What Early-Career Filmmakers Should Consider When Choosing a Story

For first-time filmmakers, the chance to even make a film can seem like a breakthrough. At that moment, becoming a director or storyteller might seem more important than anything else. But before you commit to a project that could involve years of work from conception to marketing, it’s important to consider what kind of story you’re even making. You can’t make a great film unless you know what story you want to tell. 

This pertains to projects that come to filmmakers anytime in their career as well. Just because there’s the opportunity for recognition, money, or potentially even fame, doesn’t make it the right fit. Established directors and industry insiders agree—what makes a good film is a strong desire on the part of the filmmaker to tell the story, and to tell it well. The process remains the same whether you’re working from someone else’s script or pitch, or developing your own story. You need to have a strong relationship to the material and know why you want to tell it. Here are seven filmmakers and industry experts giving their take on story and concept.

Stella Meghie, Director of “The Photograph”
“When I was in school…I considered writing something very commercial that I saw was, like, sellable, and [my mentor] was like, ‘No, absolutely not. Write something that someone won’t pay you to write.’ And all of my own scripts are stories I don’t think anyone would have paid me to write, they were all written on spec, and that’s why they could be distinct and personal and unique to the marketplace. So don’t worry about what the marketplace looks like, to a degree: Write something personal that’s gonna stand out and feel like the original voice.”

Julia Hart, Director of “I’m Your Woman”
“The dirty secret of all elements of art these days—television, film, novels, whatever your medium is—is that every story has been told. It just hasn’t been told about every person.”

Kim Yutani, Programming Director of the Sundance Film Festival
“Independent film is both a craft and an art form, and it takes hard work and discipline and a willingness to take risks. Ultimately, you have to focus on finding a story worth telling, and a vision for how to do so—and then stay true to them.”

Wynton Wong, Programming Manager for the Asian American International Film Festival
“Don’t pigeonhole yourself. Being Asian American/diaspora is more than tiger parents and being bullied for our lunches. We are rich, complicated individuals, not a monolith; explore the nooks and crannies that are specific and unique to yourself. Don’t be afraid. We and the audience are ready. Challenge us.”

Lenny Abrahamson, Director of “Room”
“Do the things that you feel passionate about and compelled to do and not think of it as a career-maker. I think if I decided to choose projects with a view to becoming successful and well-known or getting an Academy Award nomination, I wouldn’t have chosen any of the movies that I’ve done, because all of them are strange, all of them are challenging. But they were the ones that I felt really compelled by and therefore they were the ones that I was able to bring something special to…I think if you chase the success, it never works.”

Lynne Ramsay, Director of “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
“You spend a lengthy time thinking, planning and questioning your ideas, then questioning them again, reaching for something that connects with people, in ways that are sometimes beyond words or explanation. I go a lot on instinct...Some ideas can seem great on the page but they fall apart under a bit of scrutiny. It’s going beyond the surface that excites me. I think people can sense when something is phoney.”

Jake Kasdan, Director of “Jumanji: The Next Level”
“Think in terms of trying to find the voice that sounds authentically like yourself. And I don’t mean dialogue voice...Find the part that is you in any different kind of story.”