Filmmaking / Directing : Online schools by Daniel Dore

But do you need to learn directing? If by "learning" you mean taking lessons from someone and doing everything down to drinking tea the same way as them then no, you don't need to learn that. Sir Clive Sinclair, former computer magnate, had a modus operandi whereby he would learn the basics of a task and then he'd figure the rest out from there. Granted, in the case of the notorious C5, he'd got things disastrously wrong; but you can get things disastrously wrong when you plan your weasly little black guts out as well. Correctly done, however, you have that most prized of things, innovation.

Thanks Andrew. I've got a project that I would love to direct myself, but I just didn't know if there was some guidelines you had to follow. I guess what feels right to me will probably be best for my project. Thanks again for your insight.

Just do it. That's what I'm doing with my Opera - I've had no direction in directorial practices, just what I've heard, an ounce of nous and testicles from a mammoth. Let's face it, even those who've been around the block a few times always learn something new each lap, so why not dive in and make it happen. After all, only you know how you want it to pan out...

You're right, I am probably the best judge as to how this movie should be made.

Learning by doing is the best schooling Daniel. Good luck!

ur best tutor is ur self wen u make ur 1st step with courage on ur shortfilm..it cud be whack,bt hey! That's hw the successful ones make it..thru mistakes. Where u get stuck,ask a friend who's done it b4..Gdluck

Thanks guys, your confidance is very helpful.

I recommend reading some books by Judith Weston to give you a good theory (one of many), on how to work with actors/talent. If you're talent doesn't trust you, how can you expect them to stand behind your vision? As far as technical direction goes there are a ton of great tutorials online, but I found the Hollywood Camera Work Tutorial Set to be a massive help in terms of camera direction and blocking. The price drop of technology along with the growing mass of internet users is changing everything, however the fundamentals of good storytelling need to be present if you don't want to get lost in the crowd. Best of luck!

Thanks for the tip Mark.

Daniel, I don't know what state you are located in but you should look into Full Sail University thier campus is practically a movie set prop. Lots of actors have graduated from their and they have help produce several big time movies like Pixar, Disney and list of others. You should check it out the campus is in Florida I am not sure if they would offer directing classes on-line in case you don't live in FL. Hope this helps Lina http://videobylina.com

Thanks Janet, I might look it up. Lina, I'm in Quebec, Canada so that school is a little far, but thnks for the suggestion.

Daniel, volunteer on indie films films in your area. look for great directors and try and get the "continuity" job. Then watch and learn. Watch as many "directors commentarys" as possible in the special features of dvd's. Then grab some friends and a camera an start making lots of stuff and never stop. Your local government film funding body may also offer cheap or free workshops from time to time, look for them. I hope this has been of help.

Hey Daniel, in my opinion, film schools are good to learn the language of the business but many filmmakers will tell you that the true schooling doesn't come until you get into the field and get on some film sets. Like Damian said, DVD bonus features are my film school. I learn so much from watching a film with the director's commentary turned on. Then for you personally, pull a crew together are start shooting some stuff. Start with short films and work on your craft.

You guys and girls are really helpful. What I'm seeing is that there is no clear best way to go about it, but the point that comes up often is that I need to at least get some guidelines on how it works and then maybe try my hand in smaller project to see how is goes. I think I might just do that.

Never an easy way. My path was writing. Had 6 others direct my scripts before I finally stepped in.

Interesting discussion. True, much of what you learn in school is only the basics of what you need on the job. This is true in any profession. It is also interesting to me that those who have responded have not gone to film school, so you are getting a lot of: "I didn't do it, so you don't need to" advice. I Googled film schools in Quebec; try this link: http://www.canadianfilm.com/schools/quebec.html. Chris

Thanks Chris, I have checked out some of these schools' programs, but they are very expensive and money right now is kind of tight. I will keep them in mind for the future though.

Just watch an endless amount of movies.

(@Chris Willis btw I attended film school) Earlier I made a comment about a "continuity role". You would need to get on a set as a Runner to start with and then work your way up. The logical idea would be to get an Assistant Directors job, however that would require some serious on set protocol knowledge, probably best got at film school. Furthermore Assistant Directors spend a lot of time on the run and they don't get to see every action of the director. If you work in Continuity, then you are right next to the Director the whole shoot. You are the first to arrive and the last to leave. You get to see every facet of what the director does and his intent behind every action. It is your job to take note of the exact position of the actors, their makeup, their costume,their marks and their actions. You will also log and photograph all those things. Start at the bottom and move through the ranks..get an understanding firstly of how a set works and the hierarchy. Learn about lighting,learn about sound,learn about cinema-photography . Be an assistant to everyone and work for free until you land that continuity role. Then go out and make your own stuff and show as many people that will watch. Self promote and create a buzz around your own work and then after a few years...who knows :-) and remember Tarantino didn't go to film school "he went to films".

