A Director Directs Attention

Although we generally assume that the term "director" refers to the person's role in directing (steering) the work of production personnel, the term actually has a more important meaning: one who directs the attention of viewers.

In this role the director moves from form into content and centres on skillfully and creatively using the tools of the medium to regularly direct the audience's attention to critical aspects of the message.

In a sense, the director is a kind of "tour guide" for viewers.