[Chr0n0s]

Whats your story (how did you get started), where are you now, and what advice do you have for a complete beginner.

[peppersasen]

I am. I'm still beginning. I've only directed one 10 minute short (when I was in my mid 20's). We filmed last year but because the producers lacked funding we've only started polishing rough cuts now (I cringe at my own work after it's been too long, which is why I hate the slow pace--now I can barely look at my work).

I can tell you that I am an extremely lousy director, though. I'm
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and hopefully that will teach me how to get people respect and be more assertive. I hate how "physical" the position turned out to be. You know those studies that found that taller men tend to be successful? Well, I'm starting to buy it. So I'll try to learn how to maintain posture and control my voice tone to be a bit more... uh, "commanding".

Know that to be a director, being "super creative" and "ingenious screenwriter" and being acknowledged for "vision and originality" mean NOTHING. Absolutely nothing. I've had print work published, and I had a great idea (original compared to the other participants), but in the end the producers had more control over my film than me. I'm kind of pissed off. I really am not in the position to be giving you advice on being a director, but here's what I've figured out so far:

• Practice patience for the team work: you will work with drama queens, tasteless people who think tacky things are cool, and morons;
• To be a good director, you need to know how it is on the bottom of the food chain: try being directed by someone else (learn how to be an actor);
• Get used to team work;
• Network by volunteering at film festivals (aim for the liaison officer positions, I started off at ticketing, liaison officer, and my last position before I quit volunteering was liaison team leader);
• Learn from other INTJ directors (I don't know Kubrick's type or Christopher Nolan's type, but they can be good role models for INTJ beginner directors);
• Study how you fit in a group situation (see where you stand). If you're in a class and your teacher keeps overlooking you, that's a bad sign.

Ideally, an INTJ would be a director slash producer. Only then you will get your creative way. But start off networking, without any contacts you will get nowhere. Even as an indie filmmaker. Sad but true. Not the ideal person to be giving out advice, but I hope I helped.
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---------- Post added 06-01-2011 at 06:44 PM ----------

And, yes, working as liaison officer is MIGHTY DRAINING for an introvert. But that's what you have to do if you want to network.

[SowZ]

I'm enrolled in film school. I'll update you on what it's like when the first semester is over and I've had some time to really absorb it if you like. Doing filming as a hobby for awhile before going to college for it, I can say that finding people with like interests who will film with you is difficult. Hopefully you can network and find people to work with. Don't always direct. Act some. Just get involved in as many projects as you possibly can.

[Chr0n0s]

Thanks pepper for taking the time to write. Quite interesting the route you have taken, I suspect that you might were not respected much b/c its a male dominated job. I hope it all pans out though

SowZ that would be excellent, I hope you remember to update this thread :P. I was always interested in how film school would be.

I am interested in pursuing this as a hobby more than a full time thing. Yes networking is probably an excellent idea, I really need to work on that heh.

[peppersasen]

	Originally Posted by Chr0n0s To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Thanks pepper for taking the time to write. Quite interesting the route you have taken, I suspect that you might were not respected much b/c its a male dominated job. I hope it all pans out though

Yes, filmmaking is a male-dominated field. But so far I've only worked in women-only environments, so it's not a gender thing. Anyway, I'm a bit more optimistic because I've seen worst work environments which I would classify as "serious gentlemen's clubs", such as the United Nations (it's ironic isn't it, how it's always the most PC places). Some UN agencies claim that half of their staff are female but if you look closer, it's all just a façade; at least the film industry doesn't bother with such pretenses. So, as a woman, the film industry isn't that threatening to me! If you really want to know why/how I am not respected, you should meet me IRL: I'm only 5'0" weigh around 40kg (88 lbs) and I've been told I look younger than my age. PLUS, to make things worst I'm painfully shy (nothing to do with my va-jay-jay).

I admire Kubrick's effective dictatorship.

---------- Post added 06-03-2011 at 12:00 PM ----------

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the best advice/lessons I've learned so far:

First lesson, and this advice was really strange coming from a documentary filmmaker: "you don't have to explain everything". I asked a question in a crash course (I can't even remember WHAT the question was), but that's what she answered. I'm known for writing the most long-ass screenplay ever. I'm not sure if it's because of my over-explanatory dialog or whether I'm just very detailed about writing down descriptions of visuals (meaning the one minute page per minute rule doesn't apply to me), but she had a great point. Leave some room for interpretation for your audience. I know that some INTJ also happen to be very intelligent beings and you're used to dealing with people who are generally less intelligent. But maybe you shouldn't "talk down" to them. If they don't get it, then make them think. There are a whole bunch of theories/analysis circulating about Inception's ending, but that's not a bad thing at all.

Second: never underestimate the importance of understanding technical theory (this is a conclusion I came up with myself). A lot of people think that practice makes perfect and theory is unimportant. I used to be cocky and arrogant like that. But I changed my mind after Cinematography 101 (I didn't understand the whole thing because it's better if you know the basics of digital still photography).

My cinematography teacher taught me two things:

1. You're essentially storytelling through moving images (obvious, but please keep reading anyway);
2. Keep people interested and curious (esp. for features).

In making both points, he used the Cambodian minesweeper theory while explaining when/why to use long/wide shots, mid shots, and close shots:

• You can have a 5 second close shot of a Southeast Asian-looking guy outdoors saying, "hello, my name is [whatever Cambodians typically name their children] and I'm a minesweeper" and you audience could be interested or yawning; or
• You can have a 2 second full shot of a Southeast Asian guy with a leg missing standing outdoors [looks like some secluded or underdeveloped place] and not saying a single word and your audience would probably be piqued and thinking "dude, what happened to YOU?"

Ever since that class, I swore I would never dismiss the importance of knowing technical theory (although I'm more interested in the type of film theory they teach you at Columbia/NYU's film schools).
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[Chr0n0s]

Well you could always use the internet for that... but I think you might be saying that film theory has a higher importance today than before perhaps because of the complexity of today's movies. I might be wrong.

But many famous directors' advice was simply to get out and shoot. It looks like you got through that stage. I was watching a movie festival video and one of the directors said that during the week you should basically:

-write scripts
-show people scripts for critique
-prepare for weekend

and during the weekend:

-shoot

... something along those lines.

What projects did you participate in so far?

About Kubrick, yes his style of directing seems very intuitive to me, after seeing the making of The Shinning. Whats ironic is that he looks a lot like my father, but I look more like your avatar (guy though).

[peppersasen]

I just think that knowing the technical theory (at a philosophic level as opposed to being TOO hardware-ish) is nice to know. The "you don't have to explain everything" and the Cambodian minesweeper has been really helpful for shortening my screenplay while at the same time motivates me to make my films interesting.

I've only made that one 10 minute short I can barely look at. We were supposed to make "experimental" documentaries, so I made a mockumetary. I've written one full short under a contest deadline (but I was just testing myself/pushing to see my limits, I didn't actually like my story and wish it'll never be produced and I think I'm not the only one who thinks it sucks). Two features and I'm planning on two shorts. I wanted to participate in a short contest but they require you to have an entire production team instead of just having director/screenwriter which to me sucks because I don't have that kind of time, so I might pass.

---------- Post added 06-04-2011 at 02:07 PM ----------

Oh and I act in plays now. Who knows if I can get into directing by acting first.

And here's another piece of good advice: keep your day job!
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[Chr0n0s]

There are actually many prominent directors that have taken on the role of acting, and other more technical roles. Come to think of it, DW Griffith was also an actor :
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. Speaking of Griffith:
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