Daniel Johnson / Director

My style of directing is to be as unobstrusive as possible. I like the camera to allow actors to breath– to let us get to know the characters. Charlie Chaplin said it best: “When a camera is placed on the floor or moves about the player’s nostrils, it is the camera that is giving the performance and not the actor. The camera should not obtrude.”

That’s how I see it, too. I write a lot of comedy — and I don’t think comedy has changed much since the days of Chaplin. Things are always funnier in a single shot. Woody Allen does the same thing. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.

I have directed many short films. My favourite is an eight minute film I made in New York. It was written, cast and shot in under a week, on a budget of zero; using only a handheld camera. You can watch it here.

In summer 2011 I am directing the feature film “Side By Side”, which is being produced by Steven M Smith and Greenway Entertainment.