Make a short.

Get discovered.

Make a low budget feature.

Directing stardom.

That’s what I thought my path to directing would look like.

That’s not at all what happened.

Today let’s talk about what the path to directing really looks like, or doesn’t look like. And is there even a path at all?

Let’s dive in.

Do you even want to direct?

First day of film school everyone wants to be a director.

Three months later, not so much.

The assumption that you have to be a director to make movies is flat out wrong. Everyone involved in making a film is a filmmaker in some capacity.

And that’s fine.

Most people would probably be happier and more fulfilled not directing.

So before you go all-in on becoming the next big thing in Hollywood, answer a couple of questions.

First question, do I even like directing?

To answer this you have to, you guessed it, direct something.

As filmmakers and directors we put inhuman levels of pressure on making our first film.

We think it will make or break our careers.

To combat this phenomenon, do the exact opposite for your first film.

Make it as easy and low-risk as possible so you can try on the role of directing and see if it fits.

The second question, do I want to get good at this?

When we make our first films most of us suck.

Becoming a director takes a lot of practice and failing. Be honest with yourself and check if you’re willing to put in the work to develop the necessary skills.

The second part of this question, which is a question you should ask of any job you consider is: Am I willing to put up with the bullshit that comes with the job? Or put another way, is the bullshit worth it?

The third and final question to ask is do I want to do this for a living or as a hobby?

Either option is legit. Both can be fulfilling, exciting approaches to filmmaking, but they’re very different.

I never considered filmmaking as a hobby.

It was career mode since I first found out what a director does at age 12.

I’m obsessed with the challenge of directing and love the variety it brings to my life. I thrive on  using different skillsets on the entire range of the filmmaking process.

Directing as a career made sense to me.

What about you? Which direction are you leaning?

Which path to choose?

In general terms there are two paths to becoming a director.

Path 1: Be a director, nothing else. The way you choose to make your living is irrelevant, you are a director, everything else is just a way to survive.

Path 2: The industry detour. Become a director by first mastering a different area of the filmmaking profession. Examples can be writer to director, cinematographer to director, editor to director, actor to director, producer to director.

You get the idea.

At first glance path number two might seem like the “safe” route, but that’s not necessarily true. There are pros and cons to both of these paths.

In path 1 you are a director, whether you’re making money that way or not. This has the benefit of inhabiting the idea of being a director. Everything you do is through the lens of you as the director.

This is the most direct path to a career as a director.

The hard part of this journey is that often the way you make a living, is completely unrelated to your filmmaking dreams. You’re spending 8, 10, 12 hours a day working a job to pay the bills, not enhancing your directing skills. You’re not building your network naturally through your work and filmmaking can easily be downgraded to hobby or sidehustle status.

On the plus side, this path is great if you’re thrifty, good with time management and can focus on filmmaking and relationship building in your spare time.

I like this path because it puts you in the mindset of being a director and puts you in control of your directing destiny.

In path 2 we’re choosing to develop skills in an adjacent field like writing, cinematography, acting or editing. The idea and the hope is we’re low-key also building our directing skills at the same time.

This is a long road, especially if you’re working in an established industry hub like Hollywood. It’s also a tricky balance to strike.

You have to be at the top of your profession, but not so good you’re indispensable when a directing opportunity opens up.

This path often feels safer because you can see the steps lined out before you. With the first path there’s no path, just a jungle-covered mountain.

Let’s take editing as an example. You’ll start out as an assistant editor, work your way into the editing chair, hone your skills and get really good.

Maybe, just maybe, one day you’re lucky and get the opportunity to direct something.

I’ve been on a hybrid path since I started working in Hollywood 8 years ago.

My day jobs are in post production, honing my editing skills and learning from editors and directors working on big shows and movies.

At night I’m moonlighting as an indie director. Making shorts and a feature in my spare time.

This is a recipe for burnout.

Which I’ve flirted with many times over the last few years.

It’s also one of the main reasons it took me 5+ years to finish my first feature, Wild Boys.

I would not recommend this approach unless you can find a way to avoid working yourself to the bone and lose your sanity along the way.

Going pro - zero to one

No matter which path you choose you can't escape the single most important truth about directing.

Directors direct.

You need to make your own stuff, and keep at it to develop your skills.

After a while you’re going to start to feel like you’ve got this.

You’re ready for your first feature, tv episode or commercial.

This is where I’m at right now.

I’m still creating and making new films, but I’m at a point where I'm comfortable saying “I’m ready.”

This year my big goal is going pro.

And a lot of what you and I are going to be discussing this year is how to cross the chasm between indie, low/no-budget director and a career as a working director.

We’ll dive into strategies for building a solid network, how to put your work out into the world and how to keep creating when responsibilities keep piling on and so much more.

I’m excited to go on this journey with you and document all the ups and downs along the way.

Conclusion

You need to direct to be a director. Whether you choose to go the direct to director path or the industry detour path, keep that in mind.

Build the skillset required to be a director through consistent improvement.

What’s your path to directing?

Next week will be a little different. I found the show bible for one of my all time favorite shows, Battlestar Galactica. We're going to break it down from the point of view of a director and analyze how we can adapt our directing style to fit an established TV series.

See you then,

Morten