No Laughing Matter

A good friend who has enjoyed considerable success in this business of show once told me that a director should be able to tell a good, long joke. Why? A director should be able to hold an audience while telling a story. Is that all it takes? Hell, no. It helps if you're a bit insane: if your elevator doesn't quite reach the penthouse. More importantly, it helps if you have the ability to make those around you come along for the ride. The best directors work harder and longer than anyone around them. Not because they're supposed to. Not because they're paid to. Because they're possessed. Three words come to mind:

• PASSION
• LEADERSHIP
• TENACITY

Passion

We're not talking the sufferings of Christ; we're talking about having enthusiasm and excitement for telling stories. Filmmaking is incredibly tiring, both mentally and physically, for everyone involved but especially for the director. Your passion must be all consuming because it is the passionate leader who inspires those around him/her to do their best work and after working 12 - 16 hour days, people are going to need all the inspiration they can get. Your devotion to telling the story should be the motivating force behind everyone's work. If you're not constantly excited about what you're doing (no matter how mundane the shot may seem) nobody around you will be, either. Eventually, fatigue sets in, it always does and people can get sloppy or careless. When you're on set you only get one chance to get it right, so make sure you have the passion it takes to keep yourself and the people around you going.

"If you haven't got a passion to tell stories then you ought to seriously examine your motivations… too many people want to be film directors but they don't really want to tell stories or have any relationship with the audience." - Phillip Noyce (Dead Calm, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Bone Collector)

Leadership

The ability to make a decision and stand by it. Throughout all phases of production the director is constantly interacting with dozens of talented people and it is his/her job to collaborate with the team and lead them to the solution that best suits your story. As a director you will constantly be exposed to new ideas. Everyone has something to contribute and while some ideas might make you chuckle, others may be much better than what you had in mind. A good leader is secure. Be open to advise and welcome questions. The answers in your head are merely the first draft, allow for revisions. That guy with the boom cable might have a good idea, so listen to what he has to say; you'll get the credit, anyway.

People want to be led. They want direction. They want directors to DIRECT. Don't be afraid to do it.

"In the feature world you're frequently problem solving and frequently finding ways that the material speaks to you differently, once you actually see it on a screen, than you thought it would when you set out to direct it. You realize you have to adapt and change and all the way through you're learning what it (the story) truly is rather than sitting back and speculating what it should be." - Pen Densham (The Kiss, Moll Flanders , Houdini [TNT]).

Tenacity

"The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love." Sure the Peace Corps said it first, but I beg to differ. While not as noble or honorable as a job in the Corps, directing a film has to be one of the hardest, most difficult jobs on Earth, simply because making a film is the most unnatural thing in the world - recreating reality.

As the director you have to be accountable for the hundreds of decisions you make daily and at times you'll have to go to the mat for what you believe in. The actor that's perfect for the role, the money for that explosion, the crane to get the right angle: it all costs money. A director picks their battles strategically, losing one today so you can win another, more important battle tomorrow. Every decision and every concession you make will directly effect the finished product: your film. Some things you can do without, others you can not. It's your job to know which is which because you will be challenged, whether by producers, actors, studios, investors or the Almighty God Himself (daylight and uncooperative weather). Maintain a strong back but put up a soft front. Listen, collaborate, be reasonable, but make sure you know what you want and don't be afraid to stick to your guns. As soon as you're taken for a pushover you'll be eaten alive. It's a fine line, but remember you can't win them all.

This is all said assuming you even make it into Production. Fear not, your tenacity will be put to the test long before cameras roll. Getting even the smallest film made can take years. Don't lose your passion and in the noble words of Peter Gabriel, "Don't Give Up."

Now, if you have the passion, the tenacity, the ability to lead, as well as a few loose screws, you probably think you're ready to direct. Before we go on, first try this: work seven days a week for at least two years (this can supplement the writing, development and financing processes). Then, deprive yourself of sleep and find a couple hundred people to ask you different questions - all at the same time, all needing an answer RIGHT NOW that they (and others) can hold you to… and if you're wrong - deny EVERYTHING. Sound fun? Cool… Then read on to see how you can Get in the Canvas Chair.

