First Day at Film School

M

Mike_E

Well-known member
I started film school today, had orientation. It was boring because they just went over the stuff in a booklet they'd given us. Also I'm annoyed because they said we can only shoot G rated movies. That is wank! I'm going to have a talk with them, because everyone in the course is at least 18 this year, so MA15+ would be good enough for me even.

I like asian extreme cinema and gorey movies and I want to be able to test those with film and not have to do it in my own time. I also want to use it to do tests with the make-up fx guy who did the fx on Undead (because in the future I plan on using him.) Anyway, hopefully I can get them to change that (I got in trouble a fair bit at highschool for making movies that weren't PG and now I can't make PG apparently).

Anyone else have this around the world?
 
Re: First Day at Film School

They mentioned a screening or something and that's probably it. I would be prepared not to have it screened. It annoyed me so much because I was psyched to get out of highschool so I could have creative freedom, we'll see.
 
Re: First Day at Film School

Mike, look at it as expanding your horizons. Maybe you'll find that you're good at G-rated movies. Or doing that will renew your passion for horror? Who knows--as long as you keep an open mind and try your hardest! Good luck!

Also, consider this: people tend to be more creative when they have set boundaries to work within. I can't think of the DVXuser who has the Orsen Welles quote in his sig line...but that says it all.
 
Re: First Day at Film School

what frizzle fry said

you become more creative once you're limited. it makes you think harder and use your imagination rather than resorting to flying bullets and guts ripping out of people and screaming.
 
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Yeah, I thought that quote would be metioned. It's just stressing that I didn't know it before hand and was waiting so much to be able to make the type of movies I want to make.

It's not so much that I want to have guts being ripped out of people and gore, but one of the things I wanted to learn was about getting an 80s HK Kung Fu look and be able to use it in a kung fu movie, but Kung Fu is violent. I wouldn't want to have that look with some G-rated arthouse piece.

I would still see myself as limited, mainly with budget and time restrictions and whatnot. But I don't mean to be disagreeing with the quote because I really like it. I just want to learn and experiment with the types of films I want to make (after all it's costing my parents 16 grand)
 
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I totaly agree! Try to do G-rated asian extreme movie!

That will show them! ;)
 
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You can always do gore in your own time. It will take more than one person for an institution to bend it's rules. The sooner you realize that, the happier you will be.

I don't think playing by the rules means that you lose creativity, if anything you should be able to make a film their way, do it well, and still work on your own type of stuff in your free time.
 
Re: First Day at Film School

Hang in there, Mike. You're young and gung-ho, and I respect your enthusiasm. But I'm almost 31, and consider myself young and still budding. The 40- and 50-somethings in the group would likely echo my sentiments.

Just remember this: You are where you are because you want to be there. You know what your passion is, and you're pursuing it. You will be making films, regardless of the genre. You don't know where your career will lead you, but after having a variety of experiences, you'll be ready for anything.

Hey, maybe you can practice getting the look you want--how about a G-rated Kung Fu movie based on children learning the art? In the meantime, you can continue writing the script for the film you want to do.
 
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Also, think M. Knight....he's very "explicit" but without being too gorey. Try the freaky innocent suspense route.
 
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Hmmm... I'm all about artistic freedom myself, but look at it this way (assuming you can't get things changed) you will learn a VERY valuable skill - how to produce something of quality that others want, even if you don't. When I was your age, I made my living as a musician/composer/arranger. Like many of my peers, my passion was modern acoustic jazz and some very modern, somewhat abstract classical music. Some of them refused to do anything except what they believed in artistically - they waited tables. Others of us, did what we loved, but also did more commercial work so that we could pay our bills without waiting tables. I would make the same decision again today. So you learn to dance to the tune the "client" is paying to hear, it's just a gig man, and they aren't all winners, and you can still do what you want on your own time and, over time, that will balance out to a place where you're comfortable. I used to play a four hour big band gig, or diner theater (otherwise known as jazz musician hell) and then, at two in the morning, head to a jam session and PLAY till dawn.

I feel this is important for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is honing your craft. You will never become a full time (insert any creative title here) if you are making your money outside of that field. Some may get lucky, but it is rare. "Artistic" endevors are as much craft as artistry, maybe more so because your craftsmanship has to be at a very high level before artistry can seep in. The only way to keep your chops up is to practice and live your gig day in and day out, all the time. It's hard to do this while you're shlepping tuna melts for seven buck and hour, coming home exhausted and smelling of grease. If you are a musician, develop the skills and make your living in music, if you are a filmmaker, make your living in film (or video) even if all you are doing is working part time at a local tv station logging tapes, stay in your field - the payoff for this will not be immediate, but it will be huge.

Matt (turning off fatherly advice mode)
 
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School already has showed you in this industry you have to deal with having your work controlled by others. Good Lesson, so deal with it in your own way.
 
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Ah I remember my first day of film school, sounds a lot like yours all crowded into a room for orientation, everyone looking around checking out the competition, $15,000 for tuition and all they can afford are cheap plastic lawn chairs, bam my chair leg snaps in half and down I go, It was a good tension breaker, everyone liven'd up after that, but G-rated does blow, I mean really ??? when I was in film school they said no nudity, that's about it.
 
