Thoughts About Directing

So this is a subject matter I’ve been meaning to address for a while now, in a manner of clearing things up and to express my thoughts about this.

I feel that I’m very transparent about what I do and what I’m working towards. I’m a writer across several mediums and I want to get to a place in my life where I can do that full-time; specifically in the world of writing for TV and film. And yet for whatever reason, there have been so many instances where people get it confused. Just earlier this year, I had a conversation with someone about how I want to write full-time, when he has been going around to folks in the entertainment industry, saying that I’m an upcoming director.

So… clearly it’s not my first time addressing this. I’ve been asked several times in the past about whether I consider myself a filmmaker, and I have had experience directing in the past with “Interview with an Aswang” (even though that technically wasn’t planned). I’m well aware of the responsibility that comes with being a director, which is one of the main reasons why I’ve never aspired to be one myself, and yet so many people have been adamant about pushing me into that position of leadership anyway.

It’s a role that I personally don’t want for myself, but sometimes I wonder if that route is inevitable; especially when it comes to the world of film. While the role of the writer is pretty respectable in theatre and TV, for some reason, it’s not held in high regard in comparison to the director in the film world. Really, the only times where that is the case is if the writer is also the director and/or the producer. That is something that I would like to see changed in my lifetime; the way the screenwriter is regarded in the film world. I just wonder if becoming a director is what is going to take to get that dynamic to change.

I think I might have mentioned in the past how I have a short screenplay that I would like to see fully realized as an actual short film. I’ve been searching for a director who would be willing to take it on. But if someone were to ask me if I had considered directing it myself, my answer to that would be yes. It’s a personal story that I wrote that I feel I have a clear vision for how it would unfold onscreen. However, in that instance, and really any where I would be faced with that possibility, I would want it to be a co-director situation, where the other one would be more experienced than me, because I don’t know what I’m doing and I need help! Just being honest…

So hopefully that makes sense for anyone who was confused before. I have no aspirations to become a director. My goal, first and foremost, is to write full-time and professionally. However, in cases like these where I find myself in this position, I’d be open to the possibility of taking on the mantle of director, but only if I have a more experienced partner by my side.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

If you are able to, I hope you can go support me in all that I do by leaving a tip over on Ko-fi. I do a lot of writing that I get paid very little for or not at all, and so this is a way of showing your support other than just reading my content. Donations of varying quantities and frequencies are greatly appreciated.

Advertisement