William Wyler
Definition
A seminal German-born American film director and producer, highly revered for his technical precision and ability to elicit nuanced performances from actors during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
A legendary filmmaker notoriously known as '40-take Wyler' for his relentless pursuit of cinematic perfection, often pushing his lead actors to the brink of exhaustion.
Examples
If you think your perfectionist boss is demanding, just remember that William Wyler once forced Bette Davis to do endless takes until she literally collapsed from exhaustion.
William Wyler had such a refined eye for production that he managed to make a three-hour chariot race in Ben-Hur feel like a casual Sunday jaunt, unlike the chaotic editing suites of today.
Trying to please a director who demands the precision of a classical William Wyler film while working with a smartphone camera is the modern equivalent of bringing a spatula to a sword fight.