How to become a Film Director?

Last updated: 3 days ago
How to become a Film Director?

You have passion for film. You know every movie ever directed by your favorite directors – even the less appreciated ones.

You drive your friends crazy on movie night, describing the artistic and dramatic techniques utilized. And you know how you would have done it better. You want to be a freelance director.

Becoming a freelance director would be a dream come true. But like every dream, there is a way to make that dream become a reality. And that requires some directing of your own life in the right direction.

If you have the passion and drive, you can become a freelance director. Let’s talk about how to do it.

Get some experience

No one will give you a shot without experience. But you can’t get experience without someone giving you a shot. Wrong. Maybe you can only afford secondhand and low-budget equipment right now. But everyone has to start somewhere.

Watch movies and read screenplays, focusing on how the director translates the words to the screen.

Get your friends together and start filming shots and shorts.

Show your versatility by capturing various techniques.

Once you are confident in your skills, offer to direct a short promo for a non-profit pro bono (for free). Your generosity will be rewarded.

Compile this into a portfolio that you can show to potential clients.

Use a free website creator to create a beautiful website where you can showcase your skills.

Take an acting lesson

Maybe actually being in front of the camera is not your first love. But Actors/Actresses speak a certain language. You need to speak that language too. Take lessons to learn this role.

Become a storyteller

Learn the format and write your own screenplay. Then direct it. This will help you make mental connections between script and screen.

Learn how to produce

Casting, marketing, financial management: all of these are important for a director to understand on some level.

Play to your strengths

A director must have a vision first before anything. He or she must know what techniques will perfectly capture the scenes. If you want to be a freelance director, you have to start developing the skills needed to direct.

Work on capturing that vision in your mind first.

Learn how to communicate your vision to others. If you can’t do this, you can’t get the shots you envision and people will not want to work with you.

Practice, practice, practice different shots: over the shoulder, tilt, panning, zoom, tracking, track-in, Dutch angles, etc.

Figure out what your good at and practice it some more.

But don’t let yourself become a one trick pony. You need some well-rounded skills to compete for jobs in the filmmaking marketplace.

Diversify

This is not just about being a diverse director, but diverse in the industry. You have to work with many different players and understanding their roles means you can more effectively work with them. This will be especially helpful on small projects where you may need to take on various roles.

Next : How to become a Producer?

Related

What is a Film Director?

What is a director? Also called a film director or video director, the director is the person who controls the overall artistic and dramatic feel of a presentation – whether it is a five minute infomercial or a feature film.

They instruct and guide b ...

Read more

How to hire a freelance Film Director?

You do not have to be a part of the film industry to need the services of a film director. Typically, the need is a marketing endeavor to promote a product or service.

Other times, it may be a corporate announcement or a chance to share information. Ev ...

Read more

Related topics

Popular articles

  • What is an Underwater Camera?

    An underwater camera is basically a camera that can be used to capture images and videos under water. It can be used for shoots as one is swimming, snorkeling, or with a remotely operated underwater vehicle. Some of these cameras are even automated and can be easily lowered from ...
    Read more

  • What is a Video Editor?

    A video editor is the person who makes production and/or post-production changes to a film. The video editor works closely with the director to achieve the best final film outcome, with the goal of telling the story in the most effective and compelling way. Work heavily involves ...
    Read more

  • What is a Film Director?

    What is a director? Also called a film director or video director, the director is the person who controls the overall artistic and dramatic feel of a presentation – whether it is a five minute infomercial or a feature film. They instruct and guide both the technical crew and ...
    Read more

  • How to rent a 360 Camera?

    The term “360 camera” seems straightforward, referring to a camera that films and photographs from every angle. In fact, there is a wide variation in what such cameras can do, and you must be aware of this before renting. Some cameras have an effective viewing angle of only ...
    Read more

  • What is a Camera Operator?

    Camera operators work in the television, music and film industry and are usually employed by television and cable companies or by video production houses. They are responsible for capturing different scenes during production and operating a wide variety of technical equipment th ...
    Read more

  • What is a 360 Camera?

