Hollywood Producers & Hollywood Directors Discover New Film Scripts For Sale

Posted by admin | Posted on 06-03-2011

Category : Region I

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Hollywood Producers & Hollywood Directors Discover New Film Scripts For Sale

As the US declares it is officially out of the current recession, some European state leaders jump on the bandwagon declaring the end of their countries economic downturn.

However business owners in the UK are labelling Government organisation as the latest oxymoron as Britain languishes in its longest ever recession on record. Despite the current credit crunch in the UK the film industry remains quite buoyant.

It seems that mass unemployment, job closures and increased crime rates are forgotten as British citizen’s escape to their local multiplex cinemas watching the latest offerings from Hollywood.

Hollywood and Bollywood remain the epicentre of feature film production, however Hollywood producers and Bollywood directors are scouring recession hit Britain in an attempt to purchase film scripts for sale.

Script agents have all but shut their doors to new upcoming script writers who are eager to get their foot on the first rung of the Hollywood producers and Hollywood directors.

Historically a Hollywood producer would be contacted by script agents representing established script writers. If the producer was interested then a deal would be negotiated and the successful script writers would step up from novice status to previously produced status.

However it has always been difficult, and often impossible for many new script writers to gain professional representation. Given that for every successful Hollywood blockbuster success there are thousands of failures and possibly tens of thousands of undiscovered script writers it should come as no surprise that script agents are overly cautious.

Although most script writers view Hollywood as the Holy Grail, they might be mindful that Walter Wincell an American newspaper columnist once wrote that, ‘Hollywood is a place where they shoot too many pictures and not enough actors or screenplay writers.’

The success of recent British movies have piqued the interest of several Hollywood producers and Hollywood directors enough for them to consider a different out of the box approach to identifying new film scripts for sale.

Some movie producers are now collaborating with script agents in a proactive approach to identify new screenplay writers who have their own film slate or film portfolio of 3 to 5 movies which are ready for post production.

In the UK many script writers who have graduated from a film course university collaborate in writers groups. Frequently these groups sit on valuable undiscovered film scripts which never get to see the light of day because the script writers fall into the dreaded catch 22 syndrome. i.e. A hollywood producer or hollywood director will not commit to reading their script because the script writers have no representation from professional script agents.

Script agents will not consider representing most new writers because they are new writers with no prior track record.

The only real difference to this pattern is when independent film producers and directors producers collaborate on a low budget feature film. Everyone involved in the international film industry recognises that gaining financial investment is always the toughest hurdle in an prospective feature film project.

Another startling revelation to anyone on the peripheral of the film industry is that every successful Hollywood movie lives or dies on the professional quality of the script.

Universities, colleges, schools and private training institutions are churning script writers out at an unbelievable rate of knots.

However Hollywood producers and Hollywood directors should know most of these institutions are pre-programming their writing students for failure rather than success. They achieve this failure pre-programming by virtue of not training the writers in how to be sales people.

After all undiscovered new script writers have to first sell themselves to potential script agents and then to movie producers.

I graduated several years ago from John Moores University in Liverpool England with a Master of Arts degree in screenplay writing. Out of the 25 aspiring script writers I know of only 2 of my course associates besides myself who have ever been commissioned to write a film or theatre script which was successfully produced for a fee paying audience.

When one considers that hundreds and hundreds of script writing programmes are run every year in the UK alone. Tens of thousands of aspiring script writers graduate after writing 1 to 5 feature length film scripts. On the law of averages, there has to be hundreds of unpolished gems or scripts waiting for movie producers at any given time.

Historically script agents and movie producers are bombarded with an avalanche of unsolicited film scripts every time an academic training course for script writers finishes. I blame most of these academic institutions for not really teaching script writers the art of business war in relation to offering their film scripts for sale.

Basic business common sense should dictate that there is no point sending out your unsolicited film script to every one of the directors producers and script agents listed in the writers and artists year book. Because all that happens is your script will be designated to a low level company subordinate who is frequently a failed or aspiring writer them self and is paid a paltry sum to identify the next Hollywood blockbuster.

In reality your unsolicited film script will be designated to the ‘File 13′ and be promptly dropped in the garbage can. Although this might seem like a cynical and unfair description of how many script agents and directors producers operate, you only have to walk in their shoes to identify why this happens.

