Cinespot : Charlie's corner

Charlie's corner

Year three The third year in film school is where you explore your genius and create your opus, your short film that will show the world your talent. Or not. Not everyone will shoot a short, granted, most of the production classes forces you to shoot a short. In my third year, I wrote two full-length screenplays and shot a commercial on 35mm. Shooting a short tends to get expensive. The budget starts from zero dollars and usually balloons to $500 to a $1000. That's a lot of money for broke film students. This is the year where you stretch your wings and play. Whatever part of film you want to pursue, this year, you go full on and explore in that field. If you're writer, you'll be writing that first feature and taking Screenwriting 3. This class will show you how to write a feature from beginning to end. An Editor will be working on Pro Tools (a sound editing software) and Avid. Most students take these classes with production classes (lighting classes), so they can edit their own footage. A set designer will be creating sets for student films. I have no idea what classes the set designers took. I only knew 2 of them while at school. A Producer will know how to think of an idea for a story and see that through all the way to a finished short film. This is the place and time to network and find your crew. A good crew will make your production a joy to work on. Producers only have a few classes that are actually for them, producing 1 and 2 and Line producer. Producing 1 and 2 teach you how to acquire scripts and see them through to a finished film. Line producer teaches you how to breakdown a script, set up your shooting schedule, hire your crew, get the money for your budget, setup a budget and how to deal with Post and Pre-production. A Director of Photography will be shooting on 16mm and 35mm. A good D.P. will be shooting every week or other week, not only on your own projects but on others as well. That's a mark of a good D.P., showing other people's footage. I knew a kid at school that shot every week. If you wanted him to shoot your short, you have to book him a month ahead. Good D.P.s are hard to come by. Actors' will be studying in scene studies classes and hopefully auditioning and getting his/her face out there to the producers and directors. Some people think that the fourth year, your last year, should be the time where you make your shorts and demo reels. Demo reels are your resume to the film industry. Actors, directors, D.P.s, and editors have them. Think about this: if your fourth year is where you make your opus, what happens if your opus sucks? I think your fourth year should be fine-tuning your work, interning at production companies, and learning about the industry. Now the people at the Academy of Art (my film school) thought that your last year should be the year of your opus - but that doesn't mean you have to play by their rules. I didn't. I knew that writing was my main talent and that was where I concentrated my efforts. Yes, I shot a commercial, but I shot two short films my second year. You have to play your own cards. I reworked my curriculum so that my last year was for writing another screenplay and learning about the industry. This didn't happen easily but I stood my ground. It might not work at other film schools, but remember, it is your money. My third year was the most productive for me because I learned to play the film school game and found my talents. Next time, it's your senior year. Written by Charlie Cheng