Hard Truths
Brian Dannelly
a) Clean your mess up.
Get high too much? Hate your parents? Irresponsible? Can't let go of
your last relationship? Get a handle on these things. They will not
serve you or your career well and you need every ounce of your being to
do your best work.
b) Don't hide behind the
camera. Knowing everything about the camera and processing film is
great but the most important part of your job as a director is working
with actors. Take classes and be an actor.
c) Start writing your
feature NOW: Just made an awesome short and you are in all the best
festivals? It won't mean a thing if you don't have a feature project
ready to go. So:
- Write two minutes a day and write badly.
- Don't try to write a blockbuster. Write about what you know, then lie
like crazy.
- Always write the kind of film that you want to see.
- REMEMBER: Your first draft is going to suck. Your first script will
probably suck. You will spend more than double the time you spent
writing the script on rewriting the script.
- Don't talk about your script; write it. The more people who know all
your cool ideas the less of a reason you have to write it.
d) Your short should
convey your ability to direct actors, tell a story and reflect your
visual style. It does not have to be the best short ever made.
e) You make films -
you're a filmmaker. The faster you believe this, the easier it will be
to take all the risks and do all the work you need to do in the future.
Become part of the greater film community.
f) Help your fellow
filmmakers anyway you can. You'll need their help when you make your
film and the bigger the project, the more you'll have to get used to
collaboration and working with people you don't know or like. MAKE YOUR
PRODUCTION AS PROFESSIONAL AS POSSIBLE AND EXPECT THE SAME FROM YOUR
TEAM. Show up on time, don't bitch about your head cold or your f*cked
up relationship, and support the director.
g) Get used to
technology. It's the future, don't bore people with your love of the
flatbed editing system or how you'll never have a cell phone or a
computer. There are enough things working against you make these tools
work for you.
h) How do I know if I
want to be a filmmaker? Don't worry, if you're not a filmmaker you
won't be able to do all the things you need to do to sustain a career.
It's brutal, humiliating, and impossible and there are no guarantees,
not many people are that passionate about the work to face up to these
assaults.
i) Know the business of
filmmaking. I would suggest subscribing to Variety.com or
Showbizdata.com to keep yourself updated. Know how to handle yourself
in a room, what to wear and the art of being discreet. I highly
recommend reading, "The Hollywood Rules" by Anonymous (available
through Barnesandnoble.com).
About the Author: Brian
Dannelly is a writer/director living in Los Angles. He graduated from
the American Film Institute in 1999 and is currently directing his
first feature with Single Cell Pictures. In addition, he and his
writing partner, Michael Urban are about to go out and pitch two new
screenplays, "Runner-Up" and "Phresh Start." Dannelly can be reached
via email at briandannelly@mac.co
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