4. D.W Griffith
In the history of art, there is probably only one person who has singlehandedly had more influence on the entire structure and syntax of an entire medium than D.W Griffith. Although he made only three films of much note and all of them are more important as historical curiosities than as art or entertainment, all three helped establish the majority of the filmmaking techniques that are taken for granted today. His 1915 film Birth of a Nation is easily in the top five most significant films ever made, not only for its controversial depiction of the Civil War south and race relations, but also for practically inventing the screen epic, introducing techniques such as long shots, camera pans, night shots, having an original score made especially for the film, and a host of other techniques that became commonplace within a few years of its release. In order to make up for the controversial depiction of race in Birth of a Nation, Griffith directed Intolerance the following year, which depicted the negative consequences of intolerance throughout history, and it is generally seen as the best film he ever made at least in terms of lasting acclaim. Griffith fell out of favor with Hollywood just a few years later, despite doing more for the medium of film than anyone in history. Chaplin called him "the teacher of us all" and Orson Welles once said that "no town, no industry, no profession, no art form owes so much to a single man" as D.W Griffith. Although his films are not considered as important in terms of lasting artistic appeal as many other directors on this list, his impact on the film industry and film production dwarfs any other directors in film history.