if life is good to me I'll make sure to make my first feature film before im 43 so i got about 22 years..it's not easy to be a film maker in East Africa there's no movie theaters and no film industry in my country yet... I'm planning to pioneer the film industry in somalia.
Inconvenient Reality it's not the lack of funding that worries me ....it's the lack of people who are interested in filmmaking... the screenplay is finished the soundtrack is also finished i made it via fl studio trial version lol the story borad is almost finished i don't have the best equipment but I'm saving up for a sony a7iii with some vintage lenses to go with the film's 80's-90's vibes..basically i got it all planned and ready to be set to motion... but the crew i can't make it alone i need a camera-man who knows the basics of operating a camera and i need a make-up artist etc... i can do 4 things directing and cinematography and editing and sound designing but i can't do anything more than that...i need a crew and this is extremely hard to find in somalia it might take years or decades
Inconvenient Reality but I'm not in a rush I've started shooting Comercials about 9 months ago and I'm making a revolution... my competitors started to step up their quality they're not as good as me lol but I'm glad to see a positive change...step two is making doucumantaries it would give me an understanding about lengthy projects...I'm learning and experimenting and that's what counts
I've made one short film where everything that could go wrong went wrong. I was discouraged for a while, but I'm ready to make another one by the end of this year... I'm learning by making films one at a time...
the earlier you get in the more time you have to use that as a jumping point. It's usually not your first film thats a masterpiece, I heard that Stephen King was a much worse writer than he is now with his first couple books.
As someone who recently turned 30, I actually take a lot of comfort in this. In almost every other artistic medium, you get the opposite effect. Theres this weird, dangerous feeling that if you havent already experienced some success and have established yourself by like 25, you've missed your chance and it's too late. I don't think that's true, but theres definitely that feeling out there
This has often depressed me. Especially when I don't half of the must know directors and I haven't been to film school and I'm only 20 with my parents breathing down my neck hoping for me to make something of my life but I'm too afraid to voice my desire to tell stories via film. Even more depressing when I realized that almost all my favs had some filmmaking in their history. For me I went to a film camp in grade school and forgot about film until I was 19 when I attended a film analysis course at my community college which was where I expressed a desire to make film.
Keep working on it, and enjoying it guys!! You'll get to make your masterpiece, like another comment said something similar, focus on the work, the craft, and the years moving will mean something more positive. For example in my case I have had a story idea in my head since my early teens, I'm still quite young, and I'm decided on writing it the best way I can, I know it might take awhile longer to finish it the way I want, because of life stuff, and because I really feel like improving my craft along the way is a must. So with each year that passes it's a new lesson, a new idea that forms and a new page that turns and the closer I get to finishing that story. I understand that stress of especially "Tha 30s" being a defining point for artists, I'm still a decade away from it, and I already feel this pressure that you mentioned sometimes. But looking at the artists I'm most inspired by I see they took some time to "get there", and really that is one thing that helps so much, to read your influences' lifestories. Sure, some might be early bloomers, child prodigies etc, but those are the outliers, most were hardworkers who kept improving their craft and their "peak" was just one of the phases in their improvement that we got to see, but most will keep improving at their thing until they die. And that makes it all worth it. Like that thing of enjoying the journey not worrying about the end, you know?
Interesting video! The bottom line, though, I think, is that we shouldn't feel the pressure of our age no matter where we are in our careers. Some are late bloomers, some embrace directing early on. The most important thing is to know why you are doing it. And if you have a good enough reason you'll do it, no matter how old or how young you are.
I was literally thinking the same thing before I scrolled down. As naiive as it may sound I think that to go into such an industry without a sheer passion and the will to never give up then I think whatever age you will be able to create something out of your life. Wether you fail or blossom is a completely different matter but at the end of the day neither matter as long as you are doing what you love and what you feel is right.
