Learn how to be a great director in 4 steps

My ongoing series has covered some great professions in the filming industry, and next on the list is director. I always wanted to be a director since the age of 12. You need visualization to be a good director, the ability to pan out shots in your head before it even happened. Still, you can pick up directing at a beginner level if you follow these few steps.

1. Study filmography to learn shots

You want to be a great director you will have to learn to read a lot. You will have to read screenplays, novels for adaptations and books for honing your skills.

Almost every series I mention book to help your endeavor. Film Studies by Ed Sikov is a great place to start no matter who you are: actor, director, film critic, you name it. For early directors this is the book because it states the dynamic of shots in general. Here's the amazon link: http://goo.gl/S8du1B

For more advanced directors this is the book that will do for you, one of the best film books I read that put me on the path of film: http://goo.gl/L2SdFY

2. Imagine if you were a camera

Before you even touch a camera you need to know how you would use it. Imagine your eyes as the lens and your head as the camera. Which shot would you use, why would you use it, does it depict what you are trying to say, does it match the plot, are you taking risks or staying with the conventions?

Talk to the great director in you and find his direction style.

3. Learn DDP

The best course that indirectly helps to make you the best director out there is DDP. I didn't realize that when I took this class in freshman year of high school. Later, I realized how much it helped me improve my directing.

DDP is a visual subject. It centers around drawing perspectives and understanding different shapes and views. Why is this important? If you want to be a director (great director) who loves finesse then you will draw out the most important shots.

Here you will use perspective drawing, learned in DDP, to visualize on pen and paper where the actors and cameramen would be. Not very exciting but it's something that will separate you from other directors.

4. Don't leave the film world

Yes you might not have the best DSLR out there, or any actors to act with. But that doesn't matter you stop getting involved in film.

I picked up screenwriting and that went well for me. Although, screenwriting isn't the same as directing it helps me visual. Besides when I'll be ready to film with a camera and crew I'll already have a finished award winning screenplay that I'll be able to shoot.

But this is about you. If you think you don't want to film with your phone, that's acceptable. But not doing anything is unacceptable. If you don't keep on honing your skills you will slowly lose your talent, but more importantly you will lose your vision.

Thank you guys for your awesome support! Love you!