How do you figure out what your career direction?

salils

salils

Well-known member
I'm a senior in high school and I'm trying to decide on which college to go. As you may know, often a college will be better in one area as opposed to another. I have a strong interest in directing, cinematography, and editing but I'm trying to figure out what job would best fit my personality and skills as a person. I've narrowed it down to directing or cinematography because I can't stand sitting in a dark room all year editing (unless it's some amazing feature I just shot which I can't wait to see up on the screen). With that said, what kind talents/skills makes a good DP or Director? Not just...oh he's got a good eye to be a DP or oh he has to know how to tell a story with pictures to be a good director, but fundamentally like an editor has to be able to work in isolation in front of a computer screen for long hours. What can I do to figure out what I will enjoy the most and be best at in the long run? I know the basics of all three areas and enjoy all of them but I want to figure out which to heavily pursue professionally.
Btw: This all refers to narrative feature films, I'm not really interested in documentary or experimental. I could stand doing a couple commercials or music videos here and there, but really I want to work on narrative feature films. One other thing, I have to go to college for the degree because of my parents.
 
Just an FYI... an editor does not sit in a dark room all the time. They are in constant communucation with the director and producers througout the editing process. Once locked, they are part of the mix as well. They are an integral part of the process. Besides talent, they need to know how to communicate, persuade, and negotiate.

Going to a film school or a film program will give you acces to all these roles and see where your skills and talent best fit. Many directors started in editing. One of my favorites, Hal Ashby, did just that.

Find the talent and passion and you will see where you fit in.

Michael
 
MichaelP said:
Just an FYI... an editor does not sit in a dark room all the time. They are in constant communucation with the director and producers througout the editing process. Once locked, they are part of the mix as well. They are an integral part of the process. Besides talent, they need to know how to communicate, persuade, and negotiate.

Going to a film school or a film program will give you acces to all these roles and see where your skills and talent best fit. Many directors started in editing. One of my favorites, Hal Ashby, did just that.

Find the talent and passion and you will see where you fit in.

Michael
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Hmm, yeah good point. I know my camera in and out, some basic use of lighting and know lots of software fairly well, but I don't really know enough about the professional world. Even at film school, I've gotten the feeling from speaking with graduates of that I won't really know what the pro world is like until years after graduating. My biggest concern is that I want to finally end up doing work I like to do. (most of the time) I've generally always hated school (unless on rare occasions the subject interests me), so I'm trying my best to select an area within my interest of film production and really go after it with all I've got.

Here's my perception of education for the director vs cinematographer/editor (is this right? What’s missing/wrong?)

Cinematographer/Editor - work on as many productions as possible for free until people notice your talent.

Director - Learn lots of film history and theory that's needed to direct feature films.

I want to determine what area I will enjoy and thrive in the most once I get to the professional world. What sort of talents or skills does a person really need to be a director, cinematographer, or editor. I’m talking about core characteristic or skills of a person that translate into what ever work they may do. For example, like Michael said about editors “Besides talent, they need to know how to communicate, persuade, and negotiate. “ Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
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I think a blindfold and a dartboard are a good idea.

But seriously...my 2 cents? Get the best liberal arts education you can. Learn how to think creatively and critically. I find the best way to learn skills is to find a person that knows what they are doing and then sucking all the info I can out of them. I personally don't think college is the best place to learn skills. It's a great place to go a read and discuss and become an interesting person (or get really drunk and screw yourself over.)
I work with a lot of interns - some come from Communications / Media departments, others come from traditional majors (English etc.) Without a doubt, USUALLY, the best ones in the long run are the ones who are in liberal arts because they THINK and COMMUNICATE well. They don't just come in and tell me all the ways that Avid is different than FCP, as if I didn't know.
So, I would recommend going to the best school you can get into, taking a whole lot of liberal arts classes and getting an education, and then maybe doing film school or grad school, or even transfer after 2 years. My take is that film school / programs are best for the contacts you make. The field is where you really learn the craft.
One other thing. At the risk of being preachy, you're only 18, don't sweat it. You don't need to figure out exactly what you are good at now. That's a pressure imposed upon you that is pretty silly. I didn't know what I was good at until my late 20's and I still am learning. So just try as much as you can and see what sticks.
 
your career direction is not somthing that should have to be looked for.
It's the dream you have had all your life.
Chase those dreams, especially if people say they are unrealistic.

when I was a kid, I wanted to make movies and be a race car driver.






last week found me doing tripple digits while shooting.
 
I agree with Fourth Line. Don't just think in terms of film school. College is a great time to explore and discover other things that interest you as well. I'm not saying to abandon your interest in working in features - but it's not just about the school you went to and what you majored in. Find a school that offers film classes as well as other departments - especially since you are not LOCKED in on what you want to do. I always look to hire people who have some smarts but most importantly have a great attitude. I'll take a PA with a great attitude from a community college over a USC film school grad who "is a director" anyday. Try not to stress over it. Visit campus' and see what feels right. In my experience it was about the people and the place more than the major. But, I'm sure others feel differently.
 
