I want to be a successful director, shooting feature films, television shows, and large ad campaigns, but don't know where to begin..
You need to start you career as a music video director.
Why, you may ask?
The answer is simple. There is no single other avenue to take with little or no experience and transform it into a successful career as a director.
This is true. Some of today's most talented directors, shooting some of the most popular, largest budget productions in hollywood today, began as music video directors. For example:
Michael Bay: "Transformers", "Pearl Harbor", "Armageddon"
David Fincher: "Zodiac", "Seven", "Fight Club"
F. Gary Gray: "Be Cool", "The Italian Job", "The Negotiator"
Tim Story: "Fantastic 4", "Barbershop"
Brett Ratner:"Rush Hour 1, 2, and 3", "Red Dragon"
McG: "Charlies Angeles 1 and 2", "We are Marshall", "Terminator 4"
Spike Jonze: "Being John Malkovich", "Adaptation"
Michel Gondry: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Be Kind, Rewind"
Len Wiseman: "Underworld", "Live Free, Die Hard"
Antoine Fuqua: "Training Day", "Shooter"
These are just a few of the directors that began making music videos. There are countless others that came from the same beginning. And for all those directors that you are familiar with, there are countless others that are directing ad campaigns, television series, making video games, etc, etc..
Sooo... You may be wondering... Why has the music video industry been such a source of talent for hollywood?
There are several reasons for this, but here are a few:
1. There are no limits to the creativity that can go into music videos. Music videos by there very nature are short films put to music that are designed to capture their audience's attention. Therefore, this medium attracts and welcomes creativity. This provides the perfect forum for directors to flex their creative chops.
2. Music videos are very visual. Therefore, they provide the perfect opportunity for a director to start to work on and create their own "visual style". It is this visual style that will make directors very marketable when they begin to seek out projects outside of the Music Video Industry.
3. Most agents and studio executives grew up on MTV. They are used to the slick visuals and energetic visuals. As a result, they are familiar with directors that come from this arena, and seek them out for film and television opportunities.
4. Music Video Directors have real life EXPERIENCE in filmmaking. Executive and producers know that seasoned music video directors have a lot of experience dealing with talent, time lines, budget constraints, and pressure from being on set. This experience becomes invaluable to the director has he/ she moves into other arenas.
5. They have been some of the most successful directors. Directors that began with music videos have proven time and time again that they are able to deliver, paving a wide road for future music video directors to travel.
These are only a few of the reasons why it would be recommended that anyone who wants to become a director in Hollywood, begin their career and cut their teeth as a music video director.