68 MOVIEMAKER.COM
A
UTEUR-EXTRAORDINAIRE
Christopher Nolan’s first day
at university set the firm
foundations of his storytell-
ing career. Interested in film
since he was knee-high to a grasshopper
or indeed a Doodlebug, he got to grips
with his dad’s Super 8 camera as a kid.
But it was stepping through the doors
of University College London, where he
studied English Literature that cemented
his path to cinematic splendor. It’s where
he met his future wife, mother of his four
children, and longtime film producing
partner Emma Thomas on his first daythere. As president of the school’s film
society he spent his spare hours making
short films in UCL’s Bloomsbury Theatre.
And his course informed his writing
process, detailing the literary ideas and
methods that underscore film criticism.
Later, his alma mater became the back-
drop in a number of his movies, including
Inception and Batman Begins. Kindred
collaborators, equipment to run wild with,
and courses to expand your movie-focused
mind... these are all things that are offered
at film school.
Nolan, whose movies are both
cerebrally captivating and commercially
successful, has been dubbed the greatest
living director of the 21st century. He’s
a Kubrick, a Scott, and a Spielberg when
it comes to delivering an onscreen story
that engages body, mind, and spirit.
The post-graduate made his first
feature using reliable friends as actors,
filmed in black and white, and only shot
on weekends when he and his cast and
crew were free of their jobs. The result
was the unnerving noir Following, whichwas a hit on the festival circuit and scored
Nolan his first big-time directing gig with
Memento, a unique time-reverse tale he
penned based on a short story his brother
Jonathan had written.
In our list of 2019’s 40 best film schools
in the United States and Canada we take
the Nolan method—non-linear, a little
abstract, a bit erudite, with plenty of
moxie. Keep in mind that doing your own
research on programs, talking to staff, and
visiting the institutions you’re considering
always yields the best results.
That said, this article hones in on not
just the courses on offer at traditional film
schools but also the additional opportuni-
ties that abound at more unconventional
programs that can also provide momen-
tum toward your film future.
Very soon you could be like Nolan’s
Inception hero, Cobb. It might feel like
you’re waiting for a train that will take
you far away. You know where you hope
this train will take you, but it doesn’t
matter... for you’ll be on the right track for
storytelling.68 SUMMER 2019
These 40 forward-thinking
programs will prime you
for a fruitful film future
BY N.L. BROOKS
ILLUSTRATIONS BY FAYE ROGERS