If you have no say in the cast, location, crew or production design are you even a director anymore?
In television the director never casts the show. When they are hired
to direct an episode they have no say in the location, the crew or the
production design. They don't do paperwork, they don't assemble
everyone and everything. I would say they still are the director.
It happens less in films and far less (if ever) in low budget independent
films – but it happens. Directors have left (or been fired from) shows
just weeks before production and been replaced by another director. I
would say that person is still the director.
On a personal note I did this once; got hired to direct by a writer/producer/actor
who cast all the main characters, selected the locations and had hired all
the main crew before he contacted me. In a way it was quite nice. I stepped
in two weeks before production, met everyone, did a couple of table reads,
walked the locations and then made the movie. It was simple a “work-for-hire”
very much like TV directors - I was there to realize the vision of the
writer/producer. I was given some creative control and there was enough
professional respect (both ways) that it was a good experience. Sure, there
were some choices I was unhappy with, but then I don't see myself as the
“auteur” type. I was happy to get the work and accepted the challenge.
Not every film is the vision of the director. Many are the vision of the writer
with the director a "hired hand". Many are the vision of the producer who
hires a director to achieve their vision. Even in those cases I personally believe
you are still a director.