There is little doubt that, in cinematic terms, we are living in the age of the director. A quick glance at the film pages in any of the national British broadsheet newspapers easily confirms this. The majority of reviews, even of mainstream commercial films, will make specific reference to the film's director and suggest how this film conforms or deviates from the established pattern of their work. Advertisements for the latest releases will often play heavily on the director's name and audiences are now familiar with opening credits which frequently include the claim that this is a film ‘by’ said director. Such status is afforded to even first-time directors or those with little interest in the artistic possibilities of the medium. The notion of the director as the key figure in the creative process of film-making, to the exclusion of other individuals or wider contextual factors, appears to be broadly established both as a critical mode and a marketing tool.