Akira Kurosawa's First Shot

How Kurosawa got his first job as a director...

Experiences of unexpected good fortune are among the most thrilling aspects of life. It may be anything: falling in love, winning the lottery, landing a fantastic job, or changing careers.

As far as I can tell, getting into the film business was easier prior to the 1960s. I'm sure it had its ups and downs, and each era, of course, changes as time passes. But you could manage to do things a little differently. For instance, Spielberg would enter the studio lots surreptitiously until he had his moment, while Hitchcock was employed to work in the art department and then given the opportunity to make his first film a few years later.

The point is that you have to start somehow to get noticed. If the door isn't already open, you can open it. Of course, we can't sneak onto a studio lot like Spielberg could since it would result in a slew of legal complications, but we can shoot a short film or two with our phones, a luxury that Spielberg, Hitchcock, and the great Akira Kurosawa did not have.

I was doing some research on Kurosawa when I came across an excerpt from the book Something Like an Autobiography online, which attracted my curiosity because it showed how Kurosawa began his career as a director. It's incredibly fascinating and inspiring.

Here’s the snapshot:

I feel that studios should now allow filmmakers to submit a study of the film industry and then be given the choice to make a film. Yes, you can make short films or write a few screenplays, but it would be amazing if the doors were as open as they were for Kurosawa. Of course, making films like Kurosawa's requires a high level of passion. Otherwise, there is no point.

Anyone with adequate cinematic and artistic passion, as well as a desire to make films, can submit a written composition highlighting the shortcomings of the American film business. There are many great minds out there who can contribute to the film industry as filmmakers and pave the way for the next generation of filmmakers, not only in America but throughout the world.

The same is true for screenwriters, as films would not exist without them. Breaking into the film industry is a challenging procedure, and a chance from a film studio for a screenwriter to submit an essay and then writing examples of a screenplay might mark the start of a new cinematic period.