I agree , although I can’t help but be aware of how fast time moves and how little time we have in this life and although it can be a good motivator and can keep you on your toes it can also dampen your mood every time you look at your age number rising lol
Very true, however it depend upon what you are pursuing within film. Success, yeah time can be depressing if it doesn't happen. Notoriety, Than can be shorter but money doesn't always come with it. Art and self expression, depends upon your standards- if you are happy with the end product then good on you, Live life to the fill. Make films. There is a film called 'American Move' which although there are comedic element its follows a man who all the wants to do is make his movie. Not for money fame or power. But just to complete his dream. I think if there is anyway to start making film or even live your life then I think that is a good way to go. money is important and if time is running out and you are poor and unhappy then I think you have a decision on your hands. give up or stick with it and accept the tidal wave about to hit you. Not everyone succeeds< we all know that and everyone doesn't want to fail. It just depends upon where you draw the line upon what success is. Success could be being a millionaire or just a film being shown in the cinemas. As Yasujiro ozu said. 'I am a tofu Maker, I just want to make tofu.' It took 20 years after his death before his films grew any success. That's where I think people have to start. Make films because they love it. Too many young film makers are caught in the western hollywood mentality that to be a good film maker is to win an oscar or some shit like that to show some sort of self validation. I think if you can find a mid point between internal satisfaction and what you may deem as being a personal 'success' then you just have to let everybody else decide if they like your end product. if they dont, start again. if they do, in comes cash, recognition, possibly even success.
"Working up through the system" might not be the best way to become a filmmaker, anymore. Digital changed everything. Theres no excuse now. Sean Baker and Steven Soderbergh made movies with an iphone. Make a movie. Submit it to a film festival. The technology is there, the information is there, it's up to you to do the rest. And don't compare yourself to others. Everyones path is different, someone making a feature film years earlier than you doesn't mean you're behind. And often it's better to gather experience and information before trying to do something like making your first film. Work on yourself everyday, have a vision and stop thinkin about things like "what age i'll be when i make my first film". Peace.
Made my first at 20 for $200, have made two more since and I’m 22 for $50 and $10. I think filmmaking has the potential to be so absurdly cheap nowadays and people don’t realize it. It makes sense back before digital and internet that people often wouldn’t direct a feature until they’re 30, but nowadays we have the power to do it on our own. The beauty is when you make a film for so cheap, the only cost is time, and therefore you don’t need it to sell or become famous, it can merely be to hone your craft or something fun to do with those around you. It’s more pure that way too.
It's cheap when you don't care about artistic/technical quality and/or audiences if you are we're talking about movies and not direct-to-youtube videos. Sure you can record yourself, some friends or relatives and edit some stuff for $10 if that makes any sense (a phone for video-audio recording and pc for editing cost a lot more). That means you don't get to pay real talents, extras, a crew, proper equipment, post-production, etc.. Even if you get those things for 'no money', that doesn't mean they're free (someone is 'paying' for that). I don't want to be the bad guy here, but I love movies and what you're saying is a great disrespect for this collective art form, that requieres a lot of effort of lots of people for a long period of time to get proper results.
ThePulp0 See, where you’re wrong is my form of filmmaking is not any less proper, it’s just different and less explored. My initial post does not invalidate your form of filmmaking (ie. traditional filmmaking as it’s been done for a century), yet you’re so adamant to invalidate mine. To say not having money is related to artistic quality is absolutely absurd and, if anything, it could be argued that the more money you have the less artistry is involved. The second you have money, the second you take precautions to make sure things don’t go wrong. When you take precautions, you play things safe and when you play things safe you’re almost certain to emulate what others have already done rather than explore new territory. It’s from here that the purity I spoke of comes in, without financial burden, your art has no commitment to anything other than itself, and to see that as anything other than a positive is silly. Having large crews and catering and trailers is a way to make films, but it’s not the best way and it’s not the most efficient, it’s merely the way to turn filmmaking into a business that produces jobs. And that’s fine. But it too often runs the risk of being derivative at best and lifeless at worst. Everyone involved in my films works for free and provides food for themselves, but that’s just the way I make films. I surround myself with an ever growing circle of collaborators, who have the understanding that that’s the sacrifice we have to make the art we want to, free from any stress or constraints. At the end of the day, to play a side character or help me shoot is only a 1-5 day obligation at max and those who help more truly believe in the film and want to help create it as much as possible. All I know is I’ve made three feature length films all for $200 or less each and they’re just as much films as anything you’d see in a theater.