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[quote author=Nick Adams link=board=Offtopic;num=1109243182;start=0#12 date=02/24/05 at 11:45:53]Ah I remember my first day of film school,  sounds a lot like yours all crowded into a room for orientation,  everyone looking around checking out the competition,  $15,000 for tuition and all they can afford are cheap plastic lawn chairs,  bam my chair leg snaps in half and down I go,  It was a good tension breaker,  everyone liven'd up after that,  but G-rated does blow,  I mean really ???   when I was in film school they said no nudity,  that's about it.   [/quote]

Haha, that is almost spot on. The only thing different was the chairs were a bit higher quality. Only no nudity, thats awesome, I wouldn't have nudity in my stuff anyway (especially after Lee Eun-yu commited suicide a couple of days ago, thought to be because she suffered depression from doing some sex scenes. As well as having respect for women, I wouldn't want to be partly responsible for an actresses suicide). Yeah, even QUT (University) isn't restrictive in what you can and can't make.

Moving on, I only know 2 people there (1 friend from highschool and a new friend I made there) and they both were annoyed about that, so I'd think others are too. Viva Revolution! Haha :) I did think about doing the gory stuff outside but, for example, action filmmaking and say, drama filmmaking don't use the same techniques. Although I guess we could learn the techniques and make it G-rated but I mean, well fair enough that when we get out into the world we have to make what other people want some of the time, but this is where we learn the craft, and it would be good to be able to learn the craft of the films we want to make and get experience by making those films, not have to learn and make them in our own time. And G-rated versions of the films I want to learn to make would just be lame. What I'm saying is, a balance would be good.


Also, I wouldn't have so much of a problem if we would just being shooting DV, but we do shoot 16mm as well I'd hoped to make something cool with my 16mm project, not waste my money on film and processing costs for a film I don't want to make.

I'm done complaining, it's only been the first day, it might not be this bad. Could just be stressing too much :D

Thanks for all your replies, I was surpised when I got on how many responses I'd had.
 
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[quote author=Mike_E link=board=Offtopic;num=1109243182;start=0#5 date=02/24/05 at 07:07:31]I didn't know it before hand and was waiting so much to be able to make the type of movies I want to make....... I just want to learn and experiment with the types of films I want to make (after all it's costing my parents 16 grand)[/quote]


Maybe you should have looked into what "school" means.

Your parents put out $16,000 dollars for you to "learn" at film school, and you're crying because you can't "play" on your own.

Another "I know everything" child.

$16,000 dollars.......I feel sorry for your parents.

I think a little lesson in maturity might be in order.
 
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I think that is an absolutely ridiculous limitation.

When I am writing, i don't plan my film out to be G.. or PG.. or R... or anything...

it ends up being what it ends up being.

I can definately understand a commercial endevor where you want to keep things strictly on a guideline like that.. but for a school... a film school at that to limit to a strict guideline like that? ridiculous.

A G movie is very tame, Scary images and what not raise that to PG pretty easily.. so what if someone wants to make a horror film? Scary images to children constitute a rise in the rating... I don't think the filmmaker would want to make a family fun non threatening horror/thriller movie.

And while I completely agree that limitations bring out the best in people, this is one that just seems completely out of place in a film school.

If the school has it's "own" definition of the G rating then my comments may be a moot point.. but if they adhere to the MPAA style.. then that is a really really limiting factor, and doesn't allow for more mature themes, and mature imagery. G rating does not just apply to imagery and content.. but themes expressed.

Seems a little out to lunch to me.. but I am just basing this on the info given. So who knows.. I could be way off..
 
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I think a G movie's a great challenge. Instead of making another derivative horror gore flick maybe it'll challenge you to make something original. Take it for what it is, a challenge.

You don't have to go to film school. If you think you can do it without structure, drop out, get a refund, live at home, write a great horror script, and shoot it with a DVX.

School can offer an opprortunity to be exposed to new ideas and relationships. This website has its uses, but it doesn't compare to personal interaction with peers and structured learning.
 
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Limited by the rating is indeed a challenge; but that school sucks (sorry thread starter). It's like going to an art program and them telling you can't paint what you want or a music program and you gotta keep it 'squeeky'.

Its Censorship is what it is (Yeah, I know, the insitutions right to sanction; balh blah). Sounds like you shoudl have done your homework (no pun)
 
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Well let's look at Mike's pout's this way.

He's got his film schooling paid for, nothing out of his pocket.

He seems to think since he's out of high school, there's no more rules.

He's going to film school to learn.

He's unhappy with "limits" to his "movies", and he's going to "have a talk with them, because everyone in the course is at least 18 this year". LOL 18.

He wants to make "asian extreme cinema and gorey movies" [in class] and not on "his own time".

He says "I was psyched to get out of highschool so I could have creative freedom, we'll see".


A "filmmaker" at 18, who is going to film school on ma and pa's buck (16,000 of them) who decides he's going to set the "rules" now that he's 18.......


The number of responses here saying "screw that school, what a joke....", are presumably coming from people who haven't spent time in the "industry". I want to do it my way (sounds of stomping feet, face red, tears streaming).....please.

If our friend Mike can't take the limits imposed in film school, he has no future in the industry.

There are constant adjustments on a film set, if Mike can't accomplish a "G" rated film, using his creativity, in school, he's in for a terrifying dose of reality when he tries to find work.


Now Jacques, I know what you mean ;), but........
 
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