The first rule to remember is that there are no rules. Yes, it's a cliché… but it also happens to be the truth. When I graduated from college my film professor's last bit of guidance was this: If you want to be a director… go direct. Easier said than done, but what he meant was that directing is a craft you can only learn through practice. There is no textbook that can prepare you for the trenches on set - and everything you learn has a valid counterpoint.

So, how do you get into that coveted canvas folding-chair? Any way you can. If you get the opportunity to direct something and it's your first time - DO IT! Bad script? Who cares. Low budget? Big deal. GET. IN. THE. CHAIR. Still easier said than done? Here are three places to put yourself where you can get one step closer.

Film school

Although considered obsolete by some, film schools still have a lot to offer. The first thing to consider is what kind of film school you want to attend. The more notable schools (UCLA, NYU, USC, AFI & Columbia) are very tough to get into and just because you get in, it doesn't mean you get to direct a film.  For example, students at USC have to pitch their stories and compete with other students to get their chance to direct.  You can pay the same tuition as Joe Blow and end up as a gaffer on set while he directs. Sound political? Wait 'til you get to Hollywood .  However, what this prepares you for what it's like in the real world of filmmaking.  What was that word? T-E-N-A-C-I-T-Y!

On the flip side, film schools like USC and NYU offer their students a well-rounded production experience. For example, students at NYU Tisch School of the Arts are required to take intensive course work not only in directing, but producing, writing and acting as well as editing and sound mixing. Students are also encouraged to expand their horizons by taking courses in other departments of the Tisch School , as well as the College of Arts and Science. Keep in mind that these reputable film schools receive over 1,000 applicants a year for the undergraduate program and less than 300 are admitted. Then there's the MFA Programs! For example, NYU's MFA program is a 3-year card where you eventually make your own thesis film - and this is what we're after, isn't it? To make your own full-length film? Well, they only accept 40 out of over 800 MFA applicants. But, if you're determined to apply with the BIG film schools, your best shot at directing as an undergraduate is at UCLA where, if you pay, you play. At UCLA students are required to complete a film (or video production) in their senior year.

The BIG School Plus

Perhaps the greatest advantage to the top film schools is Brand Name Clout. With famous one-name alumni like Lucas, Scorsese, Lee, Stone and Coppola these Universities have strong reputations and powerful Hollywood allies. They have good equipment, excellent professors and intern programs to help their graduates land jobs in the industry. The schools are expensive, but you have trained pros looking over your shoulder, teaching you every step of the way. So, despite the high cost, some might argue that it's more cost effective than spending $20 Grand on your own film without any guidance and/or instruction. Rest assured, should you elect to go to film school and rise to the top, certain doors are open for you.

Other Options

BIG film schools are not the ONLY film schools. For example, The University of Arizona and The University of Texas, Austin both have very good media/film departments. These second tier Film Schools might not have the Lucas Building and generous endowments from their famous alumni, but they cost much less to attend and tend to guarantee one thing: you will direct your own film, if not several. Another advantage is that you will learn the hard way. Competition is still tough, with students scrambling just to get in to the film classes and once in, scrambling for equipment. But you get more hands on experience, which allows you to make more mistakes, which makes you a better filmmaker. At the second tier schools, you might find yourself learning how to shoot with more of a guerilla mentality. This is not the way it's done professionally, but it prepares you for the worst case scenario and will test the limits of your resourcefulness. Just know, at the end of the year when you submit your film to the Student Academy Awards, the fact that it's from a second tier school already marks one strike against it. The BIG film schools are staples at several prestigious award ceremonies and despite the great work that has come out of some of the smaller film schools, 8 times out of 10 the award goes to the BIG film schools (which is not to deny the quality of the students or programs). But for the other 99% of you out there who don't make that studio deal straight out of college - BIG film school or not - when that diploma is in your hand and your film reel is under your arm… it's all up to you.

