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While we can't pretend that cracking Hollywood and becoming an A-list film director is the easiest of career paths, it can be done. We tracked down some of pioneers of moviemaking from the past century to find out the hints and habits that they attribute to their success. With tips from the likes of John Ford and Quentin Tarantino, even if a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame isn't on your agenda, click below to find out how to unleash your creative potential.
7 Habits Of Successful Filmmakers
Never Stop Learning: Martin Scorsese(01 of07)
Sure, he's been awarded more lifetime achievement awards than most people have had hot dinners - but that doesn't mean Scorsese thinks he knows it all. He believes that watching the work of other filmmakers is an important to maintaining his love and enthusiasm for his profession."Sometimes when you're heavy into the shooting or editing of a picture, you get to the point where you don't know if you could ever do it again. Then suddenly you get excited by seeing somebody else's work," he said in an interview with Spike Lee."There was this film called Yeelen...I discovered that it was directed by Souleymane Cissé and came from Mali. I got so excited...I hadn't seen anything quite like this...the poetry of the film...it gets you excited again." (credit:Getty Images)
Always Dig Deep: Quentin Tarantino (02 of07)
“My movies are painfully personal, but I’m never trying to let you know how personal they are," Tarantino revealed in an interview. "It’s my job to make it be personal, and also to disguise that so only I or the people who know me know how personal it is. Kill Bill is a very personal movie."Whether a hidden metaphor or an honest portrayal of something that actually happened to him, the key, he explained, is to look to your own experiences and emotions while avoiding the temptation to make references obviously biographical. "Whatever’s going on with me at the time of writing is going to find its way into the piece, he continued, "so if I’m writing Inglourious Basterds and I’m in love with a girl and we break up, that’s going to find its way into the piece." (credit:Alamy)
Look For Talent In Unexpected Places: John Ford(03 of07)
When hunting for a star for his 1939 hit cowboy flick Stagecoach, Ford didn't have to look far. In fact his male lead came in the form of his prop assistant, Marion Robert Morrison, later known as the formidable John Wayne. The two formed a long-lasting creative and personal relationship that saw Ford become Godfather to all of Wayne's children.“He was my third assistant prop man, then second, then prop man. Then we were looking for a lead for Stagecoach, and he was this kid just out of college. A big, tall, handsome guy so I persuaded them to do a test. And so we went to make the picture...Ford said in a 1968 interview. "Now we’re very close."The lesson? Trust your gut instincts and have courage if you see talent and potential where others don't. Taking the risk might just pay off. (credit:Alamy)
Listen To Your Imagination: Harmony Korine(04 of07)
Tapping into your imagination, and then questioning and developing this dreamworld is part of Korine's original approach. “Ever since I was little, I would just make stories up in my mind. It was based on people I saw in the street or someone I would talk to or I would hear a specific voice. I’ve never actually directed anything I haven’t made up. I’ve never adapted anything. It usually comes from somewhere… I let myself dream”, he told GQ. (credit:Alamy)
Set Goals: Elliot Grove, Founder of Raindance Film Festival(05 of07)
Contrary to popular belief, creativity is not the antonym of organisation. Those motivated to succeed in the industry must get into the habit of setting deadlines - otherwise projects never get completed. "Set a goal with milestones inbetween. If you want to make a film in one year’s time, target to increase your work rate and break down your goal into manageable steps, he advised. "Make sure that each day includes as much time and energy as possible to achieve the next step towards your larger goal." (credit:PA)
Reinvention Unlocks Creativity: Peter Jackson(06 of07)
There is a method to Jackson's apparently random choices when it comes to his film projects - and that's his fear of getting stuck in a creative rut. He believes that constant change is the only way to stay on peak creative form. "The fear for me as a moviemaker is repetition. So the reason I chose Lovely Bones is that it doesn’t remind you of any of my other films." (credit:Alamy)
Budget Isn't Everything: The Coen Brothers(07 of07)
In fact, in the eyes of Joel and Ethan Coen, the commercial pressure on a big budget movie can harm the creative process.Their film Fargo cost the relatively paltry sum (in Hollywood terms) of $6 million to make. Ethan Coen describes this experience as liberating: "We knew the movie's cost would be so cheap, that it'd be hard to lose. So we thought that, okay, maybe it wouldn't be a huge, big commercial hit, but for $6 million...who cares?" In fact, it earned seven Oscar nominations, and won in the Best Screenplay and Best Actress categories. (credit:Alamy)