i want to major in the filmindustry. I want to be a director but also write my ideas for the plot line and?

Question

I want to come up with my own storylines, plot, characters, etc. I want to be a director but be more involved to do my own storys but dont know what field that realy falls under.

Answer 1

it would be called a screen writer; you should also study cinematography if you want to be a director

Answer 2

You don't have to be a screenwriter to influence story/plot. Directors (and producers) often work with screenwriters to tell the particular story they want to tell or change certain aspects of the story that the screenwriter has already written. Directors can also influence story on the set by how they shoot somebody else's script.

Obviously being a writer-director is the best way to assure that your story gets told. But if you're not a writer (and you're just starting out) there are basically 2 ways to do what you're describing:

1. Team up with a writer that will listen to your suggestions;

2. Be such a visually-gifted director that the producers will allow you greater control over the story.

And there's no requirement that you go to film school. I did and I don't regret it. But if I was thinking about film school today, I'd also consider whether or not I had a good idea for a feature film that I could shoot on high def video. Considering that a 4 year film school is going to cost more than $80,000, the prospect of taking a year off to shoot a micro-budget feature ($50,000 or less) is not so unreasonable anymore.

But if you do decide to go to a film school, consider whether the program will allow you to actually make films, rather than competing with your classmates for an opportunity to make a film. Also think twice about programs that require to choose between their writing and directing sub-programs. There may be professional benefits to specializing in one area or the other, but if you want to do both, you should consider schools that will allow you to do that.

Answer 3

In the last ten years or so it has been more and more commonplace for directors to write their own films.
Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Smith,
M Night Shamaylan...those are the big names but
that's just the tip of the iceberg.

The old days of having to get someone to give you a job before you could make a film are gone. If you have a camera, some people to act in the thing and ideas to fuel you you're off and running. That doesnt guarantee that it'll be perfect but the one thing that movies are missing these days are big ideas.

If you have them...then you can write your own ticket. It won't be overnight most likely but if its really what you want to do. then you'll spend the time on your own getting good at it. Any further advice feel free to contact me directly.

Answer 4

Aron, those are two very different skill sets, but plenty of people make them overlap, writing and directing their own movies.

It sounds to me like you are more interested in screenwriting, in which case you could major in it at any of the big powerhouse screenwriting schools (USC, UCLA, NYU) to make connections as well as learn screenwriting. (You certainly don't have to be at one of those to learn screenwriting.)

The schools that offer a film major will have the classes you need to learn to direct, as well as equipment you can borrow.

Answer 5

Go to a cinema school that teaches you to make films.