Being A Film Director Is Not A Career Path - Aleem Hossain

In this Film Courage video interview, Aleem Hossain (filmmaker and AR/VR creator, assistant professor in media arts and culture at Occidental College) shares how being a film director is not a career path and how he finished a 4-year journey in making his first feature film AFTER WE LEAVE while teaching and raising a family.
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[@matthewdembo3990]

There’s only one reason why I wanna be a director. It’s because I have stories to tell, and I want to show them to the public.

[@darkmatter9054]

@Jackson Kim 😂😂

[@z-rex6068]

Lmao but in all seriousness Jackson Kim is obviously right. If it doesn’t work out then just become a novel writer or something. It’s cheaper, there will be no one that will want to change your idea, there’s no budget. All you need is a place to write, a computer or pen and paper and an imagination. Lots of books get turned into movies, not all but it could happen.

[@phagette9220]

@Jackson Kim they mean visually 😑

[@MoTT._TUNES]

@@z-rex6068 I think I know where he is coming from. I am 14 years old and would love to be a director. I have visions for films that I believe I could only portray on a screen, because that’s just how my mind thinks. I never think in words, only pictures. I just don’t know what steps to take to become a director, it’s so uncertain.

[@z-rex6068]

@@MoTT._TUNES Ikr I’m the same, I’m 18 and am now at a point where after years of wanting to pursue film I’m just not sure if it’s a realistic career path to chase for me, or whether I’d be cut out for it. Especially since I don’t live in America and here where I live there’s not much of a film industry. Either way if I don’t make it as a filmmaker I will definitely be publishing my stories into books so I can say that they’re out there. At least with book writing I will have full creative control. Plus, not all but some books do get turned into movies.

[@TheFeelButton]

A director makes a path that you can look back on as a career.

[@PhyPsyFilm]

This quote is golden

[@JP-hh3mt]

Exactly. Very well said.

[@austinzhang6964]

Reminds me of that one speech by Steve Jobs, well said

[@GTshortStories]

I agree with what he said. I think if you’re going into Filmmaking expecting to get rich then you have a long, long, long path ahead of you. Your heart of telling stories needs to be there first and not the career move. If it becomes a career that’s great but that shouldn’t be the drive I believe. I’m a filmmaker myself that only has shot short films but I will be shooting my first feature next year. My 9-5 at the moment is a video producer/ editor for corporate work. It can be a career for me but my passion and heart is in narrative storytelling and that’s what I have to do on my own. Keep the grind up and go for what you dream. Thanks Film Courage for always passing great info.

[@tp61783]

Agreed, I'm in the same EXACT boat I produce corporate work and will be shooting my first feature next year. Hey best of luck to you and your crew on your feature next year 👍🏾

[@blainemarcano]

Thanks for sharing.

[@bayleigh8247]

Hey how did u get into the business

[@rb3383]

Hey I was wondering is there a way to get a sustainable job in the film industry and make enough money to live ? Pease let me know thanks !

[@asr7480]

But then how do I pursue my passion while also wanting to make money....... cause at the end of the day we wanna make money too

[@jlx256]

Creating a film is like anything that anyone consider's "art". It's difficult to become famous in it, but if you are truly commited then nothing should stop you

[@blainemarcano]

Thank you.

[@unclerandy398]

You can make your own luck but becoming a Hollywood director is not inevitable.

[@AaronReactivated]

He’s right man it’s so crazy to see all these people you looked up to doing online courses and selling products online about being successful in the industry instead of just making their living doing what they’re talking about

[@MikelGCinema]

Yeah like that annoying Dov Siemens 3 day crash course and youll be directing in Hollywood!! lmao

[@TheDangerousBrew]

I think people who haven’t made it a career, have made a career out of telling people that you can’t make it a career. You have to be kind of delusional to follow any of your dreams.

[@imgoing2stayonyourmind654]

Your latter sentiments, poignantly profound, but yet liberating & inspiring.

[@heartman3380]

This guy talks so much sense, i wish people stopped going on about "hollywood" and just make films if thats what they really wanna do. everyone can do it if you have a phone.

[@matthewgordonpettipas6773]

Agreed. I do short skits with my cousin and have a blast doing them. I'm hoping to work my way up to a feature one day, but for now I'm taking my time and enjoying the process of creating. I'm a writer-director/actor, so I juggle a lot of hats haha, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

[@gilpetperdon9831]

I absolutely agree, I make my edits on phone too and have done so really cool stuff.

