What it takes to become a film director - Career Guide
Updated: Aug 9, 2020
Films are born as dreams, imaginations and stories in the mind. The person who transforms these stories from mind to paper and then on to the screen is called the Director. Primarily because this person directs the whole mind to the screen process, he is called the 'Director'.
Who is a Film Director?
A Film director manages the creative aspects of the production. He/she directs the making of the film by first visualizing the script and then guiding the actors and technical crew to capture the vision on camera for the screen. He /she controls the film’s dramatic and artistic aspects. A Film Director using a team of Assistants and Sectional Heads like the Director of Photography, Set Designer, Executive Producer manages large groups of highly creative people.
How much does a Film Director earn?
The compensation of a Film Director depends on the budget of the film, his/her experience and skills. Commercials, Web Series, Documentary, Corporate and Feature Films, all have different compensation packages for Film Directors. Since Directors are a part of ATL (Above the Line), they are paid a single amount for a project, rather than Day-wise like the other crew members.
Directors can make between 1-2 Lakhs for a Small Web Series Per Episode, 01-50 Lakhs for a TV Commercial, 10-20 Lakhs for a Small Feature Film, 20-50 Lakhs for a Mid-Level Feature Film, and 50 Lakhs - 5 Crores for a Big Budget Feature Film and so on. The topmost Celebrity Directors earn between 10-15 Crores and much more internationally for a Blockbuster sized film.
What skills does it take to be a Film Director?
A highly imaginative mind, ability to dramatize, convey emotions and action clearly using images and sounds within a given budget. Besides, a Film Director must know and understand various film making equipment and their uses, scriptwriting man-management. This is perhaps the most subjective part of any film director's job description. A Film Director must know how to control the cast and the crew to execute the job at hand with the best possible results.
Some of the key factors are:
Technological expertise – or at the very least, a very solid working understanding of the latest filming technology and software.
Flexible creativity
Sound at written and visual storytelling
Decisive and problem-solving leadership
Understandable communication
What does the job of a director entail?
As there are three stages of making a film(Pre-Production, Production, Post- Production)so, the director is involved in all stages. Actually even before the Pre Production and after the Post Pr