This was a video that I wish I had gotten when I was much younger. When I was starting to write screenplays and do shorts for my high school, I always felt like I needed to prove something with being able to make a film (which ended up crashing and burning). Not only that, but I remember that Emily Haggins (Who I think is now 25) was barely 13 or 12 when she made HER first feature film "Pathogen"... what you said about Dolan, that's how I felt about her. I kept telling myself "If a 13 year old can make a fuckin' movie, what's my excuse?!?" I even made it a pact for myself that before I turn 21, I'd make a feature film (still hasn't panned out, due to patience). But as I've gotten a bit older... I've realized that I wasn't completely ready or done learning. Now, although I'm nearing my 20's, I feel that I've learned significantly, and I can write so much better, and I've also learned to keep notebooks, which I feel are KEY to me getting a better grasp on my craft. If there's one thing I can say to anyone who reads this - even though I can tell you've gotten this from the video already - I'd say don't worry about rushing out to be a filmmaker, but keep honing your craft. I REALLY wanted to direct, but I needed to take a step back to learn how everything else works. Now? I've got a kind of sizable reputation as a screenwriter in my town amongst local filmmakers, and I'm set to do my first short film in nearly 2 years because of my patience next month. In the words of the toy-cleaner from Toy Story 2, "You can't rush *art.*"
Don Coscarelli directed his debut film, Jim the World's Greatest, at age 18 and financed by his parents, but it wasn't released until he was 21 years old. Not only that but it was distributed by a major Hollywood studio, Universal. It's one unusual standout case imo.
Never let age stop you. Some directors never even got on the map well into their 40's and 50's (e.g. Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, and Alejandro Inarritu). So as much as it is essential to make a film it important to have resonance with work.
The important takeaway here is not to get discouraged, regardless of the age you are make a film, think about the ideas you have, use some ingenuity and figure out how to make it with the resources at your disposal.
When we're in our early 20s, we feel like we need to hurry and get our life going as if we only have a little bit of time in our lives. But around the age of 40ish, we start to feel as if we have all the time in the world.
As an aspiring director, it’s always great seeing these statistics broken down like this. It just shows that there isn’t a set age or set path for directors. If you have the passion and determination for it, you can pave your own way into the industry. Great video as always!
Send your GREAT SCRIPT to someone, who knows someone at an agency. Hope that they'll like your script and try to sell it. Your script gets sold to a studio. They hire a new writer to re-write the script. Its not your script anymore. Then the script never gets made to a movie anyway and is in turnover. Welcome to Hollywood. Oh wait, this was about directing. Good luck being a writer-director, ha!
As a woman, go for it, no need to be good or anything. Just find a studio that desperetly need to play identity politics and gain browny point. If your movie suck, don't worry it's white men fault.
I'm 21 and have been working at a studio for 2 years... What I've learnt is that if you work hard people will notice, and you'll get offered different jobs.
I’m what you’d categorize as a “Blank Slate” director and we started shooting my first film the very month I turned 28. Very interesting! But age ain’t nothing but a number! Follow your dreams no matter how old you are!
I'm 20 and I directed my first self financed feature last summer. I'm glad I made it, but with all I've learned from it and in the past year, I wish I had waited until I was more mature to tackle it.
You are making some of my favorite content on RU-vid, and your inspired videos are pushing the boundaries of the video essay genre. Keep up the great work!
Making a good debut would be better then making an early debut. But sure, do it! I mean, it probably woun't be good if you rush it like that, but at least you'll learn a lot, and learning is not a consolation prize. it's a treasure.
Going through the hell of making a feature just so you can say you made it at 19 is the wrong reason. You’ll burn out and never finish. Come back when you have a good reason to make a feature. Hint hint- it should be because you believe in your story so much that you are willing to sacrifice time, comfort, and more just to tell it. You need to have a story that will motivate you beyond all adversity and inspire change in yourself and others.
