Where to Begin.
So you want to be a TV director? It's a hard, competitive business but the rewards can be great, in both cash and satisfaction. So you've messed around with a video camera and now you want too make money. You tube will never pay enough to make a living but the world over people want “self shooters”. These are people who can shoot on DV and have a personality.
The 5 point plan.
- Download a manual for a Sony PD150 - the camera of choice for most professional production companies. Learn it, it's not much different to any handy cam, just more buttons.
- Put your best stuff onto a tape or make a small 5-minute tape of fast paced separate items, to show what you can do. If you can copy and burn this on to DVD all the better.
- Watch TV and copy the styles of the shows that are rating. Not “Ugly Betty” but the smaller half hour shows that have DV tape in them.
- Watch shows, lots of shows. As soon as you see something that you find yourself saying “I could do that”. Write down the name of the producer or series producer and the name of the production company.
- Look up the production company on the internet and find and e-mail address. If the e-mail address is a name format the name of the producer in the same way. If not guess, popular company formats are name.name@company.domain or rstone@company.domain.
Send this person a personal letter and ask him or her about the show. Be specific things you like about the style etc. Then ask if you can see the person as you are hoping to work in the industry.
You will need to send a lot of e-mails but TV is an ego based business and people love to talk about their jobs and themselves. Keep trying and you may get lucky. Once you foot is in the door, know your stuff be personable and impress.
Good Luck