Imagine for a moment that you run your own independent film producers company in London England. Imagine that every week you receive 50 unsolicited film scripts per week. Your business would financially collapse in no time at all if you had to pay professional script writers to carefully read every one of these scripts.

This is one of the main reasons a Hollywood producer and hollywood director collaborates with professional script agents. Hopefully things will change for new British script writers as our recession brings a fresh approach from Hollywood producers and Hollywood directors who are trawling for new film scripts for sale.

I have been the lead writer and lecturer on various film writing projects in the UK and i have read many great scripts from several yet undiscovered script writers. As part of my duties leading these groups I am aware of a number of film portfolio slates which are pre-production ready.

One such film portfolio offers a very attractive slate of 5 feature films from different genres which would prove an excellent investment. This slate would be of special interest to independent film producers and or any directors producers seeking a ready to go film script portfolio for investor interest.

Although these script writers do not have professional representation from recognised script agents these films have been critically evaluated and edited for screen by professional script editors and movie producers. As a final point I offer all UK script writers an insight into the mind-set of a Hollywood Producer.

Samuel Goldwyn the famous American Film Producer once wrote, ‘I don’t want any yes-men around me. I want everyone to tell me the truth even if it costs them their jobs.’

Dr. Mark D. Yates The International Business Guru & Growth Consultant grows businesses fast delivering exponential growth, increased turnover & profit margins. He delivers business support to small, medium & large businesses in 42 countries. To claim his FREE business case files e-mail him at drmarkdyates@aol.com


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Film School – Study And Enjoy Simultaneously!

Posted by admin | Posted on 05-01-2011

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Film School – Study And Enjoy Simultaneously!

If you are someone who wants to become a filmmaker, film school should be a place of joy for you. Because it not only equips you with the basic film making skills, but it also serves to shape your passion. Besides, it gives you the thrust and direction to produce your own film with new and fresh ideas.

There are several well reputed film schools in the country. Well, if California is always going to boast of highest number of film schools, followed closely by New York, you still have lot of other film schools in rest of the country.

Let us first talk about the most sought after “Top of the Pie” film schools which are dream of every aspiring filmmaker. The foremost would be the AFI. It was established in 1967 and is known for speciality in traditional narrative films. It offers six areas of study to the students — Screenwriting, Directing, Production Design, Production and Editing.

Next in line is the California Institute for the Arts which was established in 1961 by Walt Disney for focus on animations. Then there is the San Francisco State University, also set up in the sixty’s. The then prevalent political landscape has greatly influenced its course content. Now move on to UCLA and USC. Enter New York and you find Columbia University School of Arts and the New York University. Both schools have long list of film writers and directors who owe their training to them. For instance, Spike Lee reminds me of New York University.

It appears that if you wish an entry into the “golden gates” of any of these symbols of academic fame, you are going to need the of grace of God and his miracle making powers! So, better start praying right from now. And if despite your best efforts (and prayers!) you fail to make your proud entry inside any of the heavenly gates, no need to despair. Rather than staring at the blissful faces in there, turn around and you will find a lot of other film schools across the country with good programs.

There are several film schools in the Pacific Northwest. There is a very good film school in the University of Washington. Another interesting option is the Evergreen State University. It is famous (or infamous!) for its kind of liberal style of education. In place of grades, they have a system where both students and teachers evaluate every thing — themselves as we as the program. They are known as Greeners and they take pride in their critical thinking. Their program, known as MediaWorks, has produced severel radical and cutting edge filmmakers.

You will have to consider a few things before you pick a film school. The first thing is the cost of education. This is the ground reality, because if you are going to take loan for your education, you must consider how soon you will be able to repay it after finishing school. To answer this question, consider the kind of internships they offer. You can learn about it from past students who recently graduated from the schools you are considering.

Film school is the confortable launching pad for your rocket of burning aspirations. It provides you the opportunity to put your hands on all types of equipments and facilities required for film making. For instance, you will learn how use a camera, recording devices, editing equipments, sound studios and edit bays. Another unique aspect of filmschool is the pool of talent — other students. Students crew for each other. You have all this while you are at school. Once you are out, you can only envy what you had at the school.

