Career in film/commercials directing

[Ayahuasco da Gama]

Hi, everyone. Greatly requiring your assistance to decide whether I would be able to pursue a career in film

industry. At the moment I'm a third year business administration student, but my life is more and more attracted

towards arts and creative sphere. For some time I considered a career in advertising, but now I get more

dissapointed in it in general. And as I'm a vegetarian, I wouldn't like to promote meat, alcohol as well, useless coca-

cola and similar stuff. I have a deep interest in all kinds of design, photography, architecture, fashion, and art in

general. What I still like about advertising, are high-end, beautiful and artistic commercials of perfume, fashion

brands, some cars, jewellery. Like those of Bruno Aveillan, Erica Herbert. Especially I like Aveillan's ads for

MaxMara and Lexus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL8ItSUSQ9A

and Erica's for Breil

this ad for Lamborghini also is cool here and there

 

Some moments of them are just mesmering and captivating. But I feel that it could be done better, at least in my

imagination I can conjure more exquisite and beatiful worlds. Sometimes I have a very strong desire to do

something like that and to express my vision of beauty. And I have a lot of ideas and visual images. So the

question is, is that possible without formal education in filmmaking to become a director gradually, to work in the

field of commercials for luxury brands? How can it be achieved? What matters in this industry, talent and

imagination or technical skills, recognition etc? Is it highly competitive? Who succeed there and why? Is it possible

to be fastidious and work only for projects you like, or is it a struggle for each client? Probably in cinematography

there 're some more fields except commercials (music videos seem to me a bit different) where the expression of

beauty and aesthetics is possible? Sorry if these questions are too simple for a professional community.

 

P.S. One more cool film illustrating beauty of architecture

http://vimeo.com/7809605

[Justin Hayward]

I think anything is possible if you go for it with everything you got, but…

 

Imagine walking into the J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. headquarters and asking the doorman what it will take to be the CEO of this place because you’ve looked at their website and you’re sure you could do it better, but Wall Street bothers you so you only want to be the CEO of specific parts that don’t involve Wall Street. That’s more or less the position your in right now, so best thing is to start shooting stuff on your own.

 

Point is, you gotta start somewhere and it’s most likely not at the top. Although, isn’t it the cliché that the only entry level jobs in film are PA and Director?

 

If you’re interested in creating artistic films, why does it have to be advertising? Why not try making some experimental short films or shooting still photography or something? Nothing will convince people you’re qualified better than something to show. You should really get your hands on a camera and shoot some stuff. Show everyone what you’re capable of.

[Justin Hayward]

To answer your questions a little better, I have a good friend who was an Art Director at DDB for many years and whenever a director asked him how they could get their reel to show up on his desk without knowing him, he always answered this: Do five killer spec spots (most likely paid for out of your own pocket unless you know someone giving away money for nothing) and send them to every agency in the book. It may take a while, but eventually your reel (websites work too) will land on his desk when they’re looking for directors. He said they don’t even care if they’re just specs, only that they’re good.

 

You may not get hired for a long, long, time if at all, but at least people can see what you’re capable of.