How to Be A Famous Director Without Going to Film School


By Harold Romero


So 'how to be a famous director' without film school?

Steven Spielberg, studied film directing at the University of Southern California; but he actually dropped out before finishing when a producer who had seen his short film 'Amblin', called him to get him a seven-year TV directing contract at Universal Studios...

Spielberg said: "But I got to have my diploma first!" The guy answered: "What do you want to be? A film Director or a University Graduate?"

Making films is a passion you don't get from attending the best schools for film. At least that is what most professionals in the industry will let you know. It must be inborn and nurtured independently through curiosity and a love for motion picture. So, it doesn't matter what stage of life you're in now, you either have the passion or not.

While movie courses can teach you basic technical skills, discipline, and how to get a movie made, they can't teach how to be a famous director. You can go to school to become an architect, a doctor, or a lawyer; but you don't necessarily have to attend school to be a filmmaker. Becoming successful basically involves education, work experience, and industry connections; but besides being extremely expensive, most film schools only cover the education part, leaving you to figure out the other two for yourself.

You might be surprised to learn that professionals in the film industry can also be self-taught or even undergo on the job training and still emerge as leading lights in their craft. There are talented and successful filmmakers out there who never attended film school and decided to build a reel instead. Some of them are Ridley Scott, Catherine Hardwicke, Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, and even Alfred Hitchcock. So, maybe your favorite director or producer didn't graduate from film school either!

'How to be a famous director' requires hard work and persistence, but if you're serious about filmmaking, there are essential factors you'll need to consider:

- Determine what are your filming motivations and goals

- You'll need a film script, you can write it yourself, hire a writer to script your idea, or even purchase someone else's existing script

- You'll need a budget; filmmaking can be a risky financial venture

- Bring your team together, cast, crew and locations

- Film your movie. Make sure to get a professional looking movie and not a "home movie"

- Video editing whether using film or digital

- You'll also need networking skills to promote your movie and get sponsorship deals

- A completion bond or insurance.

- Lots of planning; therefore a business plan is a must!

While you may require a strong understanding of the craft through the knowledge of standard industry best practices, doing well in the film industry is majorly as a result of individual determination and practice. But the best way to excel your filmmaking dream is to be unique, put your heart into it and become an outstanding director.

An interesting fact is how the film industry changes the rules of recruitment, so that instead of asking you for your degree or diploma, someone interested in hiring you will go straight to your portfolio. As a result, while taking movie courses at a film and video school may be important at the entry level, making motion pictures that are professional and captivating is even better for the future of those aspiring for a career in film. This will make you earn respect and not ask for it.

With the growth of the internet and independent film sharing platforms like YouTube, combining determination and good guidance from a formal or informal film school can mean great success for mainstream independent filmmakers or those just breaking into the industry learning how to be a famous director.

A good school whether virtual or located at a physical address should therefore prepare its students for the various facets of the movie business process. This does not mean that the student will avoid to study but is a reflection; other need is to invest a good amount of time especially in formative stages to understand how the industry works, and better yet, learn the ropes.

Using filmmaking online resources, movie courses, filmmaking programs and other tools provided by professionals, independent film enthusiasts like you can get into the industry well equipped despite the fact that they may or may not have attended film school, and avoid the pitfalls that others have experienced while benefitting from their advice.

By using a mentor-apprentice approach, film students can supplement other forms of learning allowing them to gain real life experience.

Now ~ Let me show you how to go from your unrealized dream of being an aspiring movie producer or director, to comprehend the whole filmmaking process ~ Grab a Copy of Your Free Report and learn the fast way to creating and mastering your own feature film even if you have no experience by clicking here!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harold_Romero