So, whichever film school you choose to attend, try to enjoy it fully. It is a place where you have freedom to experiment and facilities to work out your projects. Rather than thinking of sleep at night, plan on falling in love with pizza and Top Ramen.

Abhishek is an avid Film Making enthusiast and he has got some great Film Making Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 78 Pages Ebook, “Understanding The Basics Of Film-Making!” from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/94/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.


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Which Film School Is Best? NYU or USC?

Posted by admin | Posted on 08-12-2010

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Which Film School Is Best? NYU or USC?

As one of only a select few people who has attended both of the leading film schools, I thought I should offer my experience to discuss the two.  New York University and University of Southern California have vied for some time for title of having the ‘best’ film school.  While there are certainly other quality programs out there including AFI, UCLA and others, USC and NYU, due to the number of illustrious alumni, the long history of their programs and the reputation each has are perceived to be at the top of the heap.  So how are they different and is one or the other really the ‘best’?  As I’ll explain, the answer is actually not so simple and really depends on what kind of film education you are trying to experience.

 

The first issue of comparison is location.  NYU is located in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City while USC is located just south of downtown Los Angeles.  At first this might seem an even draw.  After all, they are both great cities, just in different ways.  In my experience however, they offer two very different advantages/disadvantages with respect to their film schools.  New York is by far the more dynamic and action packed of the two cities.  The Tisch Film School is located in a very young, hot part of the city and attending school there provides immense stimulation and interaction with the great mix of New York inhabitants.  

 

NYU does not have a traditional campus, but instead has several dozen buildings spread throughout the Greenwich Village area. While this does not provide the ‘protected’ feel of an enclosed campus such as  USC’s, it actually makes for a much more exciting experience living in New York City.  USC’s film school on the other hand is located in a section of LA which is somewhat less desirable.  While only a short drive down the freeway or across town to Hollywood or the more upscale Westside, the immediate vicinity around the campus is not the greatest area and can potentially be unsafe at night if more than a few blocks outside the campus grounds. 

 

The lack of a good subway or public transit system in LA means that a student will be ‘stuck’ on campus without a car or at least without friends or access to a car.  While the proximity to the film industry, the studios and the many post production houses in LA do offer value to the student for internships and such, my view is that during school, New York offers such a substantially better living environment that it outweighs those benefits.  After graduation after all, many NYU graduates make the move to LA anyway

 

The next notable factor between the two schools has to do with their size.  NYU has a much larger program in sheer numbers with up to 1000 students enrolled at any one time in the film school when considering all the years of the program.  USC has a smaller total size school of several hundred which makes for smaller classes and greater one on one access to professors.  Also, the equipment tends to be in better condition at USC because of considerably less number of students using the limited amount.  In this respect I give USC the edge. 

 

However, one advantage of the larger NYU program comes after graduation.  The sheer number of NYU graduates in the industry make it easier to network in my opinion.  While there is certainly a strong Trojan network that should not be dismissed, I found in my years in LA that I ran across many more NYU Tisch grads than I did the USC film program.  While this does not necessarily mean that is a higher ‘success’ rate among NYU grads, it does offer more networking opportunities and ‘contacts’ at more companies.  For more insight into the NYU and USC Film programs please visit my site at www.USCFilmSchool.com.

With Degrees in Film, Real Estate Finance and Development as well as a PhD in Psychology, Robert Levin writes expert articles covering a broad range of issues. Some of his websites include: www.USCfilmschool.com, www.toptenmba.com,
www.MBAonline.me, www.lawdegree.me, and www.tvwriter.me


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Buying a Sweater and Choosing a Film School – Are There Some Common Threads?

Posted by admin | Posted on 01-12-2010

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Buying a Sweater and Choosing a Film School – Are There Some Common Threads?

If one is considering the purchase of a sweater, it is essential to know more about yourself that the actual sweater when you begin shopping. What are your demands for color and size, do you want pull over, “v” neck, or buttons, what materials do you like, should it be washable or is dry cleaning acceptable, what about weave, design and cost? These are just a few of the questions that must be answered about yourself and your desires before consummating the experience with a purchase. However, since we have probably shopped on numerous occasions, we are very familiar with our criteria for making a selection.


