What's A Director For?

If you watch short films today...and in succession, I would say, no one really has consistency. It's not anyone's fault actually. That's just the nature of...being a jack of all trades.
I have a new internet pen pal in actress Illeana Douglas. I know I'm bragging, but we're not tight like friends, but she tends to answer my questions with some of the inside scoop of the good ol' days. What I gather from her book, it's most likely because she did the same thing with her heroes. I like Illeana because she's really serious about the craft of filmmaking (having been on the set of "Being There" with Hal Ashby as a teen, since her grandfather was screen legend Melvyn Douglas).

What's a director for? The new answer is...not much. Since technology pulled the plug on autonomy (if you're dealing with studio money, you make studio movies). They know you can't pull the wool over their eyes anymore since they are monitoring your every move. The only way to make anything is with your own money and on your own terms. Not the smartest financially, but for me the smartest emotionally. It's a trade-off.
The gist of our conversation was...what does a director do? Once casted...not much. I got an instant thumbs up. Yep...very very VERY little. In fact, we do more to damage the movie the minute we open our mouths. The truth? The actors see what the writer sees (if they're worth a damn). The rest is just making sure the coffee pot doesn't catch fire. And then a series of "yes" and "no" until your head explodes. Seriously.
"do you want the hat in the shot"
"yes"
"Do you want the cat move in the background?"
"no"
"Is the plant in the shot?"
"no."
 "Do we need more smoke?"
"yes"
You know what REALLY REALLY sucks.
Saying "I don't know."
People get really nervous with "I don't know." Because it costs money to not know. And though honest, causes panic (in disorganized shoots). I don't know is weird. Because, if you live and breath your project, very little is unknown. Some people are better at tap dancing though, Let's be honest with that.
The consensus I've learned thus far...have a STRONG vision of what you want to happen, and it will work out. Yes and or no.