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I’ve done this. Went from AD to Director and have finally cracked some bigger budget, national spots. It’s a grind and a hustle, but the simplest advice is make stuff to find your voice and style. Every director (fairly or not) gets pigeon holed, such as “they’re a sports director” or “they’re a virtual stage director” - so choose a distinct style and embrace that.
appreciate this! sound advice. how long did that transition take? and how long were you still an AD while directing on the side vs full time directing?
If this was pre-covid I would say “leverage your agency connections!” But in the current market nobody will do you any favours. With that being said, you’ll have to do what we all did and make some spec work. That’s where your agency experience will help make sure the spots look strategic and have solid concepts.
yeah, make some spec commercials and hire a crew.
Make a few specs then have all your old friends hire you.
Many a former agency creative has kickstarted their directing career by taking a good look at the triple bids that come in, then offering to direct that job or future ones as an in-house production for “free”. It doesn’t work on the high stakes jobs, but it does on the much smaller ones.
I’m sure there’s no law against it… but what a parasitic way to operate.
Coach
Weirdly enough, this has never been my goal, but unintentionally, I’ve directed three different low budget spots just because the client didn’t have enough for an actual production budget (this was at some medium sized regional agency, but the clients weren’t exactly small. They were just stingy AF).
But I think working in social type work will give you opportunities to do that while at the agency. You can also just start making content on your own, use it to experiment and see the traction and engagement you get. If this is really your goal, this would probably be the best way. Make a music video for a friend’s band, or make a movie about your cat, or whatever the fuck you want. Starting out in social type formats will help you learn the basics. When it comes to doing stuff for broadcast, that technical stuff will be easier to learn once you have the basics and practice of social formats.
Latch yourself onto your fav producer. That’s key
You can get tv spot scripts from agency creatives at specbank.com
On average, do directors make more than being a CD?
personally being on set and the whole production process is the reason i do this job. I feel like an idea doesn’t become real until the treatments come in. I hate office politics of selling ideas to clients and would rather come in on sold through ideas and direct them to reality. know it’s not sunshine and roses and more complicated that that. also commercial directing is an avenue and lifeline to be trusted as a narrative director down the line if I’m lucky. at least that’s the thinking
appreciate you all! working on some spec scripts and short films on the side and going to get my work to the tier it needs be before anything else