Doctoral thesis: A film director doesn’t just lead the vision – the creative team also needs leadership

The director bears a special responsibility for the artistic integrity of the work, and filmmaking has traditionally been viewed through the lens of individual authorship and auteur theory.

However, numerous professionals are involved in filmmaking: cinematographers, production designers, editors, sound designers, costume designers, and many others. Each brings their own expertise and creative vision to the production.

In her doctoral dissertation, which will be examined on Friday, 25 September, at Aalto University’s Department of Film, film director Hanna Maylett explores this tension: how to lead an artistic whole whose creation depends, at the same time, on the creativity of others.

“The director is responsible for what is being done, but they don’t make a film alone. I was interested in how a director can strongly lead an artistic whole while at the same time enabling others to make a truly creative contribution”, Maylett explains.

The director leads both the film and the production team

A key finding of the study is that the artistic direction of a film involves two interrelated tasks. On the one hand, the director guides the film’s content and artistic direction. At the same time, they must lead the social processes within the production team: interaction, trust, participation, scheduling, and the way people work together.

According to Maylett’s research, social regulation is not a side task that runs parallel to artistic work, but rather a part of the creative process that is just as significant as guiding the content.

“Managing the group’s social process is part of artistic leadership. How people work together also influences the kind of work that can emerge”, Maylett emphasizes.

At the same time, the study highlights a paradox related to film directing: filmmaking is recognized as a collective art form, but leadership is still largely understood through the actions of the individual. According to Maylett, group-level leadership has been inadequately recognized in both the practice and theory of directing.

Power and emotions influence who gets to create

Collaboration alone does not guarantee that a working group’s creative potential will be harnessed collectively. Social dynamics, power relations, and often invisible hierarchies influence how artistic decisions are made and how creative agency is distributed within the group.

What matters, therefore, is not only whether others participate in the artistic process, but also how and when they participate, what they can influence, and what kind of responsibility they feel they can take on.

“Collaboration isn’t just about whether we listen to others. It also matters when people are invited to participate, how their ideas are responded to, and what opportunities they have to use their own creativity in collaborative work”, says Maylett.

Emotions also play a central role in the artistic process. Research shows that emotional regulation and the emotional agency of working group members are fundamental prerequisites for the artistic leadership of a group. Emotions are therefore not external to artistic work but influence participation, interaction, and creative agency.

The director retains responsibility for the work as a whole, but can at the same time create a way of working in which the expertise and creativity of others can influence the work.

“The director’s job is not just to shape the work as it takes form. They also shape the conditions in which others can do creative work”, says Maylett.

Learning from film about leading creative work

Film production offers a concrete example of leading creative work: how do you lead a project whose success depends on the independent expertise and creativity of others?

“The more the success of the work depends on other people’s creativity, the less a director can focus solely on the end result. They must also lead the group-level process through which the collaborative work is created”, says Hanna Maylett.

The study thus also offers insights into leadership in other multidisciplinary and creative fields. When the final result is the product of collaboration among people, the leader’s role is not merely to set the direction, but to create conditions in which diverse expertise can contribute to the shared outcome.

For more information:

Hanna Maylett, Professor of Film Directing, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University, hanna.maylett@aalto.fi

Hanna Maylett, M.A., will defend her dissertation “Navigating Collaboration in Film and TV Drama Directing: Participatory Practices within the Director’s Artistic Leadership”
25 September, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The dissertation defense will take place at TUAS Building, TU1 Saab Auditorium, Maarintie 8. The opponent is Susan Kerrigan of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, and the supervisor is Professor Susanna Helke of Aalto University.

Link to the event