By: Sarah Chaisson-Warner
Making the transition from “writer” to “writer-director” is an exciting step, offering filmmakers the opportunity to carry out their vision from the words on the page to the big screen. Many prolific and prominent Hollywood directors began their careers as screenwriters – take Charlie Kaufman, for instance, who wrote “Being John Malkovich” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” made his directorial debut with “Synecdoche, New York”. Greta Gerwig first wrote indie darling “Frances Ha” before going on to direct “Lady Bird” and “Barbie.” And many of our Short Film Fund winners like Kiah Clingman, Jeremiah Towolawi, and Sam Baron went on to direct their own scripts too.
Here, we outline five tips from writers who went on to become directors about making the leap:
TIP#1: Shoot Often
Particularly for directors who are just starting out, “shooting often” means getting a lot of practice shooting films in lower-stakes settings. “Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends and your sister star in it. Put your name on it as director,” famed Director James Cameron once told a crowd.
Short Film Fund winner Jeremiah Towolawi also espouses the value of the “shoot often” approach for writers moving into directing. “Don’t treat your first short like it’s your only or last film, where you have to say everything you’ve ever wanted to say… Use your first film to make mistakes. Enjoy the chaos and the things that go wrong as much as the things that go right. They build your toolbox for the next project,” he said.
Shooting often also typically means, for most of us, writing or selecting scripts that are written to be ultra-low budget, allowing you to sharpen your directorial chops without breaking the bank. “I’ve written a ton of short films and the ones that were made are the ones that are all set in and around one location. These just happen to be the ones I’ve been able to pull off. And I think it’s often the case – the principle of containment.” said Sam Baron, who was the winner of the Short Film Fund with his script “The Orgy” and has since added feature films to his resume.
TIP #2: Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate
Some of the most successful films and shows are the result of deep collaborations between creatives, rather than a lone wolf approach to filmmaking. Collaborating with your team – particularly your Director of Photography, Line Producer, and Sound and Lighting – often results in exciting ideas and interesting viewpoints, and can open opportunities you might miss without their input and ideas. But don’t confuse collaboration with uncertainty – in the end, you are the Director, and it’s up to you to take the varying viewpoints and ideas put forward by your team into consideration and make a decision.
Collaboration with your actors is a must as well. Sam found a creative partnership in his lead actor, Amit Shah. “Amit and I, the more we’ve gotten to know each other, we realized that we went through very similar experiences. And although we’re from different cultural backgrounds, the roles we played in our family are very similar…We were able to go deeper into both of our experiences…being in a social situation where you feel out of your depth and what it feels like to be afraid to express your own desires or your own needs… These are the layers that we’re playing at in order to then make a silly comedy about a man going to an orgy, and through that process, we then became extremely close friends.” Add
One of the best director/actor collaborations continues to come from Shane Meadows (director) and Paddy Considine (actor). The duo met in college and had since made a series of short films together in the UK, each on an incredibly small budget. As a result of their constant collaboration, they together grew as creatives, and released in 2004 the cult classic “Dead Man’s Shoes.”
Collaboration doesn’t just happen within your cast and crew – it can also take the form of external collaboration, particularly with people who have lived experiences that can help to better authenticate your film.
Harvey John, winner of the Short Film Fund with his script “To Catch A Siren” went on to direct his film and collaborated deeply with a young woman with lived experience of arriving in the UK as a minor via a small boat through the Refugee Support Group. “Her insights were invaluable, and I’m so grateful to her for sharing her story with me,” he said. “That collaboration inspired me to bring on a co-writer — the brilliant Jasmine Mohtashami, who is of Iranian heritage — to help develop the screenplay with greater cultural authenticity. Together, we deepened the characters and story, and one of the biggest shifts we made was changing the main characters from boys to girls. That decision completely transformed the film’s emotional core, adding layers of strength and vulnerability we hadn’t anticipated. I feel really lucky to have worked with such generous and insightful collaborators, and I hope the final piece reflects the care and intention that went into shaping it.”
TIP #3: Spring For A Casting Director
Writer-director John Frankenheimer once quipped, “Casting is 65% of directing.” Ask any Director and they’ll tell you – casting can be a time-consuming process, and finding exactly the right actors for your project is essential for reaching your cinematic vision.
Jeremiah worked with a Casting Director to help him find just the right actors for the three main characters in “The Truth About Space.”
“The casting process was the longest part for me,” he said. “We worked with the brilliant casting director Fran Cattaneo, who was amazing from the start. I’d share the vibe I wanted for Obi, Tola and Ife, and she’d continuously send updated lists of names. We’d request tapes or judge based on tangibles and intangibles.”
Kiah Clingman used a Casting Director to help her find her supporting cast for “Her Pretty Vagina.” Her casting director, Jordan Blair Brown, “was instrumental in helping us find nuanced and funny performances for the other roles. Each actor brought something unique and unforgettable to HPV, and I’m eternally grateful for their contributions to bringing this story to life.”
TIP #4: Set The Professional Tone Early and Often
In the same way that you, as a writer, are responsible for creating the environment and the world in which your characters act and engage, as a Director, it’s also your responsibility to create and model your desired working environment on and off-set.
Setting the tone for your team early on helps them understand your expectations and the “rules of the road.” Are you running a tight, no-nonsense operation, one that prioritizes efficient decision-making, like Christopher Nolan, who famously has a no cell phones on set rule? Or perhaps you’re envisioning setting more of a communal, comfortable approach. Regardless of what you choose, it’s important to communicate clearly to your team what your expectations are and how they can best meet those expectations. Similarly, as you’re assembling your team, understanding their work style and determining whether their work style is compatible with yours and being clear about the film you intend to make can help you create the right combination of team members from the start.
TIP #5: Work From Theme
Famed writer, director, and producer Francis Ford Coppola reminds new directors to always “work from theme.” What does this mean? It means identifying and understanding the theme of your project in one or two words, and using the theme to guide your directing. If you can’t succinctly name your project’s theme, it may be time to revisit the script.
“Every time I made a film, I always knew what I thought the theme was, the core, in one word,” he said. “In ‘The Godfather’ it was succession. In ‘The Conversation’ it was privacy. In ‘Apocalypse’ it was morality.” Directors make decisions throughout the film – some big, some small, and “there are many times when you don’t know the answer. Knowing what the theme is always helps you.”
Many screenwriters dream of directing, but few have the opportunity to learn how from established directors and other industry leaders. Our Script to Screen program gives you that blueprint – a week by week, step by step program led by Oscar- and Emmy-winning filmmakers.
Over 9 weeks, you can learn how to direct, frame shots, guide actors, and shape cinematic storytelling. As a part of a collaborative community of peers and mentors, you’ll have the opportunity to gain practical filmmaking skills and take charge of your career.
To apply, submit the first pages of the screenplay that best shows your talent. (It must be between 5 and 20 pages in length.) Features, TV Pilots and Shorts are accepted.
Writers who are shortlisted as Quarter-Finalists will then be able to upload full length scripts and/or additional material that will be reviewed (at no extra cost). 8 winning writers will be chosen to participate. 10 finalists will be invited to mixers and networking events.
Want to learn more about this exciting opportunity? Click here!
