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How Can I Be A Young Director?


Zach Goodwin2
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(This is a repeat of the other post I made in a different section of the forum. I apologize to any moderators here for repeating myself).

I have camera gear (2011 Canon T2i Filmmaking DSLR gear), but just little to no money. I also don't have a car to drive to a different area to find other passionate filmmakers. How can I find passionate filmmakers and have the proper people skills to have a successful fresh young start as a director?

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I suppose the easy answer is simply to start directing.

You mentioned that within your local community there is no passion for filmmaking. So identify what are the local passions and exploit those by making a film relevant to local interests and concerns. Find a local business with an Instagram account and offer to do a film for them (limit of 60 seconds so it’ll focus the mind). And do it again. Reputation grows slowly - your experience and skill set more rapidly.

The people skills will develop too as you relate to those you work with/for.

Set up your own Instagram account and shamelessly show off your work. Progress to Vimeo or YouTube but don’t expect huge viewing figures.

Be realistic. Remain optimistic. With a hint of idealism thrown into the mix. 

Possibly the most important thing (others will know a lot more about this than me)  is to do something - anything - to get you started...

And have fun along the way.

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1 hour ago, Snowfun said:

I suppose the easy answer is simply to start directing.

You mentioned that within your local community there is no passion for filmmaking. So identify what are the local passions and exploit those by making a film relevant to local interests and concerns. Find a local business with an Instagram account and offer to do a film for them (limit of 60 seconds so it’ll focus the mind). And do it again. Reputation grows slowly - your experience and skill set more rapidly.

The people skills will develop too as you relate to those you work with/for.

Set up your own Instagram account and shamelessly show off your work. Progress to Vimeo or YouTube but don’t expect huge viewing figures.

Be realistic. Remain optimistic. With a hint of idealism thrown into the mix. 

Possibly the most important thing (others will know a lot more about this than me)  is to do something - anything - to get you started...

And have fun along the way.

Thank you I'll keep that in mind.

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2 hours ago, kaylee said:

Zach, what is it exactly that you’re trying to do right this moment — write, direct...? What else?

what exactly is at the core of your creative talent that you want to share with people?

I don't know, I just would like to make some story with the camera. Right now I'm just messing with a camera.

 

College has kept me very busy, and emotional. Right now I am writing and am playing around with my camera to find some funny or innovative youtube video. I really want to have full creative control like directors like David Lynch, John Carpenter, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino had, but that's the same as wanting to be lead vocalist, guitarist, and band manager in a #1 gold record band (not realistic).

 

I would like to have a chance to be a production assistant or an extra in a film or video production, but unfortunately there isn't any available for me nearby. Working for a church sounds like fun too. I have yet to ask any wedding videographers or photographers if I could intern for them.

 

I am trying to make white collar work not seem so daunting to work with as well. I lied to a few people that working with computers is what I want to do for my life, so that I could get a chance to work with computers. I am afraid of unemployment and living with a frustrated family in adulthood.

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3 hours ago, Snowfun said:

Possibly the most important thing (others will know a lot more about this than me)  is to do something - anything - to get you started...

And have fun along the way.

I totally agree - just make stuff.

I am only aware of two ways to really succeed.  Get absolutely great at it or get to know a bunch of people and be great to work with.

Considering you're not physically around other people the second one is more challenging, but can still be done (youtibers collab all the time without meeting each other).  In terms of the first one, getting great, you have to find your inner voice.  The shortcut to doing this is to make lots and lots and lots of films.  I know that's not a shortcut (ha ha) but the real shortcut is that they don't have to be long, they only have to be long enough.

The person who makes a one minute film every week will learn truck-loads more than the person that makes a 52 minute film each year.  I'm assuming you're young (because of college and no car) so assuming that's the case you'll also still be trying to figure out who you are.  I'm over 40 and I figured out who I thought I was, but am now trying to get rid of some of those ideas, so I'm still at it.  
Finding yourself and your voice just takes work, but the upside is that it only takes work.  If you make 100 short films then it's almost impossible not to learn a lot about yourself.  Another shortcut is to try things that make you uncomfortable and you've never tried.  

Film yourself, make a musical, make a historical reenactment, make a documentary, make a mockumentary, make a fake news report, make a stop-go animation, make a film with planning and no editing, make a film with no planning and only editing, make a silent film, make a film with no music, make a film with only music, make a B&W film, make a film in hyper colour, make a film about a colour, make a film about someone you know, make a film about someone you don't know, make a film about you trying to make a film and failing, make a film about you making a film and succeeding, make a tutorial, make an abstract film about a lost sock, make a film about what it's like to be you, make a film about who you would have been if you had been someone else, make films for other people, make a film that you will never show to anyone else and have a premier with only you and then delete it afterwards, make a film for money, make a film about the people you care about and give it to them as a gift...........

