You’ve idolized film directors for years, always dreaming of being on the set of your own feature film yelling “ACTION!” But how do you make this dream a reality?  Below are five (5) tried and tested ways to becoming a professional film director:

Making a successful short film and having it premiere at one of the major film festivals (Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Los Angeles, SXSW, etc.) is one of the best ways to get hired as a feature film director.  Many directors have gotten their big break this way including Patty Jenkins (WONDER WOMAN, MONSTER) and Damien Chazelle, the oscar-winning director of LA LA LAND.  Ms. Jenkins short film VELOCITY RULES premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2001, and Mr. Chazelle’s short film WHIPLASHpremiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013 before it was made into a successful feature film the following year.

Many successful directors started as screenwriters, the idea being that if you can write a good script then you understand story enough to go from behind the computer to behind the camera.  A recent example is the writer/director of the GUARDIANS OF GALAXY franchise, James Gunn, who started his career as a screenwriter before getting the opportunity to direct. Another great example is Nancy Meyers, director of the THE INTERN starring Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway.  She began her career as a screenwriter (PRIVATE BENJAMIN, FATHER OF THE BRIDE) before climbing into the directors’ chair.

It used to be hard to transition from directing commercials or music videos into feature films, but now it is a great way to start your career.  One of the most famous folks to make this transition is Spike Jonze, who cut his teeth directing music videos for the Beastie Boys, R.E.M., and Puff Daddy before landing his first feature directing BEING JOHN MALKOVICH.

Cinematographers (also called Director of Photography) must be masters at visual storytelling, and developing your career behind the camera can lead to the directors’ chair.  Both Jan de Bont (SPEED, TWISTER) and Barry Sonnenfeld (THE ADDAMS FAMILY, MEN IN BLACK franchise) made their mark lensing movies prior to directing.

The role of the assistant director lies between that of producer and director.  They are responsible for creating the shooting schedule and running the set.  Because they are at the center of a film production and know the process inside and out, it can be a great pathway to the director’s chair.  The action film director, Louis Leterrier (TRANSPORTER, NOW YOU SEE ME) is a recent example, and the iconic director Akira Kurosawa is one of the most famous to make this transition.

If you’re interested in fast-tracking your career as a film director, the San Francisco Film School is one of the best places to start!

Boasting an amazing faculty of accomplished filmmakers, SFFS teaches DIRECTING, SCREENWRITING, CINEMATOGRAPHY, PRODUCING and EDITING as part of the PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE and AAS DEGREE programs.  In addition, SFFS offers a part-time, six-month Workshop in Documentary Film Directing.

Are YOU ready to launch YOUR career?