Breaking In: How 20 Film Directors Got Their Start

A naked-truth collection of interviews with today’s hottest film directors detailing how they made their first films and "broke into" the movie industry.

When Nicholas Jarecki graduated from New York University’s film school at the age of nineteen, he knew that he wanted to make movies, but the fortress-like wall around the film industry proved hard to crack. So he set out to talk to some of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers about how they got started, thinking that if he learned their stories, he might well find his own road to success. The end result is Breaking In, a sizzling look at the movie industry that delivers candid advice from twenty of today’s most provocative directors--from the blockbuster kings to the arthouse visionaries.

Filled with insights they don’t teach you in film school, Breaking In offers readers access to some of Hollywood’s greatest minds, revealing what sparked their passion for film and what they did to get their first break. From the creation of the script to the first day’s shoot to the roller-coaster of marketing and promotion, the directors share unique insights into the myriad ways of getting films off the ground, and offer a wealth of practical tips for aspiring filmmakers. Their interviews also present an insider’s glimpse of their sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes joyous, but always exhilarating rides to the top.

Since graduating from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1999, Nicholas Jarecki has directed several short films and music videos, as well as a documentary about the building of a New York nightclub. He has also directed and produced television pieces for clients such as IBM and HBO. Currently at work on scriptwriting and directing projects, Jarecki lives in New York City.