My Career

[gooberguy]

this may sound incredibly stupid but, i want to be a hollywood movie director. And i was wondering if anybody here had any suggestions.

I would start all my schooling and such when i am 18 now im 15 next month.

EDIT: please no smart ass coments, i know like .01 % of people make it.

[jabloomf1230]

this may sound incredibly stupid but, i want to be a hollywood movie director. And i was wondering if anybody here had any suggestions.

I would start all my schooling and such when i am 18 now im 15 next month.

I'm making the assumption you're in North America somewhere, but if not, my suggestions might not make as much sense. First, the entertainment industry is a great career choice. It continues to expand and the technological advancements seem to create more job opportunities, unlike most other industries. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's one of the few segments of the economy that is still heavily talent-based (pro sports would probably be the other one). If you have little innate talent, don't ven think of getting into entertainment. Unfortunately, your "0.01%" comment is close to the truth. Even if you have talent, so do 10,000 other people just like you, all headed towards the same goal.

That said, here's what I would suggest:

1) Study your behind off in HS, take as many advanced placement courses as possible and do as well as you can on the SATs (although this item is not as important).

2) Join the HS Drama Club, if your HS has one. Start one if it doesn't. Do as many possible jobs with the Drama Club as you can. Act, do the techie stuff (lighting, sound), scenery, playbills, etc. During the summer, see what local options there are to volunteer or intern at a local playhouse, video production company or TV station. It all looks good on your resume'.

3) There are a bunch of good theater, communications and entertainment management (the business side) college programs. The two best are at NYU and UCLA, but there are certainly a lot of others that are almost as good. UCLA and NYU benefit from being near Hollywood and in NYC, respectively and don't underestimate that aspect, since the critical component in entertainment college programs is the magic word "Internships".

4) Cultivate hobbies that will improve your job skills, such a videography, photography and even reading and writing.

5) Don't give up and don't lose your sense of humor.

6) It helps to have a relative in high places.

I'm sure other people here have different perspectives on this, but that's my take.

[tgpo]

I'm working towards being a director myself. What I've learned so far:

1) You can be a director now. Get a camera, some friends, and some free time and make a movie. Then make another one. Then another. I got my current job at a production house because he liked my stupid Kung Fu videos.

2) Watch as many movie as you can get a hold of. Watch them first to see if you liked it or not. Then go back and figure out why you did or didn't like it. Pinpoint the point at which you gained/lost interest. This will help you to know what you are really interested in movie wise.

3) Co-op & internship positions get you into places!! Troma hires people for intern jobs all the time. When you get the position spend every waking second learning. Skip sleep if you have to, you can sleep when you're dead.

4) Don't think that you HAVE to be in Hollywood to make it. If you make a movie and sell it at a festival people will see it either way.

5) Have fun and enjoy it.

[lordsmurf]

I know that lots of people have gotten attention from making fan films. Like tgpo said, get a DV camera, and start now. When you get more money, invest in better sets, etc. Keep going. Film classes in high school (drama) are a must, and maybe some media (video) courses would be quit helpful for editing room.

[Rookie64]

Some advice from an insider -


Don't aim to be a *Hollywood* director - go the independent route.
Enter your films in contests and/or festivals - that's really the only way you're gonna get attention.

It's a very competitive industry - no matter how good or talented you are.


Talent and determination helps, but it really comes down to how much you're worth in terms of boxoffice grosses. In most cases, you have to already know someone in the business to get an agent.
It's very hard to get representation - you are required to be a DGA member (Directors Guild Of America)...and your agent gets you work.


You also need an Entertainment Lawyer.


It's better to start small and work your way up the ladder.
Make independent films, work in theater, try making music videos or TV commercials...also try other things like Acting, Writing or Film Editing.
Get into TV Production as well.

[housepig]

four books you should read:

How I Made 100 Movies In Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime by Roger Corman

The Night of the Living Dead Filmbook by John Russo

Incredibly Strange Films - Vale & Juno, eds (RE/Search Publications #10)

A Youth In Babylon by David Friedman.

George Romero started as a local commercial filmmaker - ads, training films, instructional work, etc. - by doing so he amassed a pool of equipment, talent and coworkers, and was able to make NOTLD.

Corman and Friedman started in Hollywood, but realized that they could have more control, make more money, and be their own boss by going independant and finding their own financing.

[gooberguy]

I do own a dv camera and currently do make movies with freinds, anyways thanks for the help.

[northcat_8]

I'm just going to echo what everyone else has said.

Another thing you might consider is to see if your school's drama director will let you tag along or help him/her out with directing school plays.

If I could give you one piece of advice, directing is basically coaching, so I feel I can give some insight...pay attention to details, large things are always made up of smaller things, make sure the small things are done right and the larger things will take care of themselves. Even the smallest detail that no one else sees as important is important.

Work you ass off, don't listen to those people saying "you can't", study hard and send me tickets to your premiere.

