The 21st Century Film Student

INSPIRING FUTURE FILMMAKERS

THE TEACHER IS THE EDUCATION

The teacher is responsible for the content of the course and delivering it in an engaging manner. They are the student’s partner in learning. Film school can be a vital and memorable experience when the instructor has a depth of knowledge, a command of the material, and the skills to connect with a class of creative individuals: these are fundamental requirements.

The teacher sets the standard of professionalism for their discipline, their course and their school. Fulfilling the industry expectations of a creative position in film production requires a broad knowledge of filmmaking skills and tools, along with other important qualities: rapport, empathy, confidence, stamina, leadership, and a sense of humour (to name a few.) The student benefits when they see these qualities demonstrated by the teacher and can apply them to their own creative process.

The teacher shapes the tone, pace and dialogue of the learning environment. They create the classroom experience for the student. In The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer writes, ‘To educate is to guide students on an inner journey toward more truthful ways of seeing and being in the world.’ This is powerfully relevant for the 21^st century film student, and a roadmap to great treasures for filmmakers and storytellers.

Like an actor, the teacher needs to be ‘in the moment.’ Workshops and screenings are a forum for the teacher to provide perspective and feedback to the student’s work — and this helps the student learn to filter criticism and develop their own critical point of view. A robust critique from a respected source, and the opportunity to then take it, test it, and potentially improve the work is what filmmaking, and film education, is all about: listening, communicating, and connecting ideas.

FILM IS ART

Film is a complex medium and needs to be broken down into bits and pieces. A good film seduces the audience. There can be many layers to its construction. So many, in fact, that a viewer is not even aware of how the tools of cinema are being used: lighting and lenses, music and silence, framing and editing. When everything comes together in an amazing scene, the filmmaker has achieved what the student must constantly search for: how to make the audience feel something.

The teacher provides evaluation. In that sense, they are the audience — but an audience of one requires constant vigilance. Grading creative work is an exercise in subjectivity, and it needs to be self-governed at the highest level. It also needs to be fair, consistent and transparent. When grading is thorough, straightforward and well-defined, it has greater substance and value to the student.

#MENTOR

The teacher must be a mentor. A good mentor holds up a mirror for the student, and helps them to trust their instincts and value their imagination. This is where powerful stories begin. It’s not about what’s easy or hard, or right or wrong — it’s about what is possible. To succeed as a filmmaker, you need to go deep: the deeper the better. This is fertile ground.

Mentoring differs from the classroom or workshop setting. The mentor/mentee relationship must be built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect. When the student values the mentor, the relationship thrives. A mentor listens, suggests, and motivates: they generate energy.

They also know that procrastination and daydreaming are part of the creative process. Yes, progress is important — but inspiration and genius can strike in a flash at the most unexpected times and suddenly turn into a marathon of all-nighters.

JUST. KEEP. GOING.

Creativity is a personal journey, and conformity has never been a badge for the pioneers of artistic expression. Audiences need new ideas, new stories and new ways of being told a story. They want unique characters in original situations. They want to see relatable emotions rendered with superior artistry: this is what drives the entertainment industry.

When the film student taps the wisdom of a teacher who has taken the risks and chances that they plan on taking, it creates the synergy to push the envelope, think outside the box, and break new ground. Mentoring in this territory requires an innate understanding of the potential of the imaginative world.

NO FEAR

Student filmmaking should be the front line for new voices. The innovators of tomorrow want to say, “Hey, look what I made!” today, and have it shine with the promise of what they can and will do in the future.

There’s not always a right way to do it or a correct answer in the creative fields; it is the searching and the willingness to explore and experiment that matters.

 

 

 

 

 

Secrets from Film School: Everyone’s a director!

The treasures of my travels through countless used book stores are many.  Commitment to discovery is the driving force and the shelves of my library are lined with great texts on film, mostly hardcover and out of print.  One rare beauty – Lessons with Eisenstein – cost me fifteen bucks and hours of happy hunting but can now be had at the click of a keystroke on Amazon for $171.28 (add $6.49 for shipping).  Act fast – only 6 are available.

In the appendix of this dusty gem lies the original curriculum for the first film school in history, in Russia.  In addition to the great theories on editing developed at the time (circa 1919), Sergei Eisenstein’s four year “Programme for Teaching the Theory and Practice of Film Direction” charts the course of study to receive a diploma and the title of Qualified Director from the Soviet National Institute.

Eisenstein’s First Year Fundamentals

The primary fundamentals for the first year of study are initially surprising.  First year, Division 1 is titled ‘Work on Oneself’ with four separate components:  Development of the Necessary Physical Requirements, Development of the Necessary Gifts for Directed Perception, The Creative Process, and Work in the Group.  Division 2 includes Theoretical Studies and Production Planning both considered inseparable and required to ensure complete assimilation of the Institute’s method of teaching the subject of film direction.

Sign me up for this program any day of the week!  ‘Physical strengthening of the health of the organism’ might sound like a fitness membership but believe me, the hours required for industry directors can take a physical toll on some creative personalities, and if you want to work in this business I recommend not skipping any of these classes.  Boxing and gymnastics might seem a bit abstract for film directors, but not if you really stop and think about it.  These are skills that will come in handy.

Voice training and the bases of diction – this is a must!  I took years of elocution as a child and have my parents to thank for that – it served me well.  You have to have a voice on set.  This is the communication business and, in addition to developing your voice, I recommend installing an instant filter that lets you be impeccable with your words – at all times.  How quickly things can get derailed on a set with a leader who has not chosen his/her comments with care.

Most contemporary Western film schools are filled with students packing HD cameras in their smart phones.  They’re making movies every day.  Their landscape of audience, community and friendship is mediated by the internet.  Interpersonal social skills are under siege.  What human stories will the filmmakers of tomorrow tell?  How will technology impact ‘The Creative Process’ or ‘Work in the Group’?  No one is certain.

Dealing With People

In the human experience, some things never change.  The Russian Film School lays out an entire section on ‘Tact and tactics in dealing with people.’  Sounds fascinating if you can pull yourself away from Facebook for an hour.  Don’t get me wrong.  The internet is an amazing tool and I believe that, if used wisely, you could google and learn a lot of the muscles that are detailed in the first year at Eisenstein’s film school.  But it requires personal discipline.  And discipline constitutes the primary feature and major characteristic of the film director’s craft in this proposed program.

As stated in his thesis, not one of the generally accepted academic methods of teaching is adequate for teaching the craft of film direction.  I think the same holds true now.  The notion of a strong film production education is not a secret.  The study is multi-fold and multi-disciplinary, and should give pause to any budding film student.  Eisenstein took great efforts to expose the flaws in American and European filmmaking of his time citing symptoms of elitism, childishness, incompetence and commercialization.  Filmmaking was hard and competitive a hundred years ago, and the challenge ahead for the filmmakers of tomorrow is even greater.  The playing field has been leveled – sort of. You may have a camera in your pocket but so does the person next to you.  In the history of film and film education, our current state is a paradigm shift of epic proportion.  Everyone’s a director – now more than ever before.  It’s time to take off the gloves…