Making the Magic Happen: The Art and Craft of Film Directing

Peter D. Marshall is a filmmaker and film-directing coach from Vancouver, Canada. He has worked in the film-and-television industry for over 40 years―as a film director, television producer, first assistant director, and TV-series creative consultant.

Peter has directed over 30 episodes of television drama, including John Woo’s Once a Thief, Wiseguy, 21 Jump Street, The Black Stallion, and Largo Winch. As a first assistant director, Peter has worked on 12 feature films (including Dawn of the Dead, The Butterfly Effect, and Happy Gilmore), 17 television movies, 4 television pilots, and 7 television series.

He has written, directed, or produced over 50 hours of documentary and educational programs, and his documentaries and dramas have won or been nominated for 14 international film awards.

Peter has worked for directors such as John Woo, Zack Snyder, Phillip Noyce, Ed Zwick, John Badham, and Bobby Roth, and has worked with actors including Peter O’Toole, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, Halle Berry, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Peter has been a directing instructor and film mentor for Raindance Canada, the Vancouver Film School, and the Shanghai Vancouver Film School, and continues to teach his own directing work-shops worldwide.