Selecting the right film school is similar, but more exhausting since this is not something that we do frequently. In fact a task like this is often done only once, so it is incumbent on the shopper to prepare themselves fully so the final selection can deliver the results that will lead one to a rewarding and fulfilling experience. The place to start demands that the candidate for film school assess their individual desires, needs, interests, capabilities, motivation, ability to finance, present educational attainment, and an additional host of other considerations about a particular field of film making. Additionally one has to understand that upon graduation they are now qualified as a neophyte in the business and a number of years of hard work are necessary to even achieve a modicum of success.


Think of the number of singers and performers that start out as youngsters and the number that eventually end up in the professional ranks. Consider all the aspiring actors and actresses and then look at the number that actually achieve stardom. Do you want to be the star or would you be just as happy and fulfilled as a member of the supporting cast?


The picture that is being painted here is not about crushing a dream, it is about the reality of any business and especially the extremely competitive nature of the film making industry. If you have not stopped reading yet, perhaps you have the character and motivation to continue to pursue a path in this career field.


Let’s start with some self assessment.


Have Some Experience?


Why do you believe that a career in the film making industry is for you? What was the most fulfilling experience? Why? What was a downer? Have you narrowed your interest to a particular specialty of film making like actor, director, cinematographer, writer or perhaps some other phase such as film editing, set design or costume making? You have an edge over others with no experience and this provides a bit firmer footing than those without. There are many more questions that could be asked, but the purpose of this line of questions is to lead you on the right path. If your fulfilling experience was significantly better than any “downer”, that is positive. However a “downer” that is more memorable may be an indicator that the path you have selected might not be where your real success is located.


No Experience


The question here is why? Why do you want to purse a career in the film making industry? You probably need to find more information about this career field. There are a variety of ways to learn more. Here are a few suggestions. Take a course. Virtually every college in the land has a number of offerings centered around film making. Join a club. Again college campuses are the place where numerous clubs are located, however a search of the Internet revealed that there are many clubs located in a number of cities and towns. Browse the web. Sites such as http://www.filmschools.cc can provide information about the gamut of opportunities available in the industry. Just do it! Many people gain experience by picking up a video camera, gathering friends together, producing short films and then editing the video using a variety of software tools that are readily available. Find work. There are many feature films that are produced in various places around the country. Almost every state has a film bureau where information is available about productions that are planned or scheduled and there are usually positions open for extras. There are also many positions when a film is being produced for “gofers”. These are odd job positions available during the time of the shooting. This is an excellent way to observe and learn about the many activities that take place when a film is being produced.


Character


Does your personality compliment your interests? Do you like being in charge or would you rather someone else provide some direction? Do you work better with a team or are you most efficient individually? Are you someone that is interested in general ideas or do you have a need to learn all the technical specifications? Do you read the directions when putting a product together or do you just look at the pictures and start work? Do you plan your day or just let it happen? How do you learn best? Are you a read and study person or are you a hands-on learner. Are you ready to attack the rigors of a four year course of study or would on-line self paced be a better fit? Answering these questions will help to determine what field of film making might best suit your style and temperment.


The Scene


The previous paragraphs provide the basis for some of the things that you need to know about yourself prior to embarking in the search for a career field in the film making industry that will lead to happiness, prosperity and fulfillment.


The potential film school student needs to be able to identify their unique skills, interests and competencies and then match those to specific careers, jobs and professions. They need to honestly identify character strengths and weaknesses associated with a potential career. There are certain personality traits and requisite characteristics that are generally associated with a particular career field and while they are not necessarily indicative of success, they certainly can identify those that might have a difficult time. For instance, an individual that does not like to be the constant center of attention might want to rethink an acting career.


If there is any uncertainty in your mind, actually even if there is certainty, a career assessment test will t provide clarity for you. These type of tests assist you in identifying career paths that will compliment your learning style, personality and social skills. There are a multitude of these tests that can be completed in a relatively short time and may serve to reinforce your chosen career field or even cause you to make an adjustment to a field with a better fit for you. They are available at no cost in most college career offices, from high school guidance counselors or you can find them on the Internet.


