How do I get to Direct a Movie?

How do people become movie directors? Do you have to work your way up through the ranks? How long does it take?

–Shiraz, New York

The path to becoming a director can seem confusing for people trying to break in mostly because– it is. There’s no test you can take, no one who stamps your report card “ready” and points you to the hiring office (which there also isn’t one of.) In fact, there’s no single right way to get your first feature directing gig– everyone’s story is different.

But from hearing many stories there are two guiding principles to getting to direct your first film:

First, you have to be ready. You need to know how the job goes, have practiced, and created work people can look at. You need a portfolio of finished film. That might be college shorts, it might be commercials or industrials, little projects you’ve done with friends, or animations you worked on at night for the last three years. But it’s nearly impossible to get people to finance or trust you if you have no work at all to show.

This is both easy and hard. Easy because anyone with an iPhone can make films. Hard because growing your craft takes a lot of work, trial and error, and commitment.

Second, nobody will “let” you direct. You have to make yourself the director.

If you write (or buy) an amazing screenplay, you can tell the financiers or studio, “You can only have this script if I direct.” If they want your script badly enough, then you are the director.

Or if you have a relationship with a woman who was in your acting class 10 years ago and you both absolutely loved collaborating and now she is a famous actor, you can say  “I brought this script I acquired to Jennifer Lawrence, who loves it, and the only way the film gets made is if I direct.” If they want Jen and the script, you are now the director.

Or if you become so good and hot (i.e. well known, exciting and expensive) in whatever you’ve been directing that producers and executives want that “thing” you’ve got– then you are the director.

Or you can bring money to the table– “I’ve raised 3 million for this script I’ve acquired. I will be directing.” Done.

Directing a feature isn’t about asking for permission. It’s about standing up and saying “I would like to direct now, and here’s why you need to support me.”  Your job is to get enough people excited about you that you can c. Control the project, and you can decide that you are the director.

Consider:

Material, talent and money make the entertainment world go ’round. If you have one of the three, and someone else wants it, that’s your leverage to move into the director position. If you don’t have any of those things, you can’t. Which seems harsh until we remember that you can’t make a movie by yourself. It’s a team sport, and if you can’t build or fit into a team, you may not be ready to direct.

When you’ve got the portfolio that proves you can direct, this is a great way to evaluate and improve your development strategy. Ask yourself:

Do I have the talent— my own and my team members’— to make this movie?

Is my script good enough to attract an audience?

Will studios or friends or financiers see a reason to invest the money?

If not, what can I do to upgrade my answer? The more you improve your score on each element, the more likely it is that your film will get made and you will be the director.

If you’re not planning to direct your own project, it still works: you have to show enough talent to make people want to work with you. You need a strong portfolio and to have made a good impression on all the people you’ve worked with in the past. Like, say, Jennifer Lawerence.

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