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but let me recommend the book "Cinematography: theory and practice" by blain brown. It was recommended on several of my favorite sites I follow for film and it got great reviews on amazon. I just started reading it (and going through the accompanying DVD) and I've been amazed at the wealth of information within just the first chapter. A must read

I have to add my own school - be it ever so humble, give us a try www.bCreativeschool.com

I did filmschoolonline.com , was cheap, and you get 2 years access to the data, really good info from script writing to producing/directing. Did help me in some area of filming and structure, give a good basic , help for confidence. But you don't need to, many director as never been in film school, like Quenty

Hey Daniel, Like you, I had zero experience with filmmaking, I've been writing forever but had always wanted to direct my own stuff. I struggled with where to start and took my friend's advice, shoot! I finished my first short film and now I'm on to my next. There is nothing better than learning by doing. I watch my film now and see all the mistakes, which is just as good as seeing what I did right. My advice to you my fellow Canuck, get out there and do it. Enjoy the journey my friend. Cheers, Ian

Hi Daniel. You might want to check out this site: http://nofilmschool.com/ This is a great resource site for DIY filmmakers. I am a writing major in the film school at Full Sail University, and this site is very often referenced by instructors. Good luck! :)

"Learining Directing" by learning jargon and techno terms, you dont need school. Just buy some books. To be a director, you need a vision of what you want, clear communication to your crew and cast and be a leader. Its something you have, not learn, in my opinion. And the best education is to just go out there and do it. Im a "director" but I dont know the difference between a gaffer and a jib. Do I care? No. Thats the crew's job to know that. Plus its also a team effort between the producer, DP and Director.

I am loving the feedback from everyone in this thread. At some point even those who went to "Film School" have to bite the bullet and take a shot at being the director. No grades, no scholarly critiques. Just their vision and the chutzpah to collect the pieces and people to make it a reality. If you want little tips and tricks there are countless books and videos to help but ultimately it comes down to you. Have faith in yourself and it will shine through in your product. On a side note when I get stuck thinking "How the hell am I going to do X, Y, or Z?" I check out http://revision3.com/filmriot. These guys give out a lot of helpful info on logistics and ideas to make certain shots happen for you. Now go make something that a theater can rent seats to over, and over and over again.

I was never a good "book" learner. I needed to jump right in. Some people are more comfortable learning for books (or online, these days). From my own, personal, bias, I would suggest that you make four or five short films to learn directing. Regarding credibility in the movie business; I'd say no. Producers looking to hire a director are not going to look at where that director was educated - they are going to look at the directors films. A director with a degree from a top university that has made a couple of films the producer doesn't like will not have an advantage over a hight school drop out who has made a film the producer loves. If you feel you can learn more by taking an online course than by gathering a few friends and making a few films then that is the correct path for you.

Get yourself a small camera (GH2 for example) and just start with a short film 10 mins is a good place to start

Try getting on an indie film crew, if just for the experience. They don't pay much, if at all, but it's like free hands on. Just be ready for a hectic work schedule that will give you a good idea of life on set. I did it for years. It's rough at the times, but in retrospect I had fun and experienced something that most don't get to.

Pick up a camera....any camera will do. A bloody flip cam if you have to. Shoot something. Edit it. See what you have. Think about what works and what you did wrong. Repeat.

other than watching alot of movies. get a script, any will do, get your friends and film it. best way to learn bc thats basically what you will do in school. Go to the library and read the books and check for directors workshops. I just went to one with Darin Scott. Cost me $300 but it was well worth the money. better than school.

What has credibility in the movie business is already being in the movie business. Most producers hiring will want you to have an IMDB name entry with actual projects on it. If you want to learn the craft of directing, you should be emulating the behaviors of some of the best directors. Go pick up "Moviemakers' Master Class" from Amazon or borrow it from a library. David Mamet's "On Directing Film". Sidney Lumet's "Making Movies" (more anecdotal, but still good to read). Read all the time when you're not planning to shoot. Re-read these books to keep gleaning details and tips that you missed the first time. The key to being a director is much like being some other profession; it's a craft, a learned skill. "Fake it till you make it" is a viable strategy, as long as you make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and don't make them again if you can help it.

get on crew in some capacity. if you have no experience, start out as a PA. then a boom op. the best thing to do if you want to be a director is do everything. act, be the script supervisor, edit, light, shoot. a director should have a well rounded view of filmmaking and each person's role and the elements that make a good film. it's true Hollywood wants you experienced. don't try to start out on Meryl Streep's latest film. there are smaller productions going on all around you. get in where you can. watch other directors. whenever you're on set, learn everything you can. watch, ask questions, pay attention, take notes. learn what works and what doesn't work. some directors are good, some aren't. take the good and throw out the bad.