I’ve directed commercials for Adidas, Best Buy, Scotch-Brite and True Value Hardware to name just a few of the companies I’ve worked with.
But to get to that point took a long time.
I had been making videos my entire life, but wasn’t able to make a living doing it.
I put together this video in hopes that you, the aspiring director, can take something beneficial from the steps I took in order to get to a place where you are making a living doing something you love.
My journey consisted of 5 main steps. They are:
- Develop your own personal style
- Create with a purpose
- Build a website
- Get in front of the right people and network
- Seek representation
Develop Your Personal Style
Find a filmmaker or a mentor that you can learn from. Watch everything they’ve made and take notes on what you like about their work.
Then, copy them.
Borrow their techniques and make it your own.
Even if you were to try and copy them completely, it would be hard to do as your own tastes and circumstances will change it in some way, making it your own thing.
Create With A Purpose
When you start to make films or content, think about how you could incorporate brands you would like to work for into your work – basically product placement. Create something that can get their attention and tag them in social media.
Build A Website
A website is an essential place to showcase your best work. Having a website establishes your presence and carries with it a level of professionalism that companies looking for a director will value.
An Instagram profile can certainly get you work in this day and age, but I still believe having a website goes along way in establishing your presence as a director with distinction.
Get in Front of the Right People and Network
Showing your friends and family is great for feeling good about yourself, but you need to get your work out in front of the right people. Show people who can connect you to work opportunities.
Seek Representation
Once you’ve got a decent body of work, connect with production companies that you’d like to be on their roster. Production companies have a lot of ties with ad agencies which is how you connect with the larger, higher paying jobs.
Check out the video I did where I go into more depth on this topic below.