Director’s cut
Determination, dedication and passion, are the basic requirements for anyone wishing to become a film director.
Zuko Nodada (35) is a film director. He studied drama and stage directing at the Durban University of Technology. With his long CV from his seven years of directing, which includes directing movies and television programmes such as Intersexions, fallen and hardcopy, he is the perfect candidate to give the low-down of what film directing is all about.
Movie directors are storytellers and they are also the main link of the entire production. Zuko says, as a director you are morally inclined to teach through your work, ‘you must make sure people see, understand and enjoy the story and they learn a lesson from it’. The director’s role is to put together everything: the script, cast, location, equipment and the set. You work with everyone from camera operators, wardrobe people, make-up artists and sound technicians who all rely on the director for guidance. Private institutions, such as AFDA, are among the best film directing schools in South Africa, but not the only options with film training institutions being established for the disadvantaged community. Although advantageous, an educational background is not compulsory. Zuko advises that for those who can’t go and study, volunteering at a production house or on-set while a film is produced/shot can contribute greatly to a person’s career.
Film directing exposes you to glitz and glamour as the industry is extremely glamorous. The downside, according to Zuko, is that there is no permanent work and you can sometimes go for months without any work. One way of dealing with it, though, is by doing freelance work and working in commercials. However, Zuko’s advice to anyone wishing to become a film director is to watch as many films as possible, ‘nothing is impossible, if you want to do it, just do it’.
There are no specific school subjects required to study film making, but aspiring students are encouraged to have:
n English.
n Drama.
n Maths.
n Technology.
A list of some of the institutions which offer Film and Television Directing courses:
n South African School of Film, Television and Dramatic Arts, 011 482 8345.
n Newtown Film and Television School, 011 838 7462.
n Boston Media House, 011 485 2838.
n Wits University, 011 717 4654.
n Tshwane University of Technology, 012 382 5496.
n Rhodes University, 046 603 8337.
