What would you recommend me, a high schooler start doing if I want to direct movies when I get older?

Question

I'm talking about writing material and getting hold of some equipment. I would really appreciate suggestions on what I can do to get experience with filming. I'm only a sophomore in high school and until I can save up for a camera of some sort, I am at a loss as to what I can do.

Answer 1

I would suggest taking any elective at school that coinsides with film making.

Answer 2

Kid, this is the best time in history for getting into filmmaking. By all means save up for a camera, but it's not nearly as expensive as it used to be. You can even get a "throwaway" video camera at your local drugstore for about 30 bucks. (Get an electronics buddy to hack the camera for you, so you can reuse it.) Talk your parents into getting you a camera phone. Or really suck up to them -- taking out the garbage, mowing the lawn, rubbing grandma's feet -- and see if you can't wrangle them into giving you a camcorder for Christmas. Get a paper route, or a job at a car wash, or something. This will be your first taste of the producing side of filmmaking.

If you have a PC with Windows, you already have an editing bay; Windows Movie Maker comes free with the operating system. You even have your own TV network in the form of YouTube.

"Public access" used to be a thing back in the 80s and 90s, where cable TV companies had to have a channel and production equipment available to the public. They may still do; call your local cable company and ask about their public access program. You'll get training and the chance to experiment with professional equipment.

As already mentioned, see if your school has a Communications department, or an AV club. If not, start one.

There are a lot of web sites for fellow "amateur" filmmakers to share tips and tricks. I don't have any links handy, but you can easily Google some, or find them on YouTube.

From the writing standpoint: Just write. Go to the creative writing class at your school. Get books on screenwriting. Or just watch movies, and keep an eye on how stories are structured. If there's a used bookstore in your town, there's some chance that they might even have old movie scripts for sale.

If you really can't get a camera just yet, take up drawing. Seriously. Storyboarding is the link between the story and screen, and you can get a lot of good practice just by storyboarding ideas for films. Or maybe you might want to get into animation.

Films to watch for inspiration:
Clerks
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (especially the behind-the-scenes feature)
Living In Oblivion
the "Pink Five" short films; also Google "truly dangerous"

Talk to the school's Theater department, or your local community theater. There's bound to be someone with a camera they're willing to let you borrow, if you tape shows for them (and cast actors in your movies).

Above all, play and have fun.

Answer 3

take as many communications technology courses as you can. If your school has an a/v dep't, get involved in it. Take creative writing english courses. Look into colleges that have a filming program. Drama class is ok, but there's a lot of difference between theatre and film, but the experience will help as well.

Get a business course as well. It will help you understand marketing, which is a big thing for the film industry.

Answer 4

I would suggest talking to colleges that offer courses in the movie industry and finding out from them what your best options are as of now.

Answer 5

be in all the plays or help the director with them. read books about filmmakign, plan to go to a college where they teach filmmaking or go to a professional shool that does the same, but be careful, try to find one that also teaches you how to get into the business when you graduate.

Answer 6

Your school should have an audio/video department. talk to whoever runs it and join up.

Answer 7

join drama club as stage crew