.
Discussion (10 min). Cover blocking, scheduling, and why staying on budget matters in filmmaking.
Worksheet (10 min). Students complete the worksheet; the answer key is included for teacher use.
Wrap-up (3 min). Students name a crew role and what it does.

Assessment

Assess participation and the completed worksheet.

Discussion

Discussion questions

What does a movie director do, and who do they work with?
What does it mean to ‘block’ a scene?
Why aren’t movie scenes filmed in order from start to finish?
Why must a director keep the film within its budget?
How can a person become a movie director?

Printable Lesson & Worksheet