director's apprentice

[horseradish]

Hello everyone.

As I'm sure most of you already know, Roger Corman once took under his wing such notable directors as James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. Thus one can infer from such a roster that learning under Corman definately helped give a budding director the guns needed to break through the industry. With this inference in mind, here's what I'm wondering: Do such opportunities still exist today, specifically where a young talent can learn the ropes through a director as educational as Corman seems to have been? It's worth noting that James Cameron, for instance, didn't attend film school, but rather was (assumedly) a "walk-on" who managed to work on the set of some Roger Corman films. Is it possible these days for an aspiring director, who perhaps has had no formal education in the medium, to become an apprentice to a Roger-Corman-type director?

Thanks guys.

-horseradish.

 

[indietalk]

Call some directors. I did this out of college and I worked for Jim Jarmusch and Hal Hartley.

 

[directorik]

Your assessment isn’t exactly accurate.

Both Coppola and Scorsese graduated from film school and then made
movies for Corman’s production company. Coppola made two for AIP
and Scorsese only made one film for Corman - it was his sixth
feature.

Cameron got a job in the art department on one movie being
produced by Corman’s company. His first feature as a director was
a sequel to a Corman film but wasn’t made by Corman’s company.

None of the three you mention were taken under the wing of Corman
in the truest sense of the meaning. They all worked for his
company. The closest you could get to directors taken under the
wing of Corman would be Joe Dante and Allan Arkush.

But yes, there are still opportunities for wannabe directors
working crew on films and working for small prodCo’s to learn the
business and then direct their first movie. Though there are no
prodCo’s like AIP (then New World) anymore. Even his current
company - New Horizons - doesn’t oporate the way Nwe World and AIP
did from the ‘60’s into the mid ‘80’s. Which is too bad. I still
proudly wear my jacket that reads “Roger Corman School of Film”
on the back. I got it during my few years working for his company.

The best “film school” ever!

 

[horseradish]

Thanks for your responses guys. I still have more questions. But before I go into them, I think it's important that I give a brief description of myself.
Nearly two years ago, I moved from Buffalo to Austin with the intention of breaking into the film industry. The little money I had then is now almost entirely gone, so that I'm forced to hold a full-time job just to pay my bills. To this very day, I have yet to make any connections with those who are involved in Austin's film community. Additionally, I have yet to gain any personal experience with the medium or increase my technical knowledge of it. However, although the foregoing might make me seem like a complete bum, I do have a couple assets (please excuse me as I briefly suspend my modesty): I'm a talented artist and writer , which, I feel, is integral for a director who wants to make films according to his own specific, complex vision. So, keeping in mind this rough sketch of a man known as horseradish, here are my questions:

Indietalk, is it feasible for horseradish to either contact directors of some prominence, or to at least contact directors who have enough influence to launch horseradish into greater opportunities?

Guru, you were right to call me out on my inaccuracies. Admittedly, I didn't research Corman all that thoroughly. In any case, you say the opportunity I'm looking for does still exist. So how does horseradish become part of a film crew or a production company? If possible, I'd like to make artistic contributions right off the bat, no matter what they might be. And of course I'd volunteer rather than ask for money, which I'm sure is expected. What are my chances?

Thanks again.

-horseradish.

 

[directorik]

Two years and not even one connection? You are doing something wrong
but I have no idea what that might be.

You volunteered on student films, right?
You applied more than once (more than five or six times) to every prodCo
in Austin, right?
You shot your own short films with whatever camcorder you could get your
hands on, right?
You hit the Austin music scene and offered to make (for free) music videos
for bands, right?
You checked local casting calls and then contacted the people making the
movies and volunteer to help out, right?
You attended the Austin Film Festival, the Cinematexas short film festiva
l and the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival to meet fellow
filmmakers, right?
You even volunteered to take tickets or check in filmmakers at the festivals, right?
And you never miss the SXSW FILM CONFERENCE AND FESTIVAL , right?
And when all that is said and done, you reapplied at all the local prodCo's
again and worked on more indie and student films.

I'm sure you get where I'm going with this. You need to do all those
things and even more in order to break in. Becomong a director isn't
something anyone does by attaching yourself to another director.
Other directors don't launch you into greater opportunities - YOU
launch you into greater opportunities. You need to make movies.

You've made several shorts, right?

 

[horseradish]

Thanks directorik, that's actually exactly what I needed to here. Often times when the path to an immense goal is outlined for me, I feel very daunted by it. Admittedly, this case was no exception. However, after many hours of reflection, the reverse is now true: I feel very motivated by what you wrote and, most importantly, psyched. I've been trapped in a very lonely and filthy existence for the past year and a half, and my level of productivity as an artist has greatly suffered as a result. But now I'm excited to work with people and learn the trade by offering what I can. For instance, the idea of making videos for local bands has left me especially pumped.

Thanks again.

horseradish.