Lights, camera, action! It’s time for another Job That Might Seem Cool But Actually Kinda Sucks…Hollywood Edition!
The job: Film director
You might like this job if: You want to make movies. Or maybe you just read Robert Rodriguez’s Rebel Without A Crew and got so inspired that you fell in love with the idea of your own film. Maybe you like making short YouTube videos. Or you might want to do this if you want to, you know, get rich and famous for directing.
The good: You get to make movies! And you’re in charge! Plus, you’ll probably get a ton of money for it, get to hook up with hot actors/actresses if you so choose. You might win awards, get honorary doctorates, and all of the awesome things that celebrated directors get. Did I mention the money?
The bad: Long hours, and I mean LONG hours. Look at it this way: the writer’s job is done when the script is finalized (save for rewrites you or the studio will make), the actors’ jobs are done when shooting wraps, and so on. You’re stuck to this project from when you sign on until all the editing is finished. And then you get to do the press tour, by which time you’ve seen the movie over and over so many times you’re completely sick of it. And speaking of shooting the film, remember that you are the chief coordinator of EVERYTHING, from stunts to special effects to lighting to sound and food and so on. You will either have to deal with a lot of small problems on a very constant basis, or ignore them all and only deal with big disasters. And all this doesn’t even account for the possibility that the movie might not do well in the box office, might get bad reviews, or do too well to the point that anything else you do will be compared to it. Not to mention that it’s hard to establish yourself as a director and get serious studio backing. It can be done, but it’s tricky and involves a lot of red tape and politics. Directing is a lot of hard work for a risky payoff and is definitely not for the thin-skinned or impatient.
Summary: Provided you have a big enough ego and the talent to back it up, you could be a good director. Whether you end up rich and famous is another story entirely. And that decision is not in your hands.
Rating: Three clap boards out of five
