Master the art of film production alongside an industry insider in a working San Francisco studio. 1 mentor, just for you. Learn in the real world, build industry connections.
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You live in San Francisco. You dream of becoming a director or filmmaker. You’re asking yourself what the best way to achieve your goal. To start, you’re in a great city to learn to become a film director. With the help of the San Francisco Film Connection Film Directing Program you can LEARN TO BECOME A DIRECTOR without ever leaving the Bay Area.
Here’s why: The secret to becoming a film director is to start directing. Therefore, it follows that the best place to learn to become a director is the place where you can do the most directing. Forget film theory, forget the rules of cinematography, forget traditional concepts of education, just find a way to start making films and learn how to tell a story in pictures.
As a student, you will have access to this equipment and studios plus the mentoring expertise of Sean and find yourself directing your own films from virtually the get-go. Spoiler alert. Your first films are most likely going to suck. Don’t worry, that’s to be expected. And that’s where the San Francisco Film Connection Film Directing Program excels. Imagine being able to go over your first efforts, scene by scene, frame by frame with a true professional, like Sean McCarthy offering you suggestions, tricks of the trade, while he critiques your films on a one-on-one personal basis. Your learning curve to becoming a director has went supersonic. It’s not rocket science, the more films you direct, the better you will become at directing and the San Francisco Film Connection provides you with virtually unlimited access to all the gear, studio space and instruction you need to make as many movies as you can.
Homefield advantage: You already live in San Francisco. You know the city. You know some of its great locations. You know people in San Francisco who can become your cast and crew. You know what things cost in San Francisco. You presumably have a roof over your head in San Francisco. You might have a job or a thriving side-gig setup. Because you live in San Francisco, you can establish home town connections with local businesses to sponsor your films or become clients of your work.
So, isn’t the real question you should be asking yourself is, "How many films am I going to direct in the next six months if I attend film school to become a director?" It’s also the first question you should be asking of film schools you are thinking of attending. You’ll find their answers interesting. Because at the end of the day, degrees don’t matter when it comes to directing. What matters is your reel, and the more films you direct, the more content you will have for your reel. The San Francisco Film Connection will make sure you graduate with a great reel and awesome real-life Houston film connections.
Some of our graduates have gone on to become film directors, script writers, and production company owners. Others are creating and producing their own films across genres like documentary, drama, comedy, action, and animation
I had a great experience with Film Connection and my mentor, Donny Baker, from ES Studios. He taught me everything I needed to know about being a director/producer and the importance of always being prepared for the shoot
Jorge Fuentes Quiroz
After working in media for a couple of years, I decided to take my skills to the next level in filmmaking. I was fortunate to have joined Film Connection; they supported me from day one with my registration and all the necessary paperwork
Noah Gonzalez
Film Connection does a fantastic job placing you on REAL sets with EXPERIENCED directors, opening doors to build meaningful connections with your mentor and ensuring ongoing learning. You truly get out of the program what you put in.
Octavio Preciado
I got great movie recommendations that gave me many creative influences. My mentor gave constructive feedback on my script. I learned about how to work on a film set and collaborate with other art departments. I enjoyed my experience with Film Connection.
Josh Chacko – Arlington, Washington
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