[@markstancato295]

Artists don’t have a career path. They have a calling. Keep moving forward.

[@PranshuDhruv]

I don't know why but I saw this interview and I am so motivated right now

[@Zehahahaa]

I think it’s a hustle, you don’t need a career to make money in the USA or 1st World Countries, if you got the Talent, the calling, the passion and knowledge there is always ways to make money out of anything. I’m not originally from The USA, I was born and grew up in Mexico and where I was living you only had 2 options to make money; doing things you don’t like legally...or make money doing things you don’t like illegally... At least when I moved to the USA I was able to make some income from My Passion of Filmmaking. In Mexico is a BIGGER struggle to just get a Camera alone lol, it’s hard to get money in filmmaking anywhere in the world I think but if you live in the USA it’s easier

[@Hazegod]

Keep making good films bro don't stop the hustle.

[@MiyamotoMusakaki]

@Raymond Spicer yes finally, if you are a jew the chances of you being a deisnger, media personality, comedian, director , producer, etc.. are much higher

[@ari7610]

@@MiyamotoMusakaki if you are a freak skinhead your chances of being a widely disliked incel are much higher

[@bloodmoon.fiddlesticks]

I imagine stories, dialouge, scenes in my mind and enjoy it. and when i get touch into reality i get bore, so i convert idea into movies for myself only. It not necessary even to make a movie but we do because we have to do something in life (Karma and earning for basic needs)

[@swarnakrishna6417]

I got same problem bro

[@Omanjisinkala]

Well said, we all need to learn to express ourselfs through video

[@filmcourage]

Do you agree that being a film director is not a career path?

[@osamaelsamadony7099]

Absolutely right! I'm just graduated from film school in London. And I literally put all my money in my grad film which turn out to be really good. But at the moment, everyone worked in my film like DOP, colorist etc getting jobs really fast. But me, will start to think again how would I borrow more money to make my next.

[@Zehahahaa]

osama elsamadony Good Luck You will find a way 👍🏻

[@filmcourage]

Love this comment, thanks for sharing! And congrats on graduating film school and getting your first movie made. Our best to you as you move toward new projects.

[@TheBurgessNetwork]

My uncle gave me the exact opposite advice. He stressed the importance of doing what you love and figuring out a way to make a living - the importance of financial compensation. And I now get it! I work for the local government and it has allowed me to save money. HOWEVER - I hate the job, it takes up too much of my time per week and the bureaucratic nature of the job lead me to getting COVID and pneumonia in both lungs. I won't get into details here. But even though I do believe filmmaking is a calling, I need to be able to make movies that allows me to pay rent and buy food at least - so I can focus on making more films and not get distracted by a job I hate.

[@victorurosa]

Totally agree, it is better to have another income and just make it because you have to make it. Else you will be force to take on projects just for the money and to pay rent

[@MiguelExhale]

I agree. I just like to call myself a director because it’s seems like producers never get the artistic credit from the audience. Actors, directors and writers to me always get recognition. Who doesn’t want recognition?

[@aeofilmsinc.9768]

If you get into filmmaking expecting to be a millionaire then you are in for a rude awakening. Filmmaking is about making films. Big or small and a lot of them will be small. Success in the film business is decided upon the individual. Not everyone is Spielberg, Nolan, Scorsese, Kubrick.

[@CinematicComics]

this is depressing-so people with a good idea good script and want to make a digital feature and are not a multi-millionaire should just give up?it's almost 2020 and the digital cameras are getting cheaper and better!!!the digital age is here.fuck the big budget bullshit!!!

[@omidfilms]

Isn’t there more opportunities to have a career now because of streaming?

[@AaronReactivated]

I think he’s most referring to the financial gains of becoming a director

[@matthewgordonpettipas6773]

A vocation might be a good word. I have felt writing, directing, and acting have been my vocation for years now, ever since I was fifteen and started taking it seriously.. I can't say if they'll ever be careers, but I'm always going to do them and pursue telling the best stories I can. I think it can be a career if one gets lucky enough for it to be. But I agree with Aleem that one should make Films (or anything artistic for that matter), because you love it and have a burning desire too. Not for fame or riches.