Oh, and remember there are probably many jobs you will do before being hired as the Director or DP. So think about which jobs may lead you there and which one's you'd enjoy or dislike. There's nothing more frustrating to me that a college student or recent grad telling me they're a Director or DP - but all they've done is school projects and freebies. Be patient and get the experience.
 
tumbleweed said:
Oh, and remember there are probably many jobs you will do before being hired as the Director or DP. So think about which jobs may lead you there and which one's you'd enjoy or dislike. There's nothing more frustrating to me that a college student or recent grad telling me they're a Director or DP - but all they've done is school projects and freebies. Be patient and get the experience.
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Yeah I definitely agree. I'm just trying to make up my mind what I wanna shoot for...then I'll start worrying about how I'm gonna get there. ;) I mean sure dreams are great, but it's almost like a foggy dream for me because I'm not exactly clear what it's like for a cinematographer or director on shoots. Besides the obvious, the cinematographer lights, the director works with the actors. If there was like some sort of behind the scenes video that didn't like cut ever 2 seconds like they do on DVD special features which could show me the process and how things are ACTUALLY done in a variety of situations, then maybe it could help me make up my mind.
 
Go to a 4 year university where you can major in TV/Film. You will get exposed to all aspects, plus you'll get a well rounded education, and you'll have time to mature. Don't miss out on the general education.

then...GET A JOB...in that career path to see how the business really works and to be able to buy beer. Learn from those that do.


The questions re which school are based on 3 things:

1. which schools have a great undergrad film program? (there are plenty)
2. which school can you get in to? (Gulp...example: only top 2-3% of high school grads can hope to get in University of Texas tv/film)
3. which school you can afford? (DO NOT GO INTO DEBT ...the industry will not support the payback in the early years)

If you cannot afford a 4 year to start, then go to a good community college to take all your basic undergrad courses (English, history, et al). Community colleges also offer TV/Film classes to get you started. Transfer into the 4 year college program. The trick is to FIRST make sure your target colleges will take community college credit hours...and talk with the TV/film dean about how to xfer into his program.


If you find other interests, then you can change your major...but you at least are on the path to a degree.
 
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I would have to agree that a well rounded education is necessary for being a talented artist in general.

My interest has been directing since I was 16, but it was always a vague concept for me. I mean, I knew I wanted to direct but no idea how I'd get there, and honestly I thought of myself being a feature film director (doesn't everyone?). Yet now, I don't want to touch features for a while because I'm honest enough with myself to know I lack the experience and ability to pull off a professional feature for many years yet. I much prefer short form work like music videos, commercials, etc. I would have to say music videos are what I consider to be the most fun work, but whether I can make money doing that is questionable. It's a tough market, probably the worst I would say right now, but someone has to make music videos and I never let the odds discourage me from pursuing exactly what I want to do. You shouldn't either.

I went to a four-year college, I started in film production for a semester in L.A. then I moved back to my home state and went to a college without a film program, so I chose to be a philosophy major. Not only has philosophy always fascinated me, but I knew I wanted to direct movies of intellectual significance. As much as I love action movies and comedies, and I really do love both genres, I don't see myself directing those types of films. I see myself doing more intellectual art house fair but hopefully with some commercial appeal (on a commercial level, consider Minority Report, extremely philosophical but also a blockbuster, that's my style too). So for me, a background in philosophy is really a great asset because I understand fundamental human conflicts and dilemmas and hopefully will be able to use what I know to be a storyteller in the future. I also used all of my college time to study film and film history and theory. I have seen a lot of great classics from the past, written reviews of more than 700 films, published several books on film history / popular culture history, and written an essay published in another book on film and religion. So my background as a director is strong in theory, weak in production actually (just being honest). I didn't want to spend 5 years working my way up the set (a funny concept, anyway) so that maybe one day someone would say, "Boy, you sure do setup those c-stands brilliantly, and the way you flagged that light was amazing, say, would you like to direct Spider-Man 4?" Honestly don't see that happening, and I don't see any way realistically that you come from that type of experience to be a director. I think if you want to be a director, you direct. It's just that simple. You make projects and you direct them. Of course, it's a lot more expensive if you want to do it right. If I wanted to be an editor I'd just find low budget projects to edit for free, learn my craft, and hope I could make some money one day as a real editor. If I wanted to be a DP I'd probably start with some simple event videography, make a few bucks if at all possible, move up to some short films for students, hope to get my way on some real sets as a 2nd A.C. or something along those lines, maybe a B camera operator eventually, etc. That's a solid path. But as a director I think you have to pay the bucks and make the projects. You come up with a great idea, no matter what medium you want, and you execute that idea to its fullest and show the world that you have what it takes to take a project from concept to completion with great results.

