John Swanbeck, director of the Hollywood film, “The Big Kahuna,” sat, relaxed, in a folding chair on the stage of SF State’s Little Theatre Tuesday shortly after 2 p.m. as a group sat attentively listening to him speak.

“The title of the lecture is ‘Hollywood and the actor-director relationship,’ which is, in many ways, misleading,” Swanbeck said. “Because in many ways, the actor-director relationship doesn’t exist in Hollywood.”

Swanbeck elaborated on this and several other aspects of the actor’s and director’s job in Hollywood during his one-hour lecture.

Swanbeck, who has directed stage productions in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, pointed out that the actor-director relationship in Hollywood and on stage is as different as night and day, because in Hollywood rehearsal time barely exists.

“Movies cost so much money to make… and therefore the time that is allowed for a project is dictated by how much money there is and all that time is going for shooting… and the equipment,” Swanbeck said. He went on to explain that the person in power is also a factor.

“There are a lot of directors that don’t like to rehearse, myself being one of them,” Swanbeck said, citing his preference for spontaneity as the reason. Swanbeck said some actors don’t like rehearsing either.

Swanbeck won the Joseph Jefferson award in 1994 for his production of Steven Berkoff’s play, “Greek,” said Yukihuro Goto, chair of the theatre arts department. In his directorial film debut, “The Big Kahuna,” in 1999 he directed such talents as Danny DeVito and Kevin Spacey, Goto said.

Swanbeck went on to talk about the Hollywood director’s job. The director needs to learn leadership, give simple directions and be able to make quick decisions, “even if you have to fake it,” Swanbeck said.

“The director sets the tone. If the director is terrified, the crew will be terrified. If the director is confident, the crew will be confident,” Swanbeck said.

Swanbeck also addressed how the Hollywood actor’s job differs from that of a stage actor. He explained that subtlety is key.

“The camera will capture what on stage you need to do extra,” Swanbeck said. “The camera can read your heart, your mind and your soul.”

Toward the end of the hour, Swanbeck opened the floor up to audience questions. He addressed such topics as talent agencies and agents, the audition process in Hollywood and his desire to work in television.

“I am about to make my foray into television and have been on a lot of sets recently watching the process,” Swanbeck said.

The audience gave Swanbeck an enthusiastic round of applause at the end of the afternoon and some students stayed to chat personally with the famed director.

“I really enjoyed getting insight into the world of film,” said Tiger Lane Poon, a theatre arts major. Poon is also working toward degrees in dance and psychology.

Thu Tran, another senior in the theatre arts department found Swanbeck’s lecture informative and candid.

Since the department teaches mainly stage acting, it’s nice when they find ways to expose students to the world of film, said theatre arts professor Jo Tomalin. Tomalin has been in the department for 18 years.

Swanbeck is currently directing a play, “Winter,” in Los Angeles. The play will open at the end of June, Swanback said. He also has plans to work with Danny DeVito again in an upcoming film based on the Charles Lindbergh kidnapping case.