Breakin In

A brief review of Breakin In by Nicholas Jarecki:

I picked this book up a few months ago and have been reading it on plane trips (Bridge School in October and Florida in November). This book is solid interviews, twenty of them, with a variety of Directors, covering a few generations and every genre you can think of. The interviews are in-depth, and cover each Director's early exposure to film, how they came up in the business, and their first directing experiences (successes and failures).

The initial sell of the book was that it would contain background on the variety of paths people took to become Directors. How through perseverance and ingenuity they made it to the big time. However, despite coming from a variety of backgrounds, the vast majority of them eventually wound up at NYU or USC film school, and springboarded from the connections they made there. Without a doubt, they were all very determined, but there aren't many rags to riches stories to be found. No big encouragement, really, on that front.

That aside, there are many fascinating stories and characters contained within. A few repulsive ones, as well. Foremost among these is Barry Sonnenfeld. He comes across as a huge jerk. His approach seems to be that he would much rather be doing other things besides directing. However, it wouldn't make him nearly as much money, so, workmanlike, he shows up on sets, works his magic, and goes home. It's a job, not an artistic endeavor. It left me angry that he's taking up space, as it were, while any number of directors that would actually enjoy the work are left out in the cold.

There were two pervassive undercurrents to the book. First, writing is the best way to get your foot in the door and is almost a mandatory skill as it enhances the storyability aspect of your directing. Second, digital video is a blessing in that eliminates nearly all barriers of entry into filmmaking, such as cost, logistics, and timelines. Anyone that wants to direct should go out and do it.

A good casual read, it's available in the 727 Films corporate library.

- posted by Joshua Provost @ 4:30 PM