HOW DO I BECOME A DIRECTOR?

There is no pat answer to this question. The easiest response is that you can become a film director by simply picking up the nearest camcorder and starting to direct. Voila, you're a director! Sounds simple but it's probably not the answer you were looking for. You probably mean, "how do I become a professional, paid film director".

BUT WHAT DOES A DIRECTOR ACTUALLY DO?

Many people new to filmmaking are not really sure what a director does. Strictly speaking the director is the man or woman responsible for the way the film looks, sounds, moves as well as how the actors perform. He or she is the person in charge on set. The director makes decisions on almost every aspect of the making of the film - from approving costumes, auditioning actors, choosing camera angles, deciding on mood, atmosphere, style of performances - almost everything creative that goes into a film. This does not mean that the director does all of this by himself. He usually has heads of department (such as camera, lighting, costume, art, etc...) that do most of the actual work - but they do so according to the director's wishes.

The director also makes creative decisions together in collaboration with his or her heads of department. They themselves are experts in their field and incorporating their advice and creative input is an important part of being a good director. The director also often works with the screenwriter at the beginning of the project as well with the editor and music composer towards the end of the process. He is often involved in the project from the beginning right to the end. Ultimately the director usually answers to the producer, the studio or the financiers.

In many cases however this definition can be less true. Sometimes the director is also the producer. Sometimes he is also the screenwriter. Some directors are not very interested in camera angles, preferring to concentrate on actors' performance, and allow their Director of Photography to make camera and lighting decisions. Others pretty much ignore their actors and focus purely on the look and images of the film.

Independent directors often have almost complete control of the film - usually if it is a project they have initiated themselves. As budgets increase financiers and studios become more rigid in restraining directors in numerous ways. While most independent directors decide on and approve the edit of their film, studio directors are often at the mercy of studio executives or producers when deciding on the final cut.

It's a profession that requires a good feel for images, music and performance as well as understanding (although not necessarily being able to do) various technical aspects of the production process. A director should also be able to communicate well with people and perhaps most importantly be able to see both the small details of the project as well as maintaining an overview of the bigger picture. It may be corny, but true - the director requires "vision". In theory the director should already have largely pieced the pieces of the puzzle together in his head before the film starts and then oversee that the pieces are correctly aligned during the making of the project. While many ridicule the concept of the director as being the "author" of a film because of film's inherently collaborative nature - the director especially in smaller, self written, independent films is the closest person one can describe as an author of a film. This is perhaps less true to some extent in big budget productions.

Directors make a living in two ways. They either freelance, flitting from production to production being hired by various producers and/or production companies, or they can join (or form) a production company and work through this same company on projects which it has initiated or been hired to produce. The second option is usually the most preferable because it offers more stability.


FOUR WAYS TO BECOME A DIRECTOR

1) Film Schools
They can be very useful. Some schools only teach video/television production and that's fine if you want to go into television although television training can also be a useful starting block to a feature film career. Film schools teach you the basics of editing, camera operation, sound, lighting and screenwriting. They should then allow you to specialize in the field that you are most interested in. Few will teach Directing per se - although most courses will require you to direct at least one short film.

You probably won't really learn a heck of a lot of practical information in classes but you will when you begin to make your first film or video project (which should be a requirement in every school). As much as you will learn here - the old adage that you will "learn more in one day of a professional shoot than the entire time at film school" is somewhat exaggerated but in part true.

Ultimately when you leave film school you will be just another jobless shmuck along with the few thousand people around the world who've also graduated from film schools. The graduation certificate is ultimately not worth a great deal. Producers are not very keen on putting large amounts of money at the disposal of inexperienced graduates no matter how qualified they may be.

Therefore the most important aspect of film school is the opportunity to gain experience. The short you have to make to graduate should not be your only practical experience. Most schools will house a stack of equipment that probably spends most of the year not being used. Use it! Any good film school will let you use their equipment during down time. Take advantage of the opportunity to make as many short films as you can. While most people will only do the work doled out to them by the school, the students working weekends on their own projects with school equipment and resources are the ones who will probably get work when they graduate. Never again will you have access to equipment at no charge, making anyone that doesn't make use of the opportunity an idiot. If you come out of film school with a kick arse showreeel and experience you'll have a much easier time getting work in the real world. (Though don't expect it to be easy - it rarely is).

Also, while at film school, try and get onto as many film sets as possible - as an observer as runner/production assistant. Don't expect to get paid and many production companies will take you on. Chalk it up as valuable experience. If you got into this business to get rich - think again.

2) Just Do It
Some directors have never been to film school. They might have had an idea for short film, written a script, picked up a camcorder and convinced someone to fund its production. By financing their own small projects, taking in as many one-off film seminars as they can and directing memorable films they gain experience. Producing their own films becomes a film school in itself. By sending their projects to film festivals, they may get noticed. Once one of their projects is successful - critically or commercially - they may be able to raise the money to direct a feature film or just continue making short, experimental films if that is what they desire. They may even be able to make a living doing this.

While this approach as been known to work - it's very unreliable (do you feel lucky?) and takes a great deal of work and sacrifice. You'll probably have to hold down another job while trying to make your shorts and forget any kind of romantic relationships. Those weekends are for making movies!

3) Climb Up The Ladder
Another popular option that can be taken either with or without film school experience is to get into the film industry from another position such as a production assistant, or an apprentice or camera assistant to the director of photography or even an editor. This could be long slog leading eventually up to a directorial position. For example starting out as a production assistant, moving to camera assistant, moving to cameraman/DOP, and then finally to director.

A film school graduate could probably jump in higher on the ladder as an assistant director or camera assistant on lower budget productions. This climb up the proverbial ladder can sometimes take years, sometimes less. Many directors in South Africa were directors of photography before they became directors (then again many of them work largely in commercials which concentrates on the image and less on plot and characters).

The problem with the Ladder option is of course that you may spend a large portion of your life doing a job which you may not like in the hope that you will be allowed to direct. If the right people see you as hugely talented you may be given the opportunity to leap across that ladder at a rapid pace. Then again you might not. You might be seen to be so good a lighting cameraman, that no-one wants to hire you as anything else.

4) Be Very Lucky
Ala Quentin Tarintino. Write some scripts, work in a video store and convince a well known actor who raises the financing that you can direct. Then do it. If you happen to know the right person, have an incredibly magnetic personality, are very wealthy or are adept at hypnosis then you may be able to convince someone to fund a movie for you to direct. This is not for the faint hearted.

Nevertheless, even if you take any of the other routes above pray that luck is on your side - you'll still need it.


CONCLUSION

The reality is that it is very difficult to become a director - no matter which route you may take. It also relies on a great deal of luck as well as chutzpah (and yes, you might need some talent too).

If you want to be a film director do it only if it is in your blood - the journey is long, hard and often lonely. Can you handle rejection? No? Then plumbing is a much better option.

And remember - one of the best ways to learn about directing is simply to watch a lot of films and take note how they are constructed.