That was a lot more interesting than I anticipated. What really helped was how you broke it down by categories: such as 1st time directors versus those who had a previous position in the industry. I'll have to lookup how old Christopher Nolan was when he made his first film.
GREAT VIDEO! I think this will give a lot of aspiring directors some comfort that there's no specific age to make it. Go at your own pace. No need to rush.
I really adore this video and come back to it often. Excited for the day where I can comment “Well…I was __ years old when I made my debut.” Thanks for the video, man! Keep up the good work!
If your primary concern is based on vanity or insecurity, such as what age when you "debuted" as a director, then you will fail miserably as a director. Your main concern should be "how do I beat the odds of1 out of 28000 of becoming even a known director?"
Amazing video as always! My buddies and I talk about this daily. It’d be interesting to look at if those first features were enough to get them more work or if they had to do another one in their 30’s to be taken seriously. Keep up the amazing work!!
There's no coincidence at all. Google tracks what you watch on RU-vid and gives you ads that are more likely to appeal to your interests. I've been getting tons of Overwatch ads lately after watching all the E3 stuff.
That ad bothers me right away because it starts with "Damnit, how could this have happened? Nobody ever starts a sentence with the word 'Damnit'." And that's completely untrue. I do it and I know plenty of people who do say "Damnit" when something frustrates them.
Well the word damnit isn't a sentence on its own. His point is that people don't begin actual sentences with the word damnit outside of dialogue, at least not often
DysnomiaFilms I dunno, there is a way of delivering that like you only see in movies. People say "dammit" by itself in real life, or even say it and pause and then say something else. But they don't really say it like "dammit I'm a doctor not a magician" or "dammit man, this is no time to panic".
Love your work man! Keep going. I hope you become one of the big ones. I think we are all waiting for that one youtuber/filmmaker make it in the industry. It’s a matter of waiting for this man to step up. Maybe that’ll be you, I guess we’ll see :)
Awesome look at these comparisons. I’m currently 22 and definitely feel the pressure sometimes that if I’m not in Hollywood by 25 I’ve failed, seeing as that some of made it at ages younger than me. Knowing I still have time is comforting 😅
32 about to turn 33 and just made my first feature. been thinking about it for 10 years ever since I read Rebel Without a Crew about how Robert Rodriguez made El Mariachi at 23. I hope people go and make movies.
Suddenly returned to this episode after I was searching for some reassurance in "Study More Than Film" and then this showed up in Recommended immediately. Next month I'm turning 28. 13 of those 28 I spent filming my first feature-length film. I am thankful to all the hardships along the way, since finishing it in 2014, 2017 or any other point that seemed likely would've been a huge mistake. We're still freaking filming with simultaneous post (yes, despite the lockdown: when you've spent some of the years filming close-ups, miniatures and pick-ups yourself anyway, you always have something to film), but it's amazing how at almost 28 right now I feel more inspired and determined now, with chronic fatigue in the middle of a crisis than I ever was at ages 15-25 when logically people are usually more enthusiastic. I guess filmmakers and specifically directors are mostly just that special kind of people - the more we do the more we can do. The longer it takes, the longer we will do it to ensure that results are worth it. That said, I'd love to adopt Corman-esqe tempo and style for next movies: as long as you have any budget and can do something fast: do fast and learn from it to do faster AND better each time.
This is super interesting data. I directed my debut feature "Palace" this March as a 23 year-old, and I'm encouraged by these stats to keep at it. I plan to have two more features released by 28. I kept a photo of PTA on set of Hard Eight up during production because I think he was 23 when he shot it. There's a lot of teenagers starting out now for whom it's not far-fetched to start directing in their early 20s. I picked up a T2i in 2011 as a 16 year-old at the height of the DSLR boom, and 20 short films later now have the collaborators and (fiscal) trust of an audience to make the leap to features. A great piece of encouragement I've heard was by Werner Herzog, who said "You can make a feature film for $10,000." If you put in the work, anyone can crowdfund that much. That's what we did. Anyone who wants to follow along can find us @palacemovie on social media outlets. Open to helping anyone else make the leap to features, shoot me a message if you have any questions. :) Thanks for the upload Andy.
