Moviemaker - CA (2019 Summer)

MOVIEMAKER.COM SUMMER 2019 71

production paradise Vancouver,

British Columbia, students have

opportunities to get experience

in their field. There are chances

to assist with the Seattle Interna-

tional Film Festival, Reel Grrls,

and Northwest Film Forum

and to help produce films for

local non-profits. Students can

major or minor in Film

Studies.

• Top-Notch Equipment
  and Facilities: Stanford
  University (Stanford, CA)


• Page-Turning Screen-
  writing Training: Pep-
  perdine University (Malibu, CA)

U.S. NORTHEAST

EXTENSIVE EXCEPTIONAL TRAINING

New York University

Tisch’s Kanbar Institute

of Film and Television

(New York, NY)

The likes of Martin Scorsese

and Oliver Stone are just some

of the heavyweight alumni of this

school. An East Coast gem in the

heart of Manhattan, it blends

traditional academic research

with the special skills required

to make films.

Courses include Storytelling

Strategies, Performance Strate-

gies, Visual Core Production, and

Audio Core Production.

Chair of the graduate film

program and Oscar-winning

filmmaker, Barbara Schock, says,

“NYU’s Graduate Film program

is a production program that fo-

cuses on the development of the

personal voice in filmmaking.

Grad film is internationally

renowned for its commitment to

cultivating individual and diverse

voices and when you look at our

graduates—starting with our

program’s artistic director,

Spike Lee, to our alumni

Jim Jarmusch, Todd Solondz,

Sara Driver, Ang Lee,

Jim Taylor, Tamara Jenkins, and

Lucy Walker—you can see the

impact our program has on

shaping and elevating film

here in the U.S. and

around the world.

“We have a tradi-

tion of upholding

the singular voice,

meaning the voices of

our students and alumni define

the film marketplace, rather than

the other way around. We believe

that becoming a success within

the film industry is best achieved

by acquiring a command of craft.”

EXTENSIVE EXCEPTIONAL TRAINING

Columbia University

School of the Arts

(New York, NY)

With Kathryn Bigelow as one

of its illustrious alumni, Columbia

is a school that does its job well.

As the first female director

to win an Oscar for her film

The Hurt Locker, it’s testament

to her talent and solid training.

The Film MFA has been running

for over 50 years and in that time

its graduates have made huge

waves in the industry, scooping

awards at all the top festivals and

ceremonies.

The school proudly declares its

Film MFAs in Screenwriting/Di-

recting and in Creative Producing

as the world’s premiere train-

ing for filmmakers and that its

curriculum fosters “cutting-edge

creativity, intellectual rigor and

hands-on practicality.” It offers

programs in Film, Film and Me-

dia Studies, Theater, Visual and

Sound Arts, and Writing.

MAGICAL ANIMATION TRAINING

Rhode Island

School of Design

(Providence, RI)

How about attending one of the

oldest art schools in the U.S.? We’re

talking 1877 to be precise. Almost

2,500 U.S. and international

students are doing just that at the

Rhode Island School of Design.

Its BFA in Film/Animation/

Video offers courses in drawing,

spatial dynamics and time, light

and sound.

Majors are encouraged to

make all sorts of films, be they

documentary, narrative, experi-

mental, or animated, using tradi-

tional and cutting-edge methods.

The school is proud of its facil-

ities which include “production

studios for film, video, 16mm,

35mm, and puppet animation;

digital editing and sound mixing

rooms; and CGI workstations

with a full range of professional

production and editing software."

Alumnus Gus Van Sant is proof

that this school produces uncom-

mon voices and visionaries.

INTERNSHIPS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Boston University

Department of Film

and Television

(Boston, MA)

With a whole host of media

companies in town, Boston can’t

be beat for putting you within

reaching distance of career

launchpads.

The department facilitates

a lot of opportunities and work

experience through its intern-

ship program. With an additional

campus in L.A., there are chances

to work at places like

The Jim Henson Company.

There’s a BS in Film and Televi-

sion and a BA in Cinema and

Media Studies, along with an MS

in Television and Media Ventures

and MFA programs in Cinema

and Media Production, Screen-

writing, and Film and Television

Studies.

Professor John Bernstein, PhD,

of the Department of Film and

Television, says: “In the under-

graduate major leading to the BS

degree, the department provides

a comprehensive exploration of

film, TV and new media.

“The curriculum includes

extensive offerings in production

(directing, editing, cinematog-

ASK THE ALUM

BEN BERMAN

Writer-director of

The Amazing Johnathan

Documentary

Temple University

What’s one area of focus that every film

school program shouldn’t be without?

Editing is key. Bad projects can be made

good by good editing. And your well-

funded, well-written and directed project

can be made to look completely amateur

with poor editing. Become a great editor

first—then move on from there if you want.

What advice do you wish someone had

given you when you were a film student?

Failing will happen... a lot. Keep going, and

soon you should be able to create great

things. Also, you don’t have to smoke pot

that much.

ASK THE ALUM

LIZA MANDELUP

Director of Jawline

School of Visual Arts

What’s one area of focus every film

school program shouldn’t be without?

Access to the tools you need, or a room

full of editing bays with the latest software,

are the most important things. Once

you have access to all that you have no

excuses, and it’s freeing to have everything

that seemed so difficult to afford right in

front of you. It allows you to just create.

What advice do you wish someone had

given you when you were a film student?

You’ll eventually think that everything you

make right now is bad, so just make the

weirdest, wildest, most nonsensical and

experimental thing you can think of.

What invaluable lessons did you take away

from any mentors in your program? One

of my critique teachers told me, “It’s OK to

shoot something just because you find it

beautiful. There doesn’t always need an ex-

planation.” Now, I’m super-focused on story

and on what the characters are doing or

saying, but I always stop and make sure we

get something that “feels beautiful.” Allow

yourself to have that with no explanation

from time to time.