ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

3 years ago - Yuki : the After Effect guy

Hi, I'm Yuki, a guy who wants to become a film director and eventually, win a Best Director's Award at Cannes. Currently, I live in a senior director's house, and I sleep, eat, and do all of the housework. This is an old Japanese custom where if you want to learn or master something in a particular field, you search for a master and ask to be their trainee. One of the ways to be trained, as I have said, is to live in their house, and do the housework, while also learning about the field. I think this is quite an unusual way to pursue a career as a film maker, other than making films and sending them to film festivals or uploading them on YouTube. So I think this is something I can share with you.

2 years, 12 months ago - Tristan Tetteroo

If I were you, I would write a script about the incongruity of this master-student relationship in the 21st century and make a satire out of it.
Or, just change the word 'Master' with 'Mentor', and tone down the servant-like connotations and parameters of the development you seek.

2 years, 12 months ago - John Lubran

The career pathways to becoming a successful and learned filmmaker are all unique. Basic skills with regard to every job involved is often a good starting point; though other realities are available.

Over the last four decades I've been doing this of sort of stuff, I've been lucky enough to have followed many beginners, all of unique backgrounds, as they have achieved great things as filmmakers, as have others who found that their early experiences in filmmaking opened doors to other things.

I have a friend who, over twenty years ago, was so determined to learn and had applied for several trainee adverts at the BBC, to what was essentially a lottery because hundreds of people applied for every trainee position.

Determined he then applied for any job at the BBC, there was just one, internal messenger boy, they probably gave it a less menial title. Anyway it proved to be the doorway to my friend's enduring success as a filmmaker. He got to meet everyone, he may only have been the messenger boy but he was gracefully authentic, which added to his intellectual wit. He took a keen interest in everything, especially editing and it didn't take long before he was editing broadcast programs. He's been directing international productions for years and is always spoilt for choice.

I've noticed that great directors have been editors. They learn everything about filmmaking.

Every route is unique. Lots of achievable realities are available.

Quite interesting to read your description of the humbling master and disciple relationship process entrenched in Japanese culture. There's something intriguingly Zen about it. An existential authentic consciousness thing?