Know Your History

Regardless if you chose a BIG or small film school, they all offer film theory and this is the greatest reason to consider attending. Too many of today's new directors fail to understand that story should motivate style, especially the commercial/music video directors who make the jump to features (Spike Jonze being the best exception). I hate to sound like an old man, but if you get yourself in the director's chair, know your history. Cinema is a language and it was created by pioneers like Edwin Porter, D.W. Griffith, Cecil B. De Mille, Buster Keaton and Sergei Eisenstein (to name too few). Over the years the language of film has evolved with contributions from masters like Yasujiro Ozu, Orson Welles, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg (again, to name too few) all of whom understood the language and history of film. Iconoclasts like Jimi Hendrix, Jackson Pollack and Oliver Stone all knew their history and understood their medium before breaking, bending or challenging the rules. You may make a splash with some flashy techniques, but in the end people can tell if you know your shit or if you're a flash in the pan. Aside from being incredibly entertaining, studying film history is a remarkable way to see a creative interpretation (or documentation) of a country's social, political and economic history over the 20th century.

Do You Really Need Film School ?

All of this said, why are film schools considered obsolete by some? Perhaps obsolete isn't the right word because there is no substitute for good teaching. A good teacher can change your life. But if you're going to go to college, major in something other than film. A solid Liberal Arts education is much more useful in the real world - and at times - even in Hollywood . The word obsolete only comes to mind recently because today the tools needed to sharpen your skills as a director are more accessible than ever. Go to any bookstore and you can find dozens of books on directing and film theory, dissecting some of the best films in the last 100 years and their directors. Then, for about 1/5 of the cost for a semester at film school you can buy a Sony DV camera and a Macintosh and you're halfway there! Just need that STORY, right? Well, more on that later… We still have two more places to visit so you get closer to sitting in that chair.

'I used to tell people to go work at a cable station and put your things on the Public Service time, because that was a way of getting to an audience and finding out. Now you can get a digital camera, go out and shoot anything you want, edit it on an i-Mac and seriously get a sense of what all those processes are and you're doing it for zip money. And not only that, but you can even stick it on the internet and get an audience.' --Pen Densham

Directing is a craft best learned by osmosis.  A classroom and textbook can only teach you so much.  The best way to learn the skills needed to succeed is by being around people making movies.

 If you’re just starting out, try and get a job on set as a Production Assistant.  You can get a great overview of life during production as a PA and you may find – after watching the director – that it’s not for you after all.  Perhaps you gravitate towards the camera truck, or production design, maybe you’d make a good production coordinator or producing is your strong point.  Whatever interests you, it’s hard to know for sure until you’ve seen all the positions on a film set working together in harmony.  The Production Assistant is an entry level position that allows you to meet many different people (aka contacts) from all departments and I guarantee that when the job is over, the next one will come from someone you met while working as a PA.

Another great way to learn about directing is to become a Director’s Assistant (not to be confused with an Assistant Director [AD]).  Being a Director’s Assistant exposes you to all aspects of production (Development, pre-production, production, post-production and sometimes marketing) from the Director’s POV.  The better you are at your job, the more you will become involved.  It’s a demanding job, but if you align yourself with a good director and work on a project with them from start to finish, I guarantee it will give you more experience, knowledge and insight than any film school in the country.  There is no substitute for hands-on, in the trench experience.  Sure, you may find yourself answering phones, doing coffee runs and taking care of his/her personal life, but at the same time – if you’re lucky – your boss can become a mentor.  As a director, having a good mentor is invaluable because when it’s your time to take the chair, there will be an experienced pro for you to seek out advise.  How do you get this job?  Start working on sets – see if the director already has an assistant – if they don’t, get in there.  Put the word out that you’re interested in such a job, but don’t start calling director’s offices from their listing in the InfoSource or Creative Directory, you’ll just get their assistant on the phone.  Hence, no dice.  It’s not an easy job to find because it’s in demand, but it’s worth it.  Easily the best film school in the world.