The Princeton Review offers a quick assessment on-line that will serve to illuminate the type of information that can be obtained by completing one or more of these types of assessments. This test only takes about 5 minutes to complete and might provide some useful insight to your own character. The site address is http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/quiz/default.asp?menuID=0&careers=6%20.


It is recommended that a more in-depth assessment be completed, but the idea of what the results might reveal is presented in a clear and concise manner at the Princeton Review site. The University of Missouri also has a web-site that provides some information that may prove insightful. That web address is http://career.missouri.edu/students/explore/thecareerinterestsgame.php. In addition to these two sites there are many more places where you can complete a career assessment test which will prove extremely useful and informative.


You will save significant amounts of time searching for the right opportunities in the film making industry and securing the job of your dreams because you will be lining up the demands of the job with your personality skills and talents.


Job descriptions

At this point, you have assessed your character and personality style and have discovered that there is a future for you in the film making industry. Perhaps you have an idea about a specific career choice or perhaps it needs to be narrowed down. In either case it is instructive to review exactly what is involved in particular jobs. Reading and reviewing a variety of job descriptions and responsibilities can provide insight into the demands of a position as well as provide information about courses that should be pursued to provide the educational background essential for success. Job descriptions can provide information about general educational needs as well as specific technical proficiencies that may be required.


There are numerous areas that can be browsed on the web which will provide a wealth of information. Two that proved helpful were en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Movie_Making_ and http://www.devondelapp.com/weblog/?entry=229889.


The wiki site has significant amounts of information with a myriad of associated links that should satisfy the basic knowledge need of anyone interested in film making. The second site is a blog about the experiences of an individual that served as a production assistant (PA) for a television shoot. The blog is perceptive and insightful and offers those interested a peek inside bowels of the film making business.


Selecting a School


Hopefully, you have now learned about yourself and have identified a potential career path. The selection of a school must be based on a number of factors that are uniquely personal. Probably the first consideration is cost, but location, courses offered, prestige of the school, the likely match of your talents with their prerequisites and several other factors must be addressed prior to making a final decision


A career can be successfully launched based on courses selected from a community college where tuition and fees are substantially lower than schools that offer a four year course of study. It may be financially prudent to initially start an education at a community college and then transfer to a four year institution with a more recognizable name. If this path is selected it is important to insure that the community college courses will properly transfer to the four year institution so it is necessary to confirm that by discussing your plans with a community college career counselor that is familiar with requirements and processes involved in the transfer of credits.


There are numerous four year colleges and universities that provide courses of study that lead to a bachelors degree applicable to some phase of the film making industry. Matching your needs and requirements with the appropriate college or university offerings will save time and insure that you are traveling on the right path.


It is important to consider your educational skill and talents with the institution you are considering. Some institutions offer nuts and bolts, hands on instruction while others offer more cerebral instruction that is intellectually demanding. It is critical to match your talents and abilities with the course of study you will be pursuing.


Some individuals that want to pursue a film making career may already have acquired a bachelors degree and now want to obtain an additional degree or simply take specialized courses. Schools such as the New York Film Academy offer a variety of courses that can respond to this need. There site at http://www.nyfa.com/ provides all the information necessary for a prospective student. If cost is a consideration, there tuition of ,000 to ,000 per semester may present a hurdle.


In all cases it is important to visit the school that you are thinking of attending to gather your first-hand impressions. You should talk to school representatives as well as students to obtain the most comprehensive view. Also, you should take a tour of the school grounds and facilities to insure that their film making equipment will provide state of the art training and experiences.


Review


Purchasing a sweater and selecting a film making school do have a common thread, however it is undeniably more difficult to select a school. However, if you diligently take the time to research all the viable alternatives to successfully pursue a film making career, you will find that it is time well spent. The planning required to make the best selection that fits your individual needs and desires will pay off handsomely in the future by enabling you to have a fulfilling experience.


Checklist


Gain some experiences

Complete a personal assessment survey

Select a path in the film industry

Match your educational needs with schooling

Begin the adventure


The preceding article was authored by Clark D. Richards M. Ed., a former school guidance counselor and contributor of articles to http://www.filmschools.cc

The preceding article was authored by Jason Gadayan a contributor of articles to http://www.filmschools.cc .


