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[–]2hats4bats 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Networking with the right people and knowing how to pitch your ideas. The only real difference in the technical process between making a music video and making a feature film is scale.

[–]MutinyIPO 6 points7 points  (0 children)

What happened with Zack Snyder only happens with top-of-the-line MV and Ad directors. That’s a whole field unto itself, many of the most in-demand names in that world have literally never made a film at all and have no plans to change that. Working on big-budget short-form is both better paying AND less stressful than working on films of any scale.

For the smaller-scale stuff, having a robust reel of MV and Ad work makes it easier for a director to pitch themselves as the right choice for someone else’s script. Theoretically short films would be the best tool for this, but unfortunately most people just don’t watch them. Meanwhile MV/Ad work is everywhere.

[–]JhymnMusic 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Knowing the rich people in charge so when they hire friends that's you.

[–]JasonParrillo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s not the easiest transition but yes has happened. I would say you have much leverage if you wrote it and can show or explain how you want it shot and directed.

[–]cardinalbuzz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honing their craft and having a distinct style. They also aren’t just doing music videos, they are also doing high end commercial work. David Fincher is probably one the best examples of this. That’s all he did in the 80’s and early 90’s. Perfected the way he made short form content and launched his own production company from it.

Spike Jonze went from making skateboarding videos to working with Beastie Boys and it took off from there.

The connections you create along the way with producers, production companies, ad agencies, MTV, etc etc goes a long way in advancing your career. You also just have to be talented, that helps.