[thecoalman]

I feel I can give some insight...pay attention to details, large things are always made up of smaller things, make sure the small things are done right and the larger things will take care of themselves. Even the smallest detail that no one else sees as important is important.
.

That's great advice no matter what your going to do. I've lost and gained customers over the simplest things.

[tgpo]

Oh, and get a Mac with Final Cut and start learning

[indolikaa]

NEVER GIVE UP!

[tgpo]

NEVER GIVE UP!

Screw it. I'm done :P

[menes777]

I heard that once you got into directing porn, that's all you could direct from then on.

So might be a direction to avoid....

[tgpo]

I heard that once you got into directing porn, that's all you could direct from then on.

So might be a direction to avoid....

Barry Sonnenfeld made it

[housepig]

I heard that once you got into directing porn, that's all you could direct from then on.

I think that might apply more to acting in porn.

[Conquest10]

Another thing you might want to think about: Talent is a close second. The real important thing is to be able to sell yourself. There are tons of people that will probably be a little more talented than you but if you do better to promote and get your name out, you will do better. Going the independant route is the best way. Not at first, but it will give you freedom to do what you want to do, which in turn might get you noticed by "Hollywood" easier.

[northcat_8]

I heard that once you got into directing porn, that's all you could direct from then on.

So might be a direction to avoid....

And um....how would one....um....say I had this friend who was interested in "participating" in the "porn" industry.....um....how might he get started in that...um....area...yea area?

[housepig]

And um....how would one....um....say I had this friend who was interested in "participating" in the "porn" industry.....um....how might he get started in that...um....area...yea area?

money.

get a bankroll together, and find some people who are good-looking and/or freaky who will screw for cash.

find a location that you can do it without getting busted. shoot it on DV.

sell it to a distributor, or see if you can sell enough yourself to make back your investment + profit. use the profit to fund the next movie.

badabing! you're a pornographer!

[Capmaster]

And um....how would one....um....say I had this friend who was interested in "participating" in the "porn" industry.....um....how might he get started in that...um....area...yea area?

money.

get a bankroll together, and find some people who are good-looking and/or freaky who will screw for cash.

find a location that you can do it without getting busted. shoot it on DV.

sell it to a distributor, or see if you can sell enough yourself to make back your investment + profit. use the profit to fund the next movie.

badabing! you're a pornographer!

Have experience in this, do we?

[tgpo]

And um....how would one....um....say I had this friend who was interested in "participating" in the "porn" industry.....um....how might he get started in that...um....area...yea area?

money.

get a bankroll together, and find some people who are good-looking and/or freaky who will screw for cash.

find a location that you can do it without getting busted. shoot it on DV.

sell it to a distributor, or see if you can sell enough yourself to make back your investment + profit. use the profit to fund the next movie.

badabing! you're a pornographer!

You left off sell your soul somewhere in your equation.

[menes777]

I heard that once you got into directing porn, that's all you could direct from then on.

So might be a direction to avoid....

And um....how would one....um....say I had this friend who was interested in "participating" in the "porn" industry.....um....how might he get started in that...um....area...yea area?

You gotta do gay porn before straight porn...

[pacmania_2001]

1. Put ad in local rag
2. Have sex with any applicants
3. Tell applicants it was only an audition so they dont get paid for it.
4. Start your website called "Porn Auditions" or something similar.

[menes777]

I suggest we get cap, dolly, the olsen twins, tgpo (for kung fu), 300 gallons of motor oil and start us a website!

[Capmaster]

<Almost .....falls off the desk chair considering the interesting geometric and alphabetic shapes that could be achieved>
"Give me an 'H'" 8)
"Give me a 'T'"
"Give me a 'Q'"

[housepig]

Barry Sonnenfeld made it

when did he do porn?

[housepig]

You left off sell your soul somewhere in your equation.

how do you figure?

[northcat_8]

get a bankroll together, and find some people who are good-looking and/or freaky who will screw for cash.

find a location that you can do it without getting busted. shoot it on DV.

sell it to a distributor, or see if you can sell enough yourself to make back your investment + profit. use the profit to fund the next movie.

badabing! you're a pornographer!

<gets notepad out>
good looking - check
Freaky - screw for free, I assume cash would be OK with them - check
Location - check
DV camera - check

seems that bankroll and distributor are missing. I can find a distributor...that bankroll is going to be an issue on a teacher's salary

[northcat_8]

You gotta do gay porn before straight porn...

and so endith the dream


Oh well, I'm pretty sure the school system wouldn't like me being a pornographer anyway

[menes777]

Northcut, these good looking folk wouldn't be your students would they?

Take out a small business loan!

[northcat_8]

Of course they would not be my students....those would be underaged....but now once they turn 18

There's no law about "PAST" students.

for those of you getting ready to dial the board of education where I work...re-*******-lax. I'm not interesting in 18 year olds that have no clue what they are doing...but their mothers on the other hand....