Quentin Tarantino developed a passion for films from a young age and started writing stories and screenplays while he was still at school. However, he struggled with traditional education and left high school before graduating. He initially pursued acting by attending acting classes and working various jobs, including as a cinema usher. At around 22, he got a job at Video Archives, a video rental shop in California. This gave him access to thousands of films, allowing him to study different directors, genres and filmmaking techniques. He also began writing screenplays, including True Romance and Natural Born Killers, while working there.
In 1992, Tarantino made his directorial debut with Reservoir Dogs, which he also wrote. He managed to get the film made with help from producer Lawrence Bender and actor Harvey Keitel, who helped attract financial support. The film gained attention at the Sundance Film Festival and helped establish his reputation as a director. He followed this with Pulp Fiction (1994), which became a major success and won him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He continued directing films such as Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Django Unchained and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Tarantino's career shows that becoming a director doesn't necessarily require formal film education, as independent screenwriting, studying films, gaining practical experience, building industry connections and securing support for your own projects can also lead to a directing career.