How To... Become a Writer-Director

Having become a film and content director a little later in life, I’ve found that coming from an advertising background really helps, as brands look towards people with a range of skills who can tell stories in different ways. And as I continue to tread this path, I’ve found out a few things definitely worth sharing.

Whatever you do, don’t confuse the roles 

When I’m working on something as writer / director / creative I need to be really disciplined. On one hand you are closest to your vision, but on the other you have a responsibility to be as objective as possible and make the work the best it can be. By separating your perspectives and only allowing myself to wear one creative hat at once I can think through things objectively and rationally. It allows me to wear one hat well each time, but then make costume changes worthy of Beyonce at her concerts.

Being a creative means you know the process inside out

“What was the director / agency thinking?!” You might relate to having thought this in your career, the great thing as being a creative and a director is you know all the answers, and can use them to your advantage...

A great treatment not only demonstrates your vision, but I think it can clearly communicate your understanding of what’s important for the client and agency. It’s important to give the team a glimpse as to what it would be like to work with you. 

It’s also important for them to know a bit more about your filmmaking approach. Particularly if you haven’t got a cabinet full of Oscars and Emmys or the exact same ad on your reel as they want to shoot. Point out your approach to other work, how do you problem solve, do you always work with experienced DPs? Just never assume that people have the time or inclination to know these things, and maybe remind them that Stephen Spielberg didn’t have any dinosaurs on his reel before he made Jurassic Park.

It’s also good to know your audience and understand why people are actually interested in watching the piece of work, I like to keep a healthy balance between vision and end brand film. The same applies to personal work – when I write a script idea, I’ll start by thinking what I’d say at the Q&A at its final screening. It’s like the old Crispin Porter approach of writing down your creative ideas as a press release. It’s terrible when someone doesn’t have anything interesting to say about why they made their work or why it’s important for someone to watch! I like to make work that generates talk-ability - PR is an important commodity these days and people want to buy interesting.

Directing injects new energy into writing and creative

“Focus your energies on your weaknesses”.  This was a great piece of advice I was given during my time as a creative director and that I apply to almost everything I do. So going into film I began studying acting, directing actors and the cinematic language of the camera, and by doing so I felt they helped me prosper in more ways than one. Suddenly my writing improved - I had a much richer and deeper understanding of what it takes for a character to really elevate a story.

And not only that, when I tackled short, form narrative - with a much deeper understanding of subtext - I wasn’t writing such ‘on the nose lines’ like I’d written in earlier creative work. I could also think how the camera language could help elevate a script that had been steered into familiar territories.

What to watch out for 

Basically everything and anything, as part of being a director is anticipating the curve balls that come flying at you. This is why short films are so invaluable and can tell you a lot about a director when they don’t have client and agency involvement.

I didn’t realise what an extensive network of people I’d always had around me in agency days. This came as a surprise at first when I realised how much of a solo operator you are as a director and how resourceful you needed to be.  But on the flip side, it means you’ve come from a background of being a natural collaborator, which is like gold dust according to one film commissioner I met.

The other thing was to make sure all my ideas didn’t get in the way of things on set! Preconceived ideas from a few nights prior sometimes really do need to stay in the notebook. Instead I think the best directors are open to allow unexpected magic to happen when shooting, not trying to manage it to within an inch of its life.

It pays to be resourceful

So one thing I have learnt over the years is that the dream brief rarely lands on your table. So making and failing is how you learn. Get out there and make a short film, write a screenplay, or collaborate on one. But most of all start being the director that you’d want to hire yourself.