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Becoming a Film Director

Posted by admin | Posted on 17-10-2010

Category : Region V

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Becoming a Film Director

There’s a huge desire for entry into the entertainment industry. Every day, literally, people make some form of effort to be a part of the entertainment industry, particularly the US entertainment industry. Many of these efforts play out on the performance side, with droves of aspiring entertainers regularly trying to establish themselves as paid professionals. Entertainment industry aspirations aren’t confined only to the performance side however. Quite a few of the different entertainment industry occupations are highly coveted.

One of the more sought after positions in the entertainment industry is that of film director. Film directors essentially determine how a movie or television show is going to be filmed. The level of autonomy a film director may have varies greatly: film directors who are industry established have extensive autonomy. Directors who aren’t established take orders on what the final filmed product will look like. Directors also typically work under tight time deadlines: the costs of filming either a movie or a television show are enormous, and directors who don’t get projects completed in a timely manner will either be fired or won’t get further assignments.

It’s not set in stone, but to become a director typically means attending film school. Film schools have gone from a specialized department found in only a handful of universities to being quite typical. Some film schools however hold significant prestige: the film schools at New York University and the University of Southern California come to mind. Many film schools, prestigious film schools certainly, have many applicants and are quite competitive and difficult to get in to.

Don’t make the mistake of believing that graduation from film school will mean a director’s job in the film or television industry. What’s more likely to occur is getting work in a low level entertainment industry position. There’s an expression in the entertainment industry that everyone must pay his or her dues. This statement may be an exaggeration, but it’s not much of one. The overwhelming majority of people who work in the entertainment industry start off in lower positions and if they’re fortunate, eventually find success in positions of autonomy. Difficult though it may be to believe, there are many individuals with film degrees from prestigious and expensive universities who are working as waiters or in some similar capacity. The lesson in this is clear: Be certain that film direction is certainly what you want to do before committing to film school, and be ready to wait, maybe for a long time, before you’re able to join the ranks of professional directors.

The AFI- Get The Best Film Making Training

Posted by admin | Posted on 27-09-2010

Category : Region V

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The AFI- Get The Best Film Making Training

Do you wish to pursue the filmmaking profession? This happens to be one of the most competitive fields. It is not one of those career options your want to ignore. As a result, you have to consider schooling. This means that you have to save up some money to join college. Again, you should be cautious when selecting the institution that offers the filmmaking education. The schools are many, but you have to join one of the most popular in your country. If you come from the US, you will be more than happy to join the AFI or The American Film Institute.

 

This is one of the best schools in the country. Offering directly competition are other schools based in different states. For instance, you could join the University of California, the University of Southern California, and other good schools on the West Coast. The schools have produced some of the best Hollywood actors. If you wish to become famous someday, start the journey by acquiring the training. There is no better way of doing this. Joining the film industry is not easy if you do not know the basics and advanced concepts. Perhaps your goal for joining any of the major film institutions is to later start a business.

 

This is also a good goal to try to achieve. It will help you to learn the competitors’ tricks always and to look for ways to deal with intense competition. Do you know why AFI is the best school to pay for your training?  This institute uses its group of cinematographers from the East Coast, who in turn, brings with them their amazing film making styles. You will appreciate its academic program because it is challenging, to make your training worthwhile. Since many people do not want to venture in film making as a career, joining any film making schools is not easy. If you want to know the requirements, you could look for their websites and read the entry requirements.

 

On the other hand, if you want to enjoy the The American Film Institute top one hundred movies, you need a strategy. You need to start selecting the latest movies from the list. You will find that you have already watched most of those movies. The films you want to focus on are those you have not yet watched.  From the list of the films you have already viewed, check the movies that instantly capture your interest.  List them properly so that you can watch all of them.

 

Make sure other new movies that are not in your list do not tempt you. All the films that you enjoy watching must have a history too. Try to discover this history for every film that delights you. You could keep watching new movies or old movies in a programmed manner.  However, you will benefit from this institution if you want to study. It has produced many successful filmmakers. If you have a dream, to be successful in this industry, just enroll. First, look for more information concerning the joining requirements and see if you are missing a detail.

