Is
Film School For You?
(or, "Film school: to
go or not to go, that is the question")
So, you want to be a filmmaker. Should you attend a formal education program? Most successful filmmakers have obtained degrees in film (and other subjects) at major universities. That’s a good starting place. Certainly not every successful filmmaker majored initially in film studies. Psychology, Drama and English Literature are good undergraduate degrees for folks who plan to attend film studies in graduate school.
Most academic departments at universities are organized as “Radio, TV, and Film” or “Communications” departments. Occasionally Journalism is part of the same department. Within the department, students are generally encouraged to focus on a specialty in radio, TV, and film. Often film students avoid TV courses. Today, however, the boundaries between film and TV production have become so blurred with the advent of the digital age. The fact is that digital video is often the source for many outstanding independent films today.
The truth is that film is a very competitive career. It is impossible to stress this enough. Academic requirements should be as rigorous as those involved in a science such as Physics. Often that is not the case and the students graduate and then realize they are competing against students from excellent schools such as NYU or UCLA. Students at the top schools are very prepared for the industry. Some professors don’t feel that their job is to prepare students for the real world, and this often leads to unrealistic career expectations from the film student graduate. I wholeheartedly encourage those students not attending a top film school to realize that they will need to do more work. If you attend a smaller college with a film program, I might recommend attending graduate school at a more excellent school. For instance, in Texas many schools have decent film programs for undergraduates such as the University of North Texas and University of Texas at Arlington. For these students, it might be good to then apply to attend the University of Texas at Austin for graduate school. Robert Rodriquez attended that school. U.T. Austin has a world class screenplay program for graduate students.
The career path for filmmakers is often poorly defined by anyone. One thing is for certain, attending a school in New York or L.A. is likely going to help establish a student in the business. Most often the colleges, both large and small, have adjunct professors who are active in the profession teaching courses. Also, a student gets a better chance to network in the industry.
Remember most of all; the reason for attending film school is to get a good grasp on all aspects of film. When I attended undergraduate school in the ‘70’s, most of us who fancied ourselves filmmakers didn’t take film criticism courses. Eventually I completed graduate school and focused on film critism. I did this as I found that speaking critically about film was crucial, especially when working with brilliant actors and other top film professionals. When teaching film, I always ask my students during the first class, “What do you want to eventually do?” Ninety nine percent of them always answer, “I want to direct.” Statistics indicate that most of them will never do that. I then ask my students to name other departments that they might enjoy working. Most have not thought about anything past directing. I often bring an I.A.T.S.E. pay guide and show them what other positions, such as camera operator, earn. I constantly encourage students to explore other departments. If one has a good film education and spends a career in the camera department, they will always be more well-rounded than those who don’t have a film education. Professors are often right about saying you study in their film department for more than learning a career.
College is just the starting point of your film education. I’ve spent many hours the past years studying new programs and ways of developing stories such as Dramatica or John Truby’s “Blockbuster.” Also, I check the bookstores every couple of weeks for new books on screenplay writing even though I’m a very experienced writer now. Education never stops. A good college education in film simply provides you with a foundation.
Students should first strive to express their story in one short sentence. This is also true for veteran screenplay writers preparing their pitch. Most often that sentence takes hours or days to write. It is an important step, as executives won’t listen to you after hearing that sentence if they don’t like it.
Next, write a paragraph describing your story. One of the greatest problems is that students often don’t have a clear protagonist or antagonist. These are the same problems that experienced screenplay writers have. Writing is always a continual challenge.
Let’s look at shooting. The single most common problem with cinematography on student projects is camera movement. Of course exposure and composition are critical, but badly motivated camera movement is common in student films. Save complex camera moves for later when you’re much more experienced and know when to use them properly. Any camera movement must be unobtrusive and motivated by the action. I’m not suggesting that all shots should be static. Instead, limit your movement and make sure it doesn’t call attention to itself unless it is intentional. No single element (camera, music, acting) should stand out on its own. Conveying your story in a seamless and unobtrusive manner so the audience becomes one with the story is crucial to your filmmaking success.
This is just a brief look at common problems in student films. There are often many other mistakes. Sound out of sync with the speaker and distorted sound often destroy a student film. I’d really like to emphasis again the importance of storytelling. If the student has a clear handle on his story, then the student takes the rest of the process very seriously and does a good first film.
It’s also important to choose the most experienced crew possible. Don’t simply work with friends. Find another student who has worked as cameraman on several other student films so you have someone with experience. Filmmaking is expensive. Be very selective when picking your crew and actors. Always try to surround yourself with crewmembers who are more experienced than yourself. Hopefully they will help save you on this first film project. If you are shooting on film, then spend a lot of time with your lab manager getting advice and help. Sometimes labs have special student rates.
The more time you spend in preparation prior to shooting, the more successful your project will be. Producing is planning and preparation. Get your script critiqued by your instructor or an experienced filmmaker. Put your cameraman together with the film lab manager and discuss what film stock you would be best using. Create storyboards so you and your cameraman have carefully visualized the shooting in advance. Visit your locations with your cameraman and other pertinent crewmembers in advance. Be aware of any power problems that your gaffer might experience. Note whether or not there are any loud ambient sounds at the locations such as it being in the landing pattern for LAX Airport. If your using individuals homes or offices, make sure your arrangements for using them are in writing and the agreement is very clear. Also, make sure you have releases from all the talent or extras that appear on camera. Take extra release forms with you on the shooting day just in case you have to use someone unexpectedly as an extra or cast member. Create breakdown sheets for each scene that includes all the requirements such a personal, props, crew, cast and location needs. Complete a shooting schedule and some alternative schedules in case of rainy days or sick crew or cast. If possible, create a production board for your scheduling.
Most of all expect the unexpected and try to anticipate problems. Spending several days with your actors rehearsing and blocking their movement is invaluable. If you can bring some key crewmembers to rehearsal such as your cameraman and editor, then it may be possible to discover some unforeseen problems. It’s far better to discover them in a rehearsal hall than on location.
These same suggestions apply to feature length professional motion pictures and not just to the beginner. For instance, on shooting days you might want to contact your actors or crewmembers in the early morning to insure they are awake and on the way to the location. Student filmmakers will likely have a voluntary crew. You need to provide superb leadership when you have a free crew. I’ve known students who decided to behave very autocratically to their crew only to have them resign from their free job leaving the beginning filmmaker in tears. Your job is to motivate the crewmembers in a friendly manner and exercise much patience.
These are only a few suggestions for successful first short films. If your film is successful and you enter it into student film competitions and win some awards, then you are very fortunate. Most student films don’t qualify for any competitions. Remember, short films are your first calling card for your potential film career. Future employers at production companies often pay more attention to these films than anything else on your resume. It is truly worth the effort to do an excellent short film if you’re pursuing a career as a filmmaker.