The Path to the Directors Chair

The path to the Directors chair can be a long one. The trouble with this question is not so much a question as it is a problem. It’s more of a question that gets asked time and time again. When one chooses a career it’s not a direct clear cut answer. it’s more of a depends answer. In saying that here are some tips to help you get started if your ultimate goal is to direct.

10 Useful tips that help you get one step closer to Directing

1.Study the Classics

it doesn’t take a lot of time to discover that there is a huge healthy film database that dates at least 100 years. It would quite literally take a lifetime to wade through the amount of content made available. In saying that, it pays to watch the classics. All your favourite films at some point in time were created from a compelling need to tell stories.  You have got to study the masters from the past. Yes technology has changed. We now have colour,  we now have vastly different aspect ratios. We have a sound experience like no other and visual effects tools to bring visions to life but ultimately the key message here is that despite all these massive changes to the film medium one thing still remains and that is ones ability to tell a story. 

2.Get in front of the camera

If you look over your favourite Directors career pathways a common occurrence is actor to director pathways. And if not in a prominent screen presence sense you will at least find that most directors have an acute awareness of an actors role. To be able to convey the message to their actors it is what is needed for the big screen. It takes time and practice because when it boils down to it acting is one of the very few spaces that is non-technical.

It’s not put the camera there or can we make that set piece red it’s being able to communicate with a person who’s task is bringing a character to life. Bringing something special to each and every role in a unique way that creates a realism that is felt across the screen. Even if your goal is not to act, the skills you learn from taking on that very role that you intend to guide is massively beneficial. Seeing a perspective from the other side of the fence is enlightening.

3.Get behind the camera

You are not going to become a director unless you are able look through the lens finder. Being  behind the camera gives you a greater sense of understanding. Your framing sets the stage with what will eventually eventuate into a finished edited product. Understanding the fundamentals of camera placement in relation to your actors allows you to easily adapt to any on set circumstance. It gives greater scope for what camera angles work from edit to edit and it also gives you an ability to showcase your film in a way that serves the story. Whether it’s working on a commercial, a corporate video or music video the main point is to get as close as you can to a camera.

4.Learn to write

Arguably the most important ability in a directors back pocket is an ability to decipher good story telling, and what’s better than learning how to tell a story but through learning how to write. Using a programme like Final Draft screen writing software you can start small. Script is and always will be King. By having a good script to start with sets the stage for producing a great film. The writing process in some way shape or form is continued write( no pun intended) from pre-production right through till the movie is up on the big screen.

5.Learn the craft of editing

If it’s one aspect of film making that truly mimics the directing process then that has got to be editing. Right from the first words lighting up your screen whilst writing, the stage is being set for a solid edit. It’s the editing process that truly brings a film to life. Having a grasp on editing means that when you go into your next shoot you have a stronger sense of what would cut well when it comes to postproduction.

Much in the same way if you know where you are headed it’s a lot easier to make plans for how to get there as opposed to shoot and the classic deal with it later or the cliche ” Just fix it in post”. If you don’t have to fix it in post …. then don’t.. fix it on set. Trust me your life will be easier later on. Oh and make sure you shoot that extra take.

More is less in postproduction …. until less is more for the finished film.

it’s a lot better to shoot more content so you have a sufficient pool of footage to work with when editing. Then ultimately when it comes to editing only use footage that drives the story forward.

6.Keep a visual diary

Often I find myself stumbling over my own ideas. My mind is going so fast you can’t seem to keep up with all the ideas that keep popping up and you are trying to write as many down as possible before your mind decides to magically wake up to your surroundings. Being a director is a way to get all those fantastic ideas to screen. One thing that has helped me massively with staying on top of these sometimes sporadic momentous ideas is to be able to write notes or small visual drawings to come back to at a later time. One step close to that Directors chair!

Sometimes these notes are useful for your current project. Other times these ideas may be reserved for a later film. What I find is that those ideas are never wasted and over time you will be impressed with how much you actually rely on your own often seemingly useless ideas when you use them at a later point in time.

7.Be true to the vision

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses goes for yourself and your crew. In saying that, be decisive and follow through. Make sure that there is clear communication with the rest of the team and stick to what will propel the story forward.

8.Network and build a team

A soundie is your best friend. No seriously build and collaborate with a range of people from marketers to production designers. Building a pool of reliable and like minded individuals is key to creating great films. At the end of the day you as a film maker is the sum or collective of your entire team. Make sure you work with like minded people you like to work with. Oh and be sure to bring snacks for your crew to set. Food works wonders for team morale. If you want to work in the film industry working with a team is a must. There are even film making groups in your area you can join where you can meet people with the same ambitions that you do.

9.Be a problem solver

There will be times when crew members approach you and ask you questions you might not have the answer to… but have to have an answer. ” Do you like the red one or the blue one” give them something to work with. Nothing on set will go exactly the way you had imagined. When circumstances change, events change, an actor cancels on you, or even the budget gets cut it can put you in a tricky situation. Your role as director is always about finding a solution. The show must go on.

10.Don’t give up

Of course the most important one is to get the movie finished.