    A 360 camera, also known as an omnidirectional camera, has a 360-degree field of view so that it captures just about everything around the sphere. 360 cameras are needed when large visual fields need to be covered, such as shooting panoramas. As virtual and augmented reality (A ...
    Read more

  • How to become a Pro TikTok Creator?

    A Pro TikTok Creator produces short-form video content that is to be published on TikTok. They would typically be involved from the pre-production to post-production process, should there be required edits and additional animations to make.  Pro TikTok Creators should ideally be ...
    Read more

  • What is a Visual Effects Editor?

    A visual effects editor, also known as VFX editor, is the person who is overseeing, and responsible for all the visual effects in a production. The VFX editor must have excellent communication skills, as the job requires the VFX editor to communicate effectively between VFX staf ...
    Read more

  • How to become a Camera Operator?

    A camera operator for video is the person who literally shoots the video or the still photographs during the planning stage. A Freelance Camera Operator is someone who a director hires to handle either a single camera or to manage a team of camera operators. This is a supporting ...
    Read more

  • What is a Script Writer?

    If you’ve ever watched a movie or television show and cringed at the clunky dialogue or poor plot development, thinking to yourself “I could do better than that,” script writing or screenwriting may be a viable career path. This primarily freelance role can provide you wit ...
    Read more

  • What is a Drone Camera?

    A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be remotely controlled for a variety of purposes. Drones are most commonly associated with military operations and surveillance. However, by outfitting these relatively small unmanned robots with video production equipment, th ...
    Read more

  • What is a Producer?

    Film producers are the people who keep the film’s quality up while ensuring that its production is on time and stays within budget. Producers can manage hundreds of individuals in any one production, in addition to dealing with the film studio and distributors. The producer’ ...
    Read more

  • What is a 3D Graphics Artist?

    A three-dimensional (3D) graphics artist designs digital animation or footage that is used for characters, landscapes, backgrounds and other elements in film, television or video game production. The still or moving creations have the appearance of depth in addition to height an ...
    Read more

  • What is a Director of Photography?

    A Director of Photography (DOP) also known as Cinematographer is a creative leader during a video production. It’s a position full of responsibility, and the Director of Photography must have camera skills, lighting knowledge and the ability to work with the entire camera crew ...
    Read more

  • What is a 3D Animator?

    Animated videos of all lengths, whether they’re feature-length films or commercials barely a minute long, need animation talent to bring them to life. 3D animation has become more prevalent in the 21st century in feature films, cartoons, video games, short films, commercials, ...
    Read more

  • How to rent a Slow Motion Camera

    Renting a slow motion camera is a great tool for when you need to film a slower scene that still has the clarity of a normal image. Slow motion cameras work by increasing the frames per second as well as the shutter speed. In a normal video, the frame rate is 24 frames per secon ...
    Read more

  • What is an On-screen Talent?

    The film industry is filled with hundreds of interesting and rewarding career paths, but none is as sought after or as idolized as that of the on-screen talent. Known as “actors,” these positions can make or break any production, as even the most well written script will be ...
    Read more

  • How to become a Voice Over Talent?

    Becoming a freelance voice over talent is a popular career option for many in the entertainment business — and for good reason. Voice over artists enjoy relative anonymity — a big perk for those with day jobs — and a huge amount of flexibility. It’s also quick work with l ...
    Read more

  • What is a Slow Motion Camera?

    Slow motion refers to an effect that is common in the film-making industry where motion pictures appear to be moving slower than normal. Previously, the effect had only been applied more in films, commercials and television. But with major advancements in phone technology, one c ...
    Read more

  • What is a Stunt Coordinator?

    Just about every dangerous or unbelievable act of skill you see on television or in the theaters has been coordinated and sometimes even performed by a stunt coordinator. Every good production requires a stunt coordinator to pull off the extraordinary scenes seen in television o ...
    Read more
+ Show more
Ready to start?