Legendary Directors Who Didn't Go To Film School

There's a rule to starting any profession, and it's relatively simple: If you want to do something professionally, you have to go to school! People don't just start practicing medicine without going to medical school, and only a fool would argue a case in front of a judge without attending law school. Schools exist to train people to do something others can't, and those wanting to become directors have to go to film school.

At least, that's the norm — almost everyone working in the entertainment industry pursued a degree or certification that put them through the paces so they could work. Some of the greatest directors sat in classes all over the world, learning the ins and outs of feature filmmaking, but not all of them. Every once in a while, an incredibly talented person will forgo school and push their way into the industry, and believe it or not, some of the world's best directors fit this description.

Of course, there are some examples of people doing this before film school was a thing. Still, there are far more modern examples of movie directors of pure, raw talent who either quit film school and didn't finish or didn't go at all. The directors listed here are all legendary members of their craft, and none of them went to a university to learn how to make movies — they managed to stand out in the industry without any formal training.

James Cameron is one of the world's most successful directors, but unlike many of his peers, he doesn't make a ton of movies. Instead, he spends years working on projects, often developing technology to bring his imagined worlds to life. More than one of his movies has been in the top spot of highest-grossing movie of all time, and there's a simple reason for that: He's a brilliant storyteller who cares about the details.

Cameron attended a community college, where he studied physics, but transitioned to English before dropping out. He worked as a truck driver while pursuing his interest in film technology. While Cameron didn't attend classes at a prestigious film school to earn a degree, he spent a lot of time reading about it at the USC library. After seeing "Star Wars" in 1977, Cameron knew he wanted to pursue a film career (per Deadline). 

His big break came when he sold the rights to "The Terminator" for $1. He did this on one condition: He was allowed to direct the movie. Years later, Rick Schultz asked Cameron in an interview if film school was a place for young filmmakers to train, and he said, "One of the best things that happened to me was that I didn't go to film school. ... The main thing is just picking up a camera and making a film." He continued, saying, "People say, 'How do you get to be a filmmaker?' I say, 'Go home, pick up your video camera, and make a film.'"

Ava DuVernay made her way to the film industry much later than her peers. She was 32 when she picked up a camera for the first time (per Refinery29), and doing so was the result of a career change. She started working in journalism when she helped cover the O.J. Simpson trial (per Elle), but she became disillusioned with the industry. From there, she worked in public relations and made a move to filmmaking in her early thirties. DuVernay said, "That's older in filmmaking years, like dog years."

In an interview with Refinery29, DuVernay said, "For me to pick up a camera as a Black woman who did not go to film school — this is a testament to whatever path you're on right now is not necessarily the path you have to stay on. ... If you're on a path that's not the one that you want to be on, you can also pivot, and you can also move, and age doesn't make a difference, race, gender. It's about putting one step in front of another, about forward movement to where you wanna be."

Her first film, "I Will Follow," was a small indie project that garnered great reviews, opening the door for DuVernay to get big-budget films. Regarding her first film, DuVernay said, "I made that film having never gone to film school. One of the biggest lessons I learned is to curate the people around you." Her process works, and she's been nominated for numerous awards for her work over the years.

Terry Gilliam was the only American member of Monty Python, and he spent much of his time animating the group's illustrated vignettes. He also performed with the group and directed his first feature film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," which became a massive hit. When Gilliam started out, directing movies wasn't on the horizon, as he started working as a strip cartoonist and animator. He did this with a BA in political science from Occidental College, so film school wasn't a consideration at the time.

Through his work with Help! magazine, Gilliam met John Cleese, and after moving to England, he met Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Jones. Regarding film school, Gilliam opposed the concept and spoke about it numerous times. During an appearance on Roundhouse in 2007, Gilliam expressed his view that there were too many film schools. He felt that if someone only studies the technical aspect of filmmaking, they'll be unprepared to get to work making movies.

In a Facebook post in 2011, Gilliam doubled down on his opinion of film schools, saying it was for fools. "Live and learn how to make films. I didn't go to film school. I just watched movies in the cinemas. And probably my greater education was actually making films, so that's all I would ever say: watch movies, get a camera, make a movie. And if you do it enough times, eventually you start learning how films are made" (via Filmmaker Magazine).

Joel and Ethan Coen comprise the filmmaking duo collectively known as the Coen brothers. Ethan was uncredited as director until 2004's "Ladykillers," while Joel was credited as director since their first film, "Blood Simple," hit theaters in 1984. Regardless, both brothers write, produce, and direct; collectively, they've created "The Big Lebowski," "Fargo," and "No Country for Old Men," but that's a fraction of their amazing body of work.

Joel went to film school, having attended the film program at NYU, where he earned an undergraduate degree in film and television. Additionally, he came close to undertaking graduate studies in film at UT Austin. Ethan, too, was no slouch in the education department, but he instead earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Princeton University. If you've seen his movies, that might not come as much of a surprise.

Still, a philosophy degree isn't the same thing as film school. At a press conference for "Hail, Caesar!" in 2016, Ethan spoke about his education, saying, "I definitely got a good education. ... How it prepared me for what I'm doing, I have no idea. But that's the liberal arts thing! I felt well served by the institution. It prepared me for ... something."

Steven Spielberg is the highest-grossing director of all time, so he's easily one of the most influential directors of the 20th and 21st centuries. Making movies was something Spielberg wanted to do ever since he was a kid. He made his first movie at the age of 12 and later shot a nine-minute film, "The Last Gunfight," for a Boy Scouts merit badge, and he continued shooting movies with his father's 8mm camera.

Spielberg applied for the film programs at UCLA and USC but was rejected because of his grades. Spielberg wanted nothing more than to be a filmmaker, and he wasn't going to let rejections from film schools keep him from pursuing his dream. He attended classes at California State University, Long Beach, but dropped out when he scored a deal to write and direct a short. From that venture, he created "Amblin'" and earned a seven-year contract with Universal Television to work as a TV director for the studio, making him the youngest director at a major studio in Hollywood history.

From there, he became the most successful film director of all time and did it without attending film school. That said, Spielberg did return to college in 2002. He returned to finish what he started at California State University, Long Beach. After 33 years away from school, Spielberg donned his cap and took home a BA in Film and Electronic Media (via Entertainment Weekly).

Federico Fellini is Italy's most celebrated director, and he's well known outside his native country for films like "La Dolce Vita," "Roma," "8½," and many more. Fellini, often called "the maestro" of Italian cinema, was nominated for numerous Academy Awards for his work, and the Academy honored him with a lifetime achievement award at the 65th Academy Awards in 1993.

Despite becoming one of the world's greatest directors, that wasn't always Fellini's plan. After graduating high school, he enrolled at the University of Rome's law school. He likely did this to please his mother, but he wasn't interested in studying law. Instead, he found work drawing and writing. Fellini was hired to write a regular column titled "Will You Listen to What I Have to Say?" This changed the course of his life, and he built on this success by writing screenplays, though his work was interrupted by World War II.

He broke into filmmaking through writing when Roberto Rossellini found him at his caricature shop, Funny Face. He brought him in on "Rome, Open City," giving him writing credit. From there, Fellini went on to become one of the greatest film directors in history, influencing other greats like Martin Scorsese, and he did that without setting foot inside a film school class.

Alfred Hitchcock, best known as the "Master of Suspense," is easily one of the most celebrated directors in cinematic history. He directed more than 50 feature films, many of which are, ironically, required viewing at film schools around the world. His inimitable style has been dubbed "Hitchcockian," and many movies since have attempted to achieve this designation. Hitchcock was a cinematic master, but he wasn't orienting his life in that direction when he went to school.

He first studied engineering and navigation, but his education became difficult due to the loss of his father and the outbreak of World War I. Eventually, he studied creative writing and spent his free time absorbing as much American cinema as he could. When Paramount Pictures opened its London studio, Hitchcock got a job designing title cards. This opened the door to the industry, and he worked on more than a dozen silent films in various capacities. His experiences at Paramount helped him transition to Gainsborough Pictures, where he became an assistant director. 

Hitchcock worked on numerous films as an assistant director, and in 1925, he directed "The Pleasure Garden," his first finished feature film. Hitchcock continued working in the industry for the rest of his professional life, directing many classic films. Some of his most influential work includes "Psycho," "Vertigo," "The Birds," and "Rear Window." Hitchcock didn't attend film school, and it wasn't until 1968 that he received an honorary degree from University of California Santa Cruz (via Medium). Still, he's one of the most influential directors of all time.