The Hunger Games is a film from 2012 directed by Gary Ross and based on the novel by Suzanne Collins. The director had much influence on the film as the director.
Ross used a “shaky-cam” technique in an attempt to improve the audience's experience, making them feel as though they are in the arena with Katniss.
Through Katniss´s behavior in the Hunger Games book, it is strongly implied that she has a post-traumatic stress disorder. Ross therefore directed Jennifer Lawrence to portray Katniss with symptoms of PTSD.
To place further emphasis on the dark elements of the film, Ross wanted to make a realistic one without the classic, romanticized Hollywood feel. He also worked very closely with the cast. These approaches contributed to a stronger feeling of depth and realism in the film.
Ross´s direction was very valuable to the film as he made it very balanced and transitioned smoothly between emotional scenes, action and suspense. This keeps the film´s audience more engaged throughout it and committed to finishing it to see the end.