At which point should you stop taking other jobs and focus on directing?

A

Aceism

Member
Question for you directors out there.

I've saved enough money to last me a while -- and to focus on my directing. I am developing another project right now while my TV pilot goes through the works. I've heard this saying many times before - "If you want to be a director, direct."

But should I take other jobs in the meantime? Like PA gigs and whatnot? I've done that already two years out of school. People say that to forge contacts. However, I make most of my contacts through events/mixers in Hollywood. Producers, managers, agents. etc. I just don't know how much more valuable working on sets and in production is as opposed to completely focusing on my craft, which is directing. I already have major contacts, as well as a stable production crew I can rely on for projects. I've networked a ton over the past two years, and I feel I am ready.

So at which point should you stop taking other jobs and focus on directing?
 
If you honestly feel you're at that point, call yourself a director and stay in that area. You can take other jobs, provided they are high enough up- producer, cinematographer, things like that. But if you think you are past the PA stage, don't be a PA. People will just view you that way. As for deciding what point that is in general, I'd say it's the point where you are capable of keeping yourself consistently working in your chosen role. Which you obviously won't know for sure until you do it, so that's a tough one to decide for most people.
 
Think of it this way...if you want to be solely a Director, at a certain point in time you have to make the mental decision to say "thats it...I only want director positions"

You said you saved some cash...thats a good first step. So now live off it until you a) direct full time or b) run out of money and have to DP again

If some amazing DP position comes your way...I'd take it. (but that's me personally) As a director who loves to run his own camera, knowing both sides of the shoot is definately a benefit to a director who isn't very familiar with cinematography

Good luck though...sounds like your on the right track.
 
I have to admit I haven't had the opportunity to solely direct and find myself using my broad array of knowledge gained from reading information by my learned internet colleagues on forums like this one. I've also never had anyone say to me that they weren't interested in me directing something because I just finished talking about editing something else. Directing is a leadership role and you've either got it or you don't. Your cast and crew will pick up on that when you're under vast amounts of pressure and have deadlines to meet. I'd say you need to forge yourself as well as the contacts you're talking about so that you can instinctively handle these challenges instead of having to focus all of yourself on them, and thus letting the most important thing drop to the wayside, handling the actors. I'd recommend to continue taking anything and everything offered to you until all the offers are worth your time. Look into reading up on the time value of money for a perspective on what you should be doing with your time from a business perspective.
 
Just to preface this, I've never met you. Just speaking from the personal experience I've had with most directors starting out.

I would suggest to continue working, but maybe do something else besides just PA. Being a PA is great, but you don't really get to understand the other departments and what they have to go through on a day to day basis. Your crew will respect you much more if you know a little something about their jobs and what little things you can do to make their lives much simpler. You'll really feel the affects of a director who doesn't know what he wants and be really excited when you finally work with one who has really done this all before.

I work with one director quite a bit, and whenever I get the chance I'd invite him to work as a grip for me on smaller projects. Then I could show him first hand what happens when we don't get a blocking rehearsal and the frustration it causes....and then I'd show him how difficult it is to work without lunch after 6 hours...and then the fact that the day isn't over when they say wrap. He's a lot nicer to all our electrics/grips now and my friends/co-workers no longer see him as some guy who thinks he's a director. Instead, he's just a guy who really likes to make movies, and I think people end up going out of their way to help him because of that.




Also, the most awful but most true quote I saw on here a while ago...

There are two entry level positions on a film set: PA, and director.
 
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When you feel like you really know how to properly motivate actors and communicate your vision to your key crew members and have the the stamina and patience to endure the grind of many egos day after day you are ready.

Directing is not about looking cool, sitting in a chair and yelling action and cut. It is about working your ass off (longer hours than anyone else on the set). It is about comfortable shoes because you will be on your feet for hours. It is about incredible concentration because you will have 10 balls in the air. Most of all it is about love because you must love the project more than anything, at that moment, if you even hope for it to become something anyone else will care about.
 
True story: way back in the day when I was a grip, a young man was on-set as PA for a PSA thing we were doing. Great kid, worked hard.... the kind of guy you could see moving up the ranks; had the potential to work as a grip, for example, once he learned a few more skills (knots, rigging, etc). End of the day, the guy came and gave us all cards saying he'd like to work together again. His card read: Name, PA, craft sevices, director. Everyone chuckled, but he didn't get why it was funny.

My advice to him was: kid, you need two cards. The director card needs to just say director.

And so it is... for sure keep working, building your skills, etc. And in the meantime start directing anything and everything you can (shorts, industrials, PSAs, etc), probably for free for some time, hopefully for your rate down the road. And reread the second paragraph from phudsontx above. That says it all. You work harder than EVERYONE else, you have a shot at this. You don't, it will remain a dream.
 
phudsontx said:
When you feel like you really know how to properly motivate actors and communicate your vision to your key crew members and have the the stamina and patience to endure the grind of many egos day after day you are ready.

Directing is not about looking cool, sitting in a chair and yelling action and cut. It is about working your ass off (longer hours than anyone else on the set). It is about comfortable shoes because you will be on your feet for hours. It is about incredible concentration because you will have 10 balls in the air. Most of all it is about love because you must love the project more than anything, at that moment, if you even hope for it to become something anyone else will care about.
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+1,000,000,000
Really needed to hear this.
 
I think I am ready. Honestly when I was directing my pilot, which we shot for 10 days, when I had 8 actors to direct and a crew of 35, and incredible time and pressure constraints put on me by the producers due to low budget and day exteriors in the middle of winter, and with drama between the cinematographer and production designer, I felt like I didn't want to be anywhere else. I absolutely thrived on the pressure, held the crew together, motivated my actors, moved lightning fast, and still got the blocking and shots I wanted in accordance with our very tight schedule. We ended up shooting way more footage than I had thought. And I loved being the leader and the representation of my crew.

On the last day of shooting, which was a night shoot, I had an early call the next day for a web series. The producer of that project called me and said, "Look I know you're shooting your show, if you want I sub in a 2nd unit Director to cover for you," and I flatly refused. I know in retrospect I shouldn't have done that, but I loved directing. I ended up directing for 23 hours straight. The night shoot, and the web series day shoot the next morning. Slept right through lunch. And that producer was happy with the footage. Although I know I could have stupidly compromised my health, I wanted it that bad.

I know exactly what you are talking about phudsontx. I don't know what it is about pressure, I tend to handle incredible pressure very well, and gives me the motivation to motivate my actors and my crew. I know I'm still learning, and I absorb it every day, because I love it and I don't want anything else. I could see myself directing a big franchised studio film one day despite the immense challenges.

Whenever a project comes I focus all of my time and energy on the project, to the point where my family and friends think I've suddenly abandoned them. And when the project is finished, I pour all of that energy into marketing and getting it exposure. That's probably how I got that meeting with Paramount. I couldn't take no for answer, because I wanted it that badly, so I attended tons of mixers and called up management companies and agencies every single day until a voice could listen to me.

I don't care about the fame and fortune, or the title, I just want to tell stories and make movies.

Eh. I guess I've answered my own question.
 
Aceism said:
Eh. I guess I've answered my own question.
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Sounds like it. Your ability to get jobs will now become the pointy end of what you need to do. But you can always 1st or 2nd AD in between.

Cassius said:
provided they are high enough up- producer, cinematographer, things like that.
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awbacon said:
b) run out of money and have to DP again.
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You guys are sure to be upsetting some camera dept people with those comments.
 
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