I directed my first essentially no-budget ($2,500) feature at 26 and released it online at 27. Now I'm 28 and working on getting together a 6-figure budget to make my next feature. Hopefully I'll shoot it next summer when I'm 29 and release it the following year when I'm 30. This video is pretty inspiring to me and makes me feel like I'm really not at all behind where I should be. Here's the trailer for my no-budget feature if anyone wants to check it out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ufnXBsA8tKE.html
Great video! I constantly think about how old first directors are and now I getting passed the age where they are all older than me. As long as they make great films, I don't much care.
Super fascinating how you broke it down into categories and you did this deep dive about their connections. It really does matter about who you know in the business, especially when it comes to financing your movie. Do you have one for Producers? Would love to see some of the top movie producers and how long it took them to get to where they are today. I think that career is a hard one but worth it if you are good at it.
Aspiring filmmaker here as well, and I have played this game many times before to torture myself. Great video, but something worth noting for the data (and this might make you feel worse): the year the film is released is not usually the same year the filmmaker made it. It's generally made the year earlier than the year it is listed as being officially "released." So for example, Kevin Smith would've been 23 when he made Clerks. Alex Ross Perry would've been younger than 25 when he made Impolex. Also, regarding Xavier Dolan being such a wunderkind (this might make you feel better): he had decent jobs in the industry before making his own independent film. Of course he had to do a ton of work on his own, and I'm not undermining that at all, but he was very fortunate to get dubbing work that would have been very helpful to fund a movie. Personally, that's my excuse: I can't afford to make what I want right now. And every time I set out to write a screenplay that has limitations I can afford I get carried away....anyway, good luck to all my fellow dreamers out there. Looking forward to the next wave of filmmakers in this weird time we're in. Cheers.
The youngest Oscar winner for best Cinematography was 31 years 11 months and 18 days old. As a 21 year old this gives me 10 years to try and break the currently 84 year old record.
I think the factor that is missed is whether the person had a connection to the film industry prior to directing their first feature. Those who do will direct at a much younger age. Those who don't will come in later.
Still waiting to hear back from a few festivals but if I don't get into any just gonna get a local distributor to get it onto online platforms like iTunes.
CutToBlackFilm Document the process of making a feature film or doing festivals and distribution? Anyway I'll be adding bts from future projects on my channel, wasnt able to do so on my feature due to lack of manpower. It was just me and sound many days.
Ok, but saying that you don't put politics into your creative work, just means that you don't do it consciously. Trust me, most of the stuff you create has a political undertone, even if it is no apparent.
Very cool, I had been wondering about this myself. Then it takes about another ten years for every director to become an established and famous filmmaker.
I made my first feature at 25, it's now on my RU-vid channel. It helped me break into the industry, and although I never got a second film financed I do work for a film studio editing feature films. (I'm now 31).
I'm 24 and I live in Cape Town so I'm making a lot of connections so I think I have a good chance at around 30-32 years old when I make my first feature *Then again I'm busy studying concept art so you never know what could happen*
Are you kidding? You're putting your feature that far along into the future? You can write, shoot, and edit a feature in 6 months easy. Just do it, or AT LEAST shoot a short. I can't think of anybody who started off with a feature.
Do it dude! Now is the time. I'm looking at 31 and am just going to start with a youtube series first and then if that goes well try a feature length (Sort of like maybe what you're doing?). My channel content does not reflect this btw lol. Good luck! I hope to see a trailer one day that shows your youtube channel as one of the studio logos at the beginning of the film.
After watching this video, I came to the conclusion that it was made primarily for the maker of this video to feel better, which he does through painstaking research and therefore has earned his peace of mind. However, for those who feel they have "aged out" (like myself; I'm 38), I would encourage you to keep in mind that this video was NOT made to make you feel bad. It is not an indictment against starting later than others. It is merely espousing facts. However, FACTS are NOT TRUTH. Facts cannot be combated with reasoning, but truth depends on a person's perspective and experience. And no one else can tell you YOUR TRUTH and what YOU make of it. I recommend a great book called "Art & Fear" by David Bayles & Ted Orland. It will remind you just how NOT alone all of us are in overcoming the hurdles that exist that distract from our desire to make art and entertainment. There is no hard and fast rule, real or imagined to stop you and if you act as if there is, you will surely regret it. When I was in graduate school at 22, there were three classmates of mine over 45. One of them was 53. However, they went for it and they still are today. Make it happen, in your own time, and in your own way. No need to rush but go at the pace you deem fit.
