Before They Were Famous: The Short Films of Well Known Directors

Ever wonder how the great cinematic minds of our time got to where they are today? Give you a hint, Christopher Nolan didn't walk into a meeting and say, "Here's my film Memento, it's really awesome, I think you're going to like it." Hollywood is a very much a "walk before you run but only if you've been crawling for many years" kind of business, and it's most prevalent when you look at some of the masters of cinema today.

The following are selected shorts, music videos and commercials of famous directors when they were just directors. Watch and see how even they worked from the ground up to the eventual success that they have today.

 

"DOODLEBUG"-Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan

In a tale that plays out very much in the vein of Inception. Nolan's style is unmistakable in this short. The emotionally disturbed protagonist, the quick shots, and the surprise ending all are trademarks of what make his movies great. He actually made a short film before this titled "Tarantula" that aired on PBS in 1989. Unfortunately, it seems to be lost in time. If you happen to know where to find it, post in the comments below!

Nike/Scottie Pippen "I Jam, Therefore I Am"- Directed by David Fincher

David Fincher put in a lot of time doing commercials and music videos before his breakout Alien 3. In addition to Nike, he's also done ads for Coca Cola, Pepsi, AT&T, and music videos for Madonna, Aerosmith, and The Wallflowers. Whether this commercial was intended to be humorous or not, the 90's nostalgia is enough to give me a chuckle.

"The Big Shave"-Directed by Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese was a young NYU film student when his series of short films got the attention of producer Roger Corman (Little Shop of Horrors, lots of other B-movies). It was this along with other short works that landed Scorsese a gig co-editing Woodstock, and the rest is history.

Saw (short film version)- James Wan

Many people have already seen this before but I feel if you haven't, you should. This version I feel really displays Wan's artistic style. A little known fact about Wan? He can't stand blood and gore and this short keeps everything suspenseful while toning down the level of on screen violence you're seeing, something he perfected in Insidious in my opinion.

Amblin- Directed by Steven Spielberg

The longest and possibly most known of the collection, this is the film that made Spielberg. It's a story of two strangers travelling together who find friendship and romance in each other along the way.  Great film and a great way to show that potential and ambition alone don't get you to the top. Hollywood is a rough city as I'm sure all these directors would agree, and if you put in your time maybe you'll be noticed by one of the greats of today, and you'll be the featured director of tomorrow.

Email Me: MickJoest@Geektyrant.com Twitter: @MickJoest

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