[@SoundSpeeding]

It is sad how that "stairway" career progress of smaller / mini / mid sized films seems to be drying up for directors / crew to level up with. You have either the "no budget" indies or the big blockbusters, with not as much in between?

[@southlondon86]

Could possibly have all changed with the covid situation.

[@glipglap]

I believe this advice that studios aren't making mid budget to low budget features anymore is just straight up wrong. In the world of VOD and streaming the incentive to make low budget features is greater than a big block buster. Think of films like bird box, low budget, insane return. It's much easier to turn 4 million dollars into 12 million dollars than it is to turn 140million into 420 million. Studios know this and that's why houses like A24 are investing in good, original stories that don't require insane budgets. Hollywood has been stale since the early 2000's and now we're about to hit a renaissance of independent film making

[@amonifinau4048]

Thanks!

[@aldeq0]

Honestly this message was a kick in my balls... i wanted to invest a lot of money to travel to another country to study film director... now i do not know...

[@jaycemcqueen306]

Do it anyways, but just make sure you focus on the narrative and story you are trying to tell rather than the money you make. You’ll get there just please don’t give up:)

[@marcomagana7639]

The Film Industry is super competitive And Sometimes Not Even The Ones Who study their Masters On Film Never get To the Director's chair sometimes Actors Are Given Chances To Direct their Own Films Its More like being In That Medium Once you are in their You Pretty Much Have to Be thinking That You are not Going To be a Director And It Might take years And Patience Is A Valuable Tool i Just Think About it and say out of 3000 directors Only 1 gets the directors chair Its The Fact Of Loving Any Position that You are given Either you are a PA, producer, Gaffer, Lights stunt Doubles etc Thats Where your Real Passion Goes on to making Movies Loving the Roles You are Given in order to Keep Yourself In the industry

[@bri1680]

I think film directing is a career path if you are one of the 3 Hollywood directors that make it big time. But you should only do it because you're passionate about it, not to get famous.

[@bonezbaaaby]

You get it.

[@danieljmunoz3211]

My plan is to blow up then act like I don’t know no body😂 Jk I NEED to be a videographer for a news station to make money for a living but i WANT to be a film director writer DP

[@oneeyedphotographer]

I think that if you can't pay your mortgage, either you are not yet good enough, or you're swimming in the wrong pool.

[@SamStam12]

You will know in your heart of hearts if you truly want to tell stories for a living. If you’re looking to make a quick buck and get rich, there’s always banking.

[@DB-lr6kl]

SamStam12 what’s the best way to make money while writing and shooting your films? Videography, or production assistant work?

[@user-vw6xp5nl6t]

Or bank robbing. Saves getting a job.

[@BrianMakesFilms]

@@DB-lr6kl depends where you live which is better. I live in Kansas City so videography can make me a lot more money than trying to find PA work. If you're in LA or Atlanta or New York might be a different story.

[@dhirajgawande007]

@@user-vw6xp5nl6t 😂😂

[@SilverSighting]

What do I need to do to become movie director starting from scratch?

[@rockrecordreport7136]

An iPhone 12 or 13 Pro Max, Moment or Moondog Lense, and a decently fast computer for editing. Oh and a tripod, gimbal, and three cheap lights. This stuff have become exceptionally lower cost in recent years. Oh... wait....Sundance is calling me on line one, gotta go, see ya!

[@PlantingPixels]

Great vid.

[@thelifeandtimesoftheunconv4536]

If you can’t endure the craft then you will not maintain the grit and discipline required to become a Artist.

[@flaviangrigoroaea]

Depends on what country you live in.

[@moraps9014]

Flavi USA

[@bradhouston4734]

I think that sadly that does seem to be the case. I am certainly hugely drawn towards making a film (hopefully multiple films) and would lines to make at least some money from it. There has to be an answer! 😀🕺🏻🎥🏖🇦🇺

[@davemckay4359]

Just get a camera and start filming shit

[@rockrecordreport7136]

Yeah, an iPhone 12 or 13 Pro max and a tripod is all you need for Sundance if you got a great story.

[@QualityVideoService]

Bravo, well said.

[@sorinflorea]

Amazing content, frameing is stupid.

[@anthonypiseno6341]

What barriers exist for women and "people of color" when anyone can make a film and there are lots of avenues for distribution?