When I was younger, I thought practicality about where I was going was very important and expected not doing anything so visible and influential as film, TV, writing, or music as a career. It's not that I wasn't encouraged to do it: my parents had both been successful musicians and I was a really good drummer. But I still didn't think I had much chance, just due to the number of other people trying to do it and my own lack of clear vision on what exactly I wanted to do. Music was the obvious choice, but I wasn't part of any growing scene and any family connections I might have had were long expired. Becoming successful in entertainment is a one-in-thousands aspiration. I wanted to be realistic. Somewhere in my thirties, things changed. I had something to say, and I started writing. Books and movies are very different media, but I've played with both. Will I ever do anything with it? Probably not: I'm 40, and what I want to say isn't going to be popular, but I might try and self-finance or self-publish because I have things in my head I want to get out and it seems like not even trying to get something made would be a form of pointless self-denial. I have some money, but not enough to burn, so I'm playing it by ear. So here's the question: should I have really tried to do the statistically unlikely thing of getting into entertainment when I was younger? Or was it better to have gone for a practical life instead of a dream? I still don't have a clear answer. That kind of dreaming is often just dressed up ego, and for a lot of people, it really is foolish to dedicate themselves to a path where they have a good chance of wasting years and struggling to get by later. Taking the risk of becoming a burden to others just to try and get famous IS irresponsible. But I still like the idea of having a sensible career and life first, then using that as a basis for both resources and life experience to make something that's relevant and meaningful as a second act. I watch this video, and I see a lot of directors who know only the film industry in some form or another, and it's a little disappointing. But I also think the tech is changing, it's more user-friendly, and with some effort to understand the techniques and language of film, you can tackle it at any age. What you have to do is care, and you aren't too old to do this in your thirties, forties, or older.
Considering how much little financing is required thanks to technological innovations and the internet, I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing directors as young as 19-20 becoming kind of a new wave. I mean High Flying Bird was shot on an iPhone, and Adobe Premiere and Sony Vegas can be rented pretty cheaply for someone who is in school or working part time. And hell if you get your actors as just your theater or short film friends you can do it almost for free. No excuses anymore, just go out and shoot.
From what I’ve seen it seems to take most directors at least 5-10 years to “make it”, and I think the most important thing is keeping at it and having something interesting to offer the world of film
I guess the curious thing nowadays is what even classifies as a directorial debut? Lots of young people are creating films all the time these days. Do you have to make a budgeted film that premieres at a fancy festival or does making a short film from home and uploading it to the internet count as someone's debut? I dunno. I guess we're discussing "success" or "breaking into the industry" more than we are "debut". And in that case, well, a lot of that's out of most people's hands. I don't think anyone should feel down about their age, as long they're out there creating films (big or small) in their own way. Anyway, thanks for the video! Been wondering about this myself :P
It's possible that people who had non-director roles before were able to have some sort of creative fulfillment in their job, and didn't feel as pressured to find some job with creative fulfillment. It could also be partially skewed towards coincidence, but probably only a small bit.
It's painful how much time is wasted thinking about this. I remember years ago thinking that you had to have 'made it' by 25-30. It's total rubbish and a lot of the directors in this video came in at a crazy different time. Age really is just a silly number, means very little.
This is good info but I'm wondering if you can further analyze by decade to give context in time/state of industry by identifying the average age of first time directors in the decade they released their films? In this way you can trend by decade and start to get a sense if first-timers are getting younger or older as technology and market demands shift.
On board w/ most of this. Late 20s / early 30s seems to be when it happens. (Bresson a big exception) Wonder if you’ve thought much about the 5-9 year apprenticeship most go through.