Any other way to be a director is silly to me. I don't see a lot of directors come from any background besides actually doing it. Tarantino, Rodriguez, George Lucas directed in film school, made THX1138 into a feature, then did American Graffiti, and the rest is history. Same with most directors. How often have you ever heard, "Yeah he started as a grip for 3 years, then he was a gaffer for 2, and of course he had to PA for a few years before all of that, but then eventually someone asked him to direct something." I really doubt it. You become a director by actually directing, it's not rocket science, and how do you know how to direct? You learn how to formulate ideas that are of interest to people, learn the language of communicating about shot selection with your DP at the very least, learn shot composition, blocking, working with actors, etc. I think it sounds more daunting than it is, personally. I think you can figure out how to block by watching movies, just pay more attention, and as far as working with actors I think that's a complicated way of saying "have a clear vision and be able to communicate effectively." I don't really know how every director works, but I know what I want to see and I know how to communicate with an actor for how the character feels, what's going through their mind, and how that should be expressed through their performance. If that's directing, well, great. But it just seems like a complicated way of saying "know how to tell people what you want" to me. And how that can come from anything but studying and experience doing it, I don't know.

I know my friend Bryan did much the same. Sure, he went to film school, after undergrad, and he learned a ton in grad school. But I'd argue almost all of what he has learned and how good he has become as a director have to do with how many projects he has tackled. In high school him and I shot about 4 lousy shorts together, but we learned. In college he directed a bunch of low budget music videos, and while they were sometimes a bit hokey I thought they were amazing work for $0 budgets, basically. He put a lot of effort into them and learned about the craft. He did more short films. Then in grad. school he made yet more short films, and you could see the craft and talent growing.

Maybe I'm wrong but I've been a grip on a few sets, been a PA once, and I didn't learn anything on those shoots except that I was largely unimpressed with the directing on any of them. So ultimately if you don't do it yourself, I don't think you get better.

Also, I know I'll probably offend someone by saying so, but I think you need big balls to be a director and to say, "No, I'm not going to work 5 years before I direct something myself, I'm going to do it now because I have a vision and I want to make it come to life." Most people are just too timid to take that risk, or they don't have the money and let that be a limiting factor (instead of making lousy low budget work and at least learning something! Haha), so they keep telling themselves, "Well I'll just keep working this job unrelated to directing because one day I'll be ready." I think that day has to be today. If an actor who has never directed anything before can suddenly direct a $50 million feature, it obviously doesn't take that much technical knowledge. It's much more about your vision and surrounding yourself with quality people.

So film school? Sure, it'll help somewhat. But get a well rounded education and don't let the strange mentalities and ideals of film school ruin your path.
 
salils said:
I'm a senior in high school and I'm trying to decide on which college to go. As you may know, often a college will be better in one area as opposed to another. I have a strong interest in directing, cinematography, and editing but I'm trying to figure out what job would best fit my personality and skills as a person. I've narrowed it down to directing or cinematography because I can't stand sitting in a dark room all year editing (unless it's some amazing feature I just shot which I can't wait to see up on the screen). With that said, what kind talents/skills makes a good DP or Director? Not just...oh he's got a good eye to be a DP or oh he has to know how to tell a story with pictures to be a good director, but fundamentally like an editor has to be able to work in isolation in front of a computer screen for long hours. What can I do to figure out what I will enjoy the most and be best at in the long run? I know the basics of all three areas and enjoy all of them but I want to figure out which to heavily pursue professionally.
Btw: This all refers to narrative feature films, I'm not really interested in documentary or experimental. I could stand doing a couple commercials or music videos here and there, but really I want to work on narrative feature films. One other thing, I have to go to college for the degree because of my parents.
Click to expand...


Just a note...in this day and age, both the director and cinematographer spend almost as much time in the dark closet as the editor. The director for obvious reasons and the cinematographer because his job with lighting and color no longer ends with "cut!" He needs to be versed in color correction, digital grading, and matching. But at least time time is maybe 60-40.

I would just say, if you are interested in directing, find a film school that has a strong theatre program attached. What will set you apart from 99% of directors is your ability to work with and communicate with your actors...to draw out a performance! You also will need to have storytelling skills (which is also overlooked way too much these days)...so I would maybe think of a double major or a minor in English or History. As a director, you will have the support of others when it comes to the technical realm...so don't focus on that side of things too much. (it all changes so fast that you can't really fall behind the curve too much anyway) You need to focus on the fundamentals...the aspects of drama and storytelling that have survived 2000+ years and will be around for 2000 more.

If you are interested in cinematography, find a strong visual program...and be sure to take tons of electives outside of the cinema realm: painting, sketching, art appreciation and history, photography, etc.

I agree completely with Fourth Line's advice...and I would say...just in support of it: get a well rounded education to build the foundation for your skill in whatever profession in film you choose! But most importantly...be patient.:) Best of luck!
 
I totally agree about the technical side. I don't think it's necessary (though it is useful...) to know every technical detail of a set, as far as what every lighting piece of equipment is called, exactly how to use the camera, etc. I think it's much more important knowing how to tell a story through shots and shot selection, so as long as you understand what different camera angles may mean psychologically and understand camera movement, if you're working on a real shoot you will have professionals around you to help with the details. That's why I always like working with a professional DP I really trust.
 
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