There’s a huge desire for entry into the entertainment industry. Every day, literally, people make some form of effort to be a part of the entertainment industry, particularly the US entertainment industry. Many of these efforts play out on the performance side, with droves of aspiring entertainers regularly trying to establish themselves as paid professionals. Entertainment industry aspirations aren’t confined only to the performance side however. Quite a few of the different entertainment industry occupations are highly coveted.
One of the more sought after positions in the entertainment industry is that of film director. Film directors essentially determine how a movie or television show is going to be filmed. The level of autonomy a film director may have varies greatly: film directors who are industry established have extensive autonomy. Directors who aren’t established take orders on what the final filmed product will look like. Directors also typically work under tight time deadlines: the costs of filming either a movie or a television show are enormous, and directors who don’t get projects completed in a timely manner will either be fired or won’t get further assignments.
It’s not set in stone, but to become a director typically means attending film school. Film schools have gone from a specialized department found in only a handful of universities to being quite typical. Some film schools however hold significant prestige: the film schools at New York University and the University of Southern California come to mind. Many film schools, prestigious film schools certainly, have many applicants and are quite competitive and difficult to get in to.
Don’t make the mistake of believing that graduation from film school will mean a director’s job in the film or television industry. What’s more likely to occur is getting work in a low level entertainment industry position. There’s an expression in the entertainment industry that everyone must pay his or her dues. This statement may be an exaggeration, but it’s not much of one. The overwhelming majority of people who work in the entertainment industry start off in lower positions and if they’re fortunate, eventually find success in positions of autonomy. Difficult though it may be to believe, there are many individuals with film degrees from prestigious and expensive universities who are working as waiters or in some similar capacity. The lesson in this is clear: Be certain that film direction is certainly what you want to do before committing to film school, and be ready to wait, maybe for a long time, before you’re able to join the ranks of professional directors.