Learning is accidentally doing things that are great often enough to work out how to do them on purpose.

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pretty much what snowfun said...

rome wasn't built in a day. its going to take time, persistence, a large dollop of self belief and if you post anything online, a very thick skin as there's  a lot of criticism out there, not much of it is constructive. its nice to be young and exuberant but that exuberance needs to be seasoned with experience,  like any job anywhere in the world. not sure if a film school teaches directing as a part of the course. not even sure of the normal path one would take to become a director even if you lived in hollywood to be honest. some talented people get sponsored to attend schools to learn stuff but you would need a portfolio of work to do that. Casey Neistat is a pretty popular blogger, while blogging isn't exactly the same as directing, being a popular blogger has certainly opened some doors for him, so i think the principal still applies do something well and people will notice. i think your holding  yourself back by thinking that you only have a 2011 Canon T2i for film making. i rather you develop the mindset that while you only have a canon t2i its going to be the best damn footage anyone has ever seen from that camera. can you put magic lantern on a t2i that might allow you to shoot raw, even if you could only shoot ten seconds of raw thats like a long time in a music video or a rodeo ride on a bucking bull.  i think you need to become like the towns goto man when comes to video it will be hard work  and feel like working three jobs for not a lot of reward at times but if your any good and persist you might just live out your dreams perhaps. just a my 2 cents worth

edit :  definitely have fun. having a job that is enjoyable is like a double bonus  no matter what you do (well....exempting serial killers of course)

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1 hour ago, Zach Goodwin2 said:

I have at one point imagined making sock puppet films.

they can be hilarious, i can still remember back about six years ago, a couple of blokes did a skit with sock puppets. not a lot of expense just some cardboard boxes roughly painted to set the scene, some vocals and a lot of hand gesturing plus an imaginative audience was a good evening of entertainment. if you need inspiration just look at the Muppets they have done pretty well for themselves.

englands got talent had a dude that did a skit with sock puppets and a song that was pretty funny i think he was called tapemouth or tapface i forget

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1 hour ago, Zach Goodwin2 said:

I have at one point imagined making sock puppet films.

Unless you plan on being the premier sock puppet filmmaker, you may want to make A sock puppet film and not film(s).

Of course, if you plan on being the Tarantino of sock puppet filmmakers and have some crazy ideas like a sock puppet robbing a bank, then maybe you have something crazy and cool in mind. 

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After you have delivered the Sock Puppet short to Kye’s desk...

I want a three minute short called “My Town” posted here by next weekend. You don’t need a set or actors or a planned story - it’s all happening out there. Be a director and tell us your story about your town. You decide how to edit and cut - fast paced or slow. Day or night? Handheld or tripod?

Get music from Eric’s site soundimage.org.  

Improvise. Create. Direct.

Think of this not as some stupid suggestion on an Internet forum (which it obviously is) but as a commission - your first - so try to show off your talent. Who knows if you do it, someone might take notice and the first career building brick might slip into place.

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4 hours ago, Zach Goodwin2 said:

College has kept me very busy, and emotional. Right now I am writing and am playing around with my camera to find some funny or innovative youtube video. I really want to have full creative control like directors like David Lynch, John Carpenter, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino had, but that's the same as wanting to be lead vocalist, guitarist, and band manager in a #1 gold record band (not realistic).

 

I would like to have a chance to be a production assistant or an extra in a film or video production, but unfortunately there isn't any available for me nearby.

If you're living somewhere that is big enough to have a college, then I'm sure there is a local film scene. 

Perhaps not a busy professional film scene, but at least a local indie/hobbyist film scene you could hook up with. 

What about the art department at your college, any film students there? Volunteer to help with them. 

 

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2 hours ago, leslie said:

englands got talent had a dude that did a skit with sock puppets and a song that was pretty funny i think he was called tapemouth or tapface i forget

It was America's "Got Talent":
 

Although he has performed in Britain as well:


He is a kiwi btw! 
 


His real name is not TapeFace but "Sam Willis"

 

 

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2 hours ago, leslie said:

i loved lego as a kid, even as a now mature age adult, i get a giggle out of the lego movies

got anything you can show us ?

I still use legos to plan out scenes and storyboard.

As for showing it, that was a long time ago, maybe if i find some of them and decide i want to put 10 year old me's work online....

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2 hours ago, Snowfun said:

I want a three minute short called “My Town” posted here by next weekend. You don’t need a set or actors or a planned story - it’s all happening out there. Be a director and tell us your story about your town. You decide how to edit and cut - fast paced or slow. Day or night? Handheld or tripod?

Get music from Eric’s site soundimage.org.  

Improvise. Create. Direct.

Do it Zach!!! Take the Snowfun Challenge™️

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