Film making is often seen as costly task at hand and requires a lot of investment, time and manpower to produce a full-fledged Bollywood movie. Although, Bollywood has been the platform for many young and fresh directors who got their first break under popular banners and made it big right from their debut.
The list of successful directorial debut in Bollywood is long and includes names like Sooraj Barjatiya, Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra and Farhan Akhtar from filmy backgrounds alongside non-filmy ones like Abhinav Kashyap, Nikhil Advani and Imtiaz Ali. The list gets even bigger if you look at the directors who have made a name for themselves today even after failing with their debut.
The point here is that even though we have the current list of successful directors filled with popular names with filmy background, we also have many who hailed from small towns with big dreams and passion to drive them forward and made their mark in Bollywood. Not all these directors learned the art of film making from any institute or center, but they learned by observation, imagination and experience. Such a commitment towards a profession shows that nothing is impossible and inspires many film enthusiasts who love the art of film making and aspire to be the next Bollywood director.
However, the path is not easy and the bar set by this array of successful directors is so high that you must have a certain amount of creativity, passion and imagination in addition to hard work, patience and commitment.
Here are some interesting way that you could follow today to clear your path to become the next big director of the Indian Cinema:
Watch Movies From Different Genres
Given the fact that you have no experience in film making or you have no knowledge about the technicalities of film direction, the best place to start your education regarding film direction is watching movies. However, don’t limit yourself to a single genre, language or era, when you are watching movies. There’s a lot to learn from different types of movies from different industry and era. Besides Bollywood and Hollywood movies, it is highly recommended to spend some time watching movies from Malayalam Cinema, which at least for me, the Indian hub for excellence in cinema in terms of culture, art and creativity.
Read And Write Screenplays
If you are waiting for that big chance to become a film director, but don’t do anything about it, then you’re wasting your time. Time is precious and every single day that pass is a day lost. Instead of waiting for the opportunity to knock at your door, it is better to utilize the time you have now and try to create screenplays of your own or read screenplays from other movies. Imagine, how you will direct the scenes from the screenplay by gathering your friends at home.It will do even more wonders if your friends include any budding actors and eventually boost your confidence. Directing such screenplays on a regular basis would prepare you when you get that golden chance.
Observe Scenes in Public Places
The best talent of a great film director is the way they bring realism to their movies. These successful group are keen observers who keep their eyes and ears open while moving and see every incident happening around them as a potential scene of a movie. They try to imitate such scenes while directing the movies in future and most of the times such scenes get instant reaction from audience as they feel personal connection with the movie. Hence, it is important to have keen observational skills which will help you create or direct better scenes and eventually make better movies in the future.
Direct Short Films
Today, there is a new industry for Short Films growing across the country. It is not necessary to direct a 3-hour long movie to show your skills as a good director, but you can also do the same by making short films that have the potential to leave an impact or deliver a strong message to the mass. There are many examples of such short films that has given some good, talented directors in the industry. Short films are also easy to make and you can easily distribute such movies among the mass via video sharing platforms such as YouTube.
Submit Your Work At Film Festivals
If YouTube isn't enough for your short film or any Independent film, you can always screen your movies at different film festivals across the globe. These film festivals are highly covered by the media, huge production houses, entertainment companies, film journalists, enthusiasts and many others. Catching the attention of these big guns can help you promote your film through word of mouth and connect with a league of big names from the industry overnight.
Promote Your Work on Social Media
If you can't make it to the film festivals, you can also use the power of social media, which today is the undoubtedly the easiest ways to reach the mass across the globe just by a finger click. Whether you are using Facebook, Twitter or other popular social media platform, you always have the chance to connect with people all over the world or a certain region who are passionate about movies and entertainment. Success is not limited today to the big screens or TV units, but it has reached the social media channels giving every talented person a chance to prove his/her skills. The one such example of success through social media channel is the viral Web Series by TVF titled, "Pitchers" that took the nation by storm right through its first season.
Be an Assistant director
Another best way to get into film direction is by assisting an established filmmaker. There are many examples where production companies of the likes of once a debutante film director such as Karan Johar, Yash Chopra, Mahesh Bhatt etc., have helped many new directors to kick-start their career after being served as assistant directors to their mentors. India is a huge nation and boasts of different tastes all around the country, offering a good platform for different genres of movies. Such a demand encourages production houses to invest in budding directors who can bring fresh perspective to these genres and offer the best entertainment year after year. Always remember that, the stairs to the top always start from the bottom.
Make Contacts in the Industry
To get the job of an assistant director is not something easy either. You must build a good network or contacts among some influential people from the industry. Everyone is aware of the camps widely spread across Bollywood. However, it isn't mandatory that you must join one to survive but you can always make your way in through one and build your own road to the top. If you can do this right, then sky is the only limit.
Direct Theater Plays
Now, if you are not much into the modern ways of entering the film industry, then you can always go old school. Many classic directors from Bollywood and Hollywood started their careers by directing theater plays. With the success of their plays, they got high acclaims from the critics and the media that they got roped in by big banner production houses to direct commercial movies. As discussed earlier, most big banners in the industry are looking for fresh talent and their search isn't limited to YouTube Short Films alone, but extends to local theater plays from all over the nation.
Conclusion
The only way to go up the ladder is using your talent. However, as they say that talent is not enough. You need to make immense efforts to climb up the ladder no matter how talented you're. So get up now without any excuses, grab your camera, and follow these amazing tips if you not only dream but also have the temperament to become the next successful director in the Bollywood industry.
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