Directing Your Directing Career

Book excerpt: Directing Your Directing Career is the only book in the marketplace written by a working professional that addresses the problems inherent in pursuing a career in directing. Callan's research and experience in the business give her access to top agents in New York and Los Angeles who represent directors, and the background to know what questions to ask. The first part of the book outlines the director's professional journey toward paying work; the second half presents listings for agents in New York and Los Angeles. The listings detail the agent's background, resume and size of client list. In most cases, a few names from the list are included. The book includes an analysis of directing as a realistic career choice, the need to focus one's energies on a particular part of the marketplace, how to know when you are ready to move to New York or Los Angeles, how you can be a working director in your own marketplace, relationships with agents and managers, what agents are looking for, and how to go about approaching agents. An all-important chapter is "Ways into the System", which includes information on support groups, theater groups, Internet connections and much, much more -- while Chapter 6, "Your Film & What to Do with It", addresses the difficulties of marketing a film before and after it's made.