Expert: Kenneth D. Plonkey - 7/4/2011

Question
i am 11 years old and was wondering, how many years does it take to go to college for directing?

Answer
Hello Crystal, Well, I am not sure what sort of directing you are interested in.  To direct amateur plays, such as in a community theater, a four year general theatre major is sufficient. To direct plays professionally, requires an MFA in Directing from a noted school such as Yale Drama school, so we are talking about seven years. To direct motion pictures would take at least a four year degree in film making or directing.  But none of these degrees guarantee that you would be hired for such a job. The area of directing is very small with few jobs compared to the number of people who would like to be directors. In most cases, after studying at college, the aspiring director has to put in a period where he or she assists on plays and films before they ever get a chance to direct. OR they make their own films and become know as good directors by entering them in contests and festivals.  Finally, in many cases no college at all is required to be a director. Rather a complete and full understanding of the work and how it is done and expertise in some other area such as acting or writing can lead to directing.  There are many paths for the various people who have directed.  God bless, Doc