Learning to Direct Actors: From Technical Precision to Emotional Truth

By Gerald Sagoe

“Even the most beautiful shot means nothing if the performance doesn’t land.”

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If you’ve followed my work for a while, or know of my inspirations, you’ll know I’ve always been drawn to the technical side of filmmaking , cameras, lighting, composition, editing. I love building worlds and shaping tone through dynamic visuals and stylistic editing. But over time, I’ve learned something crucial: great acting can make or break your film.

That realisation pushed me into one of the most important phases of my growth as a director: learning how to work with actors.

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From Technical to Emotional

Early on, I approached performance like a technical problem, something I could fix in the edit or cover with good cinematography. But the truth is, performance is the film. It’s where the story truly lives.

To bridge that gap, I turned to Directing Actors by Judith Weston, a book I now have on audiobook replay. Weston breaks down how a director’s job isn’t to tell actors what to do, but to help them uncover why they’re doing it.

It’s about understanding subtext, what’s really being said when no one’s speaking. That shifted my entire approach to directing scenes.

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Immersion in the Craft

Books are powerful, but nothing compares to being in the room with actors.
I began attending the GoHub Actors Workshop in London, a space full of fearless, passionate performers constantly refining their craft.

Watching actors bring the same scene to life in completely different ways taught me more than any textbook could. I started to recognise what makes a performance believable:

• Subtle, grounded body language

• Honest reactions instead of performed emotions

• Choices that come from need, not direction

And perhaps most importantly, I learned how to give notes.

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Building Trust

Actors don’t want to be micromanaged, they want to trust you. They need to know you see them, that you understand the story, and that you’ll be honest enough to push for the truth.

Learning how to guide without controlling, to suggest rather than dictate has completely changed how I direct. When actors feel safe, they take creative risks. And that’s where the magic happens.

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The Priceless Lesson

Judith Weston’s book gave me language and structure. But what I’ve gained from being in the room with actors; from seeing a flat performance come alive in real time that’s priceless. It reminded me that directing isn’t just about what’s seen on camera.
It’s about what’s felt in the pauses, the silences, the truth behind a glance.

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Applying It to My Own Work

All of this learning has been building toward my short film, Still Loading.
We’re now casting actors in partnership with Levile, and it’s been amazing to put these lessons into practice, from giving clear direction to building trust with talent in the audition room.