Albert Einstein: "Excellence is doing a common thing in an uncommon way"

Legendary directors who didn’t go to film school

Habits of successful directors

Even though they may not appear in front of the camera, the director is one of the most important people on a feature film, short film, or TV show set. In the film industry, directors do more than shout “action” and “cut” behind the scenes—they’re the person who determines the creative vision and makes all of the film’s most significant decisions.

What Are the Qualities of a Successful Director? A successful director possesses many qualities that contribute to their dynamic filmmaking. Here are some common qualities that great directors share:

Communicative. Directors should be able to properly communicate the needs of the scene to their actors. Doing multiple takes of the same scene can burn out your actors and your crew. The best way to avoid doing multiple takes for performance-related issues is to properly communicate with your actor. Create a safe environment that encourages your actors to ask questions or voice their concerns about a scene. Your answers will fuel their confidence and lead to stronger performances.

Patient. Actors have the difficult job of being emotionally vulnerable on camera, and as a director, you have to show them great respect. Good directors maintain a pace at which no one feels rushed. When actors feel rushed, bad acting happens. Setting expectations upfront helps build confidence, and working with the performers along the way can help draw out organic performances.

Ridley Scott — How To Become a Director

Realistic. As a director, you have to know the limitations of your budget, your crew, and your actors. For the average film production, shooting over 10 pages a day can spell disaster for the quality of your film and the morale of your cast and crew. Being overly ambitious with scheduling is a surefire way to burn out and potentially endanger your crew. Being able to produce and follow the shooting schedule will help keep the actors and crew on track, and is a vital skill for every successful director.

Creative. A successful director knows how to work within the confines of any budget. If you’re limited by budget, push yourself to get creative with your filming strategies. You don’t need a ton of fancy equipment to make a good film. If you’re shooting something guerrilla-style, make that aesthetic serve you and your story.

Almost everyone working in the entertainment industry pursued a degree or certification that put them through the paces so they could work. Some of the greatest directors sat in classes all over the world, learning the ins and outs of feature filmmaking, but not all of them. Every once in a while, an incredibly talented person will forgo school and push their way into the industry, and believe it or not, some of the world’s best directors fit this description.

Alfred Hitchcock first studied engineering and navigation, but his education became difficult due to the loss of his father and the outbreak of World War I. Eventually, he studied creative writing and spent his free time absorbing as much American cinema as he could. When Paramount Pictures opened its London studio, Hitchcock got a job designing title cards. This opened the door to the industry, and he worked on more than a dozen silent films in various capacities. His experiences at Paramount helped him transition to Gainsborough Pictures, where he became an assistant director.

Hitchcock worked on numerous films as an assistant director, and in 1925, he directed “The Pleasure Garden,” his first finished feature film. Hitchcock continued working in the industry for the rest of his professional life, directing many classic films. Some of his most influential work includes “Psycho,” “Vertigo,” “The Birds,” and “Rear Window.” Hitchcock didn’t attend film school, and it wasn’t until 1968 that he received an honorary degree from the University of California Santa Cruz (via Medium). Still, he’s one of the most influential directors of all time.

Steven Spielberg applied for the film programs at UCLA and USC but was rejected because of his grades. Spielberg wanted nothing more than to be a filmmaker, and he wasn’t going to let rejections from film schools keep him from pursuing his dream. He attended classes at California State University, Long Beach, but dropped out when he scored a deal to write and direct a short. From that venture, he created “Amblin'” and earned a seven-year contract with Universal Television to work as a TV director for the studio, making him the youngest director at a major studio in Hollywood history.

From there, he became the most successful film director of all time and did it without attending film school. That said, Spielberg did return to college in 2002. He returned to finish what he started at California State University, Long Beach. After 33 years away from school, Spielberg donned his cap and took home a BA in Film and Electronic Media (via Entertainment Weekly).

James Cameron attended a community college, where he studied physics, but transitioned to English before dropping out. He worked as a truck driver while pursuing his interest in film technology. While Cameron didn’t attend classes at a prestigious film school to earn a degree, he spent a lot of time reading about it at the USC library. After seeing “Star Wars” in 1977, Cameron knew he wanted to pursue a film career (per Deadline).

His big break came when he sold the rights to “The Terminator” for $1. He did this on one condition: He was allowed to direct the movie. Years later, Rick Schultz asked Cameron in an interview if film school was a place for young filmmakers to train, and he said, “One of the best things that happened to me was that I didn’t go to film school. … The main thing is just picking up a camera and making a film.” He continued, saying, “People say, ‘How do you get to be a filmmaker?’ I say, ‘Go home, pick up your video camera, and make a film.'”

Sources: