From Ryerson halls to red carpets and back again, Patricia Rozema, is the Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning director of the film Six Gestures. Rozema returned to Ryerson and talked to students on Feb. 7 about lessons learned during her 28-year career. After attending Ryerson’s film school in the mid-1980s, Rozema ended her short journalism stint and directed her first feature, I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing. As one of Canada’s most successful filmmakers, she shared a few tips about breaking into the movie industry.

1. Expect an audience of geniuses. 

“A lot of people make the mistake of assuming people like junk. Never underestimate your viewers because that supposed stench of superiority permeates into your work. Images themselves are very transparent, and your intentions behind them are felt by the audience. People will recognize career moves. So, the better person you are, the better your work will be. To truly touch your audience, you have to be very sincere.”

2. Be a fish that can swim anywhere. 

“While there’s more perceived prestige in working on multimillion-dollar blockbusters, there’s also creative freedom accompanying lower-budget films. The smaller your surroundings, the more you can control them. Take pleasure in that.”

3. When in doubt, leave it out. 

“Build from your strengths and ask yourself, if you were telling this story in three words, which three would they be? If you were to add three more scenes, what would they be?

Ultimately, build up rather than take away. Always be ruthless when it comes to production. The editing process is like ironing clothes. There are so many wrinkles, so we just need to iron them out. Keep smoothing your project until you take out all the cringe points.”

4. Don’t be a filmmaker to be a filmmaker. 

“Many times people are in love with the filmmaker image. Only if your work means something, you’ll succeed.  There’s a simplicity that comes before knowledge, and there’s also a simplicity that comes after attaining knowledge. Always strive for the simplicity that comes after knowledge. Ultimately, make your works simple but bursting at the seams.”

5. Dare. 

“That’s what we all love to see, so don’t be afraid of taking risks and being vulnerable. Leonard Cohen described himself as a crash-test dummy. Be the individual wandering towards the forest’s edge to see what’s out there. Embrace the danger of speaking truthfully.”