Have you ever wondered how to become a director? As a filmmaker, bringing your vision to life and sharing your story with the world is one of the primary reasons you make movies. Add the fact that making movies is a lot of fun should be enough to motivate anybody to get their movies made.
Yet very few would-be filmmakers will ever take the chance at actually making and directing a movie. Why is that?
While I cannot speak for everybody, I can tell you the most people are simply afraid that their movie will suck. So instead of actually producing a movie, these fearful filmmakers decide instead to produce a list of excuses that goes something like this:
Top 10 Excuses Why You Won’t Become a Director
- I don’t have enough money.
- There is no talent where I live.
- We don’t have a camera (or lights, locations, insurance, et al.)
- Nobody cares about our movies unless we live in Hollywood.
- My movie is not a real movie unless it has name actors.
- I don’t want to make a short. I am waiting to make my feature.
- Maybe next year. I’m busy with my day job.
- I am too old to direct a movie.
- I am too young to direct a movie.
- I don’t know how to become a director.
The truth is, people will never hire you to be a director unless you have already directed something. Nobody cares about your vision or ideas… They want proof that you can actually make something. And the only way you can give them proof is by answering this question:
“Given the resources that I have right now, what is the movie that I can make this year?”
Once you conjure the courage to answer this question, great things will start to happen for you. You will be forced to abandon all self limiting beliefs. They you will grab a camera, find some actor friends and make your movie now!
If you produce a short film, you will put it on YouTube and share your work with the world. If you produce a feature, then you will figure out how to market and sell your movie. But you will not make excuses.
Only by taking action and actually directing something, will you finally figure out how to become a director.
About Jason Brubaker
Jason Brubaker is a Hollywood based Independent Motion Picture Producer and an expert in Video On Demand distribution. He is focused on helping YOU make, market and sell movies more easily by growing your fan base, building buzz and creating community around your title. He is also available for speaking engagements.
I agree with you Jason,I live in Iran. And making my first future film. And there is nothing to it. Just get up and do it. There is since I do it : there is more resourses and people which help me do the actuall work. I thank you for your work and writings Jason. It helps me be more directive and productive.Thanks again. May you succed in your work.
i am not a director but director should have minimum knowledge. He should have more imaginating power
i want to be come a director.i from INDIA . I WANT TO ENTER IN TOLLY WOOD.
i live at a small city “Bengkulu” in Indonesia, i can’t agree more with what you’ve written above. but i;ve only a t2i 550d, but i really wanna make a movie. can’t you give your email there’s many question i wanna ask about filmmaking. it’s my desire to make a movie or become a director, but the classical problem is Budget. How you manage about panning when you shoot a video but you don’t have any dolly,steadycam crane or anything?can you help me?
I think this article should have been titled differently. Like 10 myths that hold you back from being a director. IMO money is really the biggest, and credit can be an option if really necessary. In working on funding my film through crowd sourcing the amount of money received was low. This can be due to a number of things, I tried funding for over 4 years. Just for a short. It came down to having to put this on credit to get my baby done for my degree. Barely anyone works for free and when they do a lot of the time they have the upper hand. I didn’t have enough to afford a production manager or assistant director and no one from any ads I posted for free help ever followed through. It was very disappointing. But with the resources I had and yes I did have to fork out for production insurance and workers comp. If you want to work with any kids legally in California you have to have that and it’s not free. So you can’t expect to direct kiss movies unless you have worked with kids before and developing that reel can be costly or you can risk being caught by enforcement. That’s your call. All the while I’m happy that my film is in the can so to speak and feel that my directing had been compromised due to wearing so many hats during the production. Which is no bueno, but you have to work with what you have and still try your best. I would really appreciate a post on how to become a paid director for those who have films and projects under there belt.
My advice to others save as much as possible if you want to make a film that’s your vision. If you want to just build a reel on a budget, work with adults and use friends houses for locations of other low cost options that don’t require insurance.
Thanks!
So true!
Scott –
My suggestion is to get a job so that you can survive and pay your bills. Then get some money in the bank. Once you get these things checked off the list, you can focus on screenwriting.
I have an MA in cinema and I live in a homeless shelter because I keep running into walls trying to get my scripts made and in trying to get any other kind of work.
Always enjoy your articles! I love the haunting question….
And I agree – the best way to direct, is simply get out there and direct…
I completely agree what you have written above.Thanks for your valuable information.
I am making every story I have! Three shorts in the last 3 months and working on another! You are right! If you have never directed anything, you won’t direct anything! Into the fray I say, make everything a movie!