Hi Director,
Please let me introduce myself, I am 30 and an absolute amateur (no experience whatsoever) in the area of filmmaking, in fact a novice and not sure whether 30 is a bit old to have started. I am particularly interested in the area of directing and cinematography. I understand most courses in these area are for people who have some experience and knowledge. I am not sure which course to do, as a starting point, and I know no one in the industry, so alas I am here in search of some helpful advice.
Could you direct me to which out of the courses out there would cater for such a beginner. I am a bit confused with the range of courses available, for example, there is Metro and the Academy of Photogenic Arts, which seem pretty good, but which one is better suited or simply better?
I work full-time and live in Sydney, so I was hoping to do a short course or the summer school of filmmaking being held by Melbourne Uni, or both. to see whether I've got what it takes (I know I have the vision, but not sure whether I have the technical ability). Or is doing short courses not the way to go? Please help, I need some advice. I understand that everyone has opinions of which schools are better but any views I can get would put me on the right track.
Muchas gracias
Viviana
There is no such thing as the right age to be starting a new hobby, career or lifestyle, let alone an art form such as filmmaking. There is certainly no such thing as being too old. I also advise that no-one from a Western society is a novice when it comes to film. You have been bathed in the glow from the silver screen since your first film (a Disney perhaps?) and every subsequent film, video, DVD and even a night in front of the teev has given you a more powerful understanding of the medium than you are aware of.
For instance, you already know that the mic isn't supposed to be seen on the screen and can generally spot one when it does turn up. you know that an actor can talk to someone in the same room without ever looking at them. You know that Hollywood films have happy endings while Australian films don't. You know that music is used to create mood (Jaws anyone?) as well as increase sales of the soundtrack. You know that if someone carefully hides a gun in the opening scene someone will be shooting it before half time. Remember half time? Sudden breaks in the middle of a film that shock the audience back into reality so they can go to the loo or buy ice cream from the nibble nook. Thank the goddess that tradition went the way of Azaria Chamberlain.
The Western ability to read a film is so well-learned that it has led to shortcuts in filmmaking. For example, if the light is blue then it's night-time, no matter how bright it is. Nothing else is required to show the time. You have this understanding inside you but you've never learned to examine it. I will teach you how.
You know more than you realise. Understanding what goes into a film is a matter of stepping back and looking over your own shoulder. It is natural for you to be absorbed by a good film, to lose yourself in the story. What you have to do the next time you watch a film is remind yourself to stop and look at what's going on. What sort of lighting is it? (Does it look like a set in a studio, a location set with additional lighting or a completely natural set with available light?) What sort of shot is it? (Long, Mid, Head, Close-Up or Extreme Close-Up (ECU)?) What clothes are the actors wearing and why? What accents are they using? What make-up can you see? (All actors wear make-up, it's just a matter of being able to see it.)
keep asking yourself questions, maybe even jot ideas down in a notebook. When the film is over, write a review for a newspaper or magazine (you don't have to send it in!), including all the things you noticed. Write about every technical aspect you can think of (cinematography, lighting, sound, costume, sets, props, make-up, script, dialogue, historical accuracy, locations, performances & how they all mesh together... if they do). Be frank. Be brutal. Sing its praises. Write whatever you need to in order to tell someone who hasn't seen the film whether it is worth seeing and why. Try sleeping on it and write the review the next day. What difference does this make to your impressions? Read the review again a few days later. Is there anything you missed out? Do you still think the same things about the film? If you have a close friend or partner get them to read the review and see what they think - about what's in the film, not your particular writing style!
By recording your thoughts you are distancing yourself from them; seeing words printed on a page (or resolved on a screen) allows you to examine the content more closely. This is the best method for teaching yourself how to deconstruct a film so you can learn from its successes and mistakes.
Yes, yes, yes, I know I haven't told you what school to go to, but you need to know these things now so when you go to school you will understand what they tell you to do. The first part of any good directing course is learning how to read other people's films so you can create your own.
A director spends most of her time on set solving problems and tweaking the subordinate Directors' work. The Cinematographer or Director of Photography (DOP, pronounced dee-oh-pee) is responsible for what the camera will record, how it is lit, in camera effects (such as crash zooms, like when hallways in horror films seem to extend forever), etc. The Art Director is responsible for the appearance of everything in front of the camera except actors and their clothes. The Second Unit Director is responsible for doing stuff the Director won't see until rushes (watching the footage filmed that day) including pick-up shots (like a hand picking up a glass), atmosphere shots (like street vistas), sometimes stunts and even whole scenes which the First Unit just can't fit into their schedule (like overseas work or smaller scenes).
To do all this stuff a Director has to know what everyone is responsible for and how it can be changed. Telling the DOP that you don't like a shot is no good if you can't tell them why.
Schools. (Finally, says Viviana.) The best option would be a full-time, three year course at university. It teaches you how to read film, how cameras work, what the jobs are and how to do them. Then it lets (requires) you to make films for yourself to see how much fun they are. Haaa! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Since you are working full-time uni is not an option. A short or part-time course will deliver exactly what it lays out in the syllabus. Your best bet is to contact the school and ask them if the course is appropriate for someone who's never done any film studies before. Most, if not all, film schools in Australia are trustworthy and will tell you if you'll be wasting your time and money. They will probably also be able to recommend another school or course that might be more appropriate.
That's not much help right now, but there is something you should do first: make your own films. Whack out a basic script, grab your camcorder (anyone's will do but if you don't have permission make sure they don't see you), coerce your family and friends into being actors, costumers and make-up artists (blackmail is a useful tool here) and shoot yourself a film. Make it something simple and in real life, like the story of a dude who goes to the shop and buys a loaf of bread before returning home to blob in front of the TV. You're not looking for Academy Award material here but something nice and easy on which you can cut your teeth. Check out Taylor makes a music video for some tips on editing.
Once you've finished your film (don't be too picky because no-one is ever satisfied with their films) you will have had the most amazingly frustrating, annoying, painful, exasperating and rewarding experience in your life. Unless you're a mother, in which case it's the second most amazingly frustrating, annoying, painful, exasperating and rewarding experience in your life. You will have the experience of looking through an eyepiece then seeing your vision appear on-screen. You will know for sure whether you want to direct. Many people attend film courses with the vague idea of being a Director but no appreciation of what it entails. As an entry level filmmaker you will be working under the most arduous of conditions (poverty) so you'd better be damned sure before you thrash your credit card to death. You'll also feel a lot better when you rock up to class knowing you're not a total idiot.
So, there you go. Choose whichever course suits your timetable, temperament and bank account - if you absolutely have to have an answer now, I suggest the closest, cheapest and shortest. Once you've got one course under your belt you'll know better what you really need to be studying and the best way to do it.