The Best Film Schools

Posted by admin | Posted on 18-08-2010

Category : Region V

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The Best Film Schools

All schools can offer many different things. And that is the reason why schools have their own characteristics and identity. You might hear from some people that the school is often blamed for the image a certain individual projects to the public. For example the statement: “Well, he acts that way since he is from the Blank Wall University. All students who came from that school act in that manner.” And this interference is not without logic. That particular culture and characteristic in a certain school is often caused by peer pressure.

So, to determine the best film school is quite easy. The answer remains to be: It all depends on what you want to achieve in your film school experience. Each film school has its own attributes and distinguishing features so the best thing to do is know them first. The country where this school is located plays a significant role in figuring out the character of a certain film school.

There are many aspects to consider: the course offerings, the length of time every subject is discussed, the number of written modules versus actual practice, the college incorporators and the course, significant guests appearing in lectures, the reputation of the school and if that would matter in the end of the course. I always believe that it does. It aids you in how you move in the world, whether you go up or down. However, in the real world of film, degrees run out of value and what has more weight is track record and experience. There’s no amount of argument that can topple off track record and innate talent. A few examples of schools of impeccable status and reputation are:

American Film Institute
New York University
California State of the Arts
University of Southern California
University of California – Los Angeles

Away from the United States, there are two notable film schools that one interested can opt for and these are the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School and the United Kingdom’s National Film and Television School. This is not to belittle the capacity of other international schools in teaching the art of filmmaking but rest assured that there are those that may be at par with the capacity of these aforementioned schools. What one has to do is run an in-depth research about what he aspires to achieve in the film industry, the culture that he wants to be part of, and where he can be most comfortable with.

USC Film School – A Review

Posted by admin | Posted on 15-08-2010

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USC Film School – A Review

I attended the undergraduate film program at The University Of Southern California and then proceeded with my film education at New York University where I graduated with a BFA.  During my time at USC I attended numerous classes and worked on several productions of friends that were in the program.  In this short essay I’ll try and give an overview of what I view as the strengths and weaknesses of the program as I see them.

The Location

The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located on the main campus of the University of Southern California which is located just south of downtown Los Angeles in an area bordering what is considered southwest LA.  For those unfamiliar with Los Angeles and USC, the school consists of a well maintained and manicured campus that is enclosed as an ‘oasis’ from the surrounding areas of east LA which are not nearly as nice.

Traditionally, the west side of Los Angeles is what people think of when they think of the beaches and nicer suburban areas as well as Hollywood and Beverly Hills which are just east of the ocean communities but west of USC.  While those living on campus enjoy a nice environment, it is generally accepted that venturing too far away from the main campus is not the best experience with many if not most students choosing to leave during the weekends as the school does have a strong commuter element to it.

The Curriculum

The USC Undergraduate Cinema Program is structured in three tiers, the 200, 300, and 400 level with each tier of courses increasing in complexity and generally relying on the successful completion of those levels below.  While you have a choice between several options depending on your area of interest there are some required classes including the ‘core’ classes of Cinema 310, generally taken in junior year and Cinema 480, generally taken senior year.

Cinema 310 and 480 are the core production classes of the program where students are put into either teams or crews and produce their larger productions.  While Cinema 310 consisted of non-synced sound and 480 was a larger more sync-sound production, things have evolved over the years.  Both courses have a ‘screening’ in a sort of festival at the end of the semester where students show their films to each other and family and friends are invited to view them.  The very best of these can often be used as portfolio pieces to gain representation although usually they are not of the quality or length of the graduate level films.

The facilities of the school of Cinema/Television at USC are outstanding.  George Lucas, one of the school’s notable alumni, has made numerous substantial donations to the school and recently donated 5 million to build a large expansion of the school.  In addition, Steven Spielberg and others have donated money for facilities.  The current school is built like a small studio with notable buildings including The George Lucas Instructional Building, The Steven Spielberg Music Scoring Stage and The Marcia Lucas Post-Production Building.

The Professors

USC has a very good and dedicated staff of professors consisting of both full-time as well as adjunct faculty.  Most professors have an extensive history of working in the feature film and television industries with several having been nominated for Oscars and Emmys.  In the past, the school has had numerous famous faculty including Irving Thalberg, Alfred Hitchcock, D.W. Griffith and Darryll Zanuck.

After Graduation

USC has a very powerful and large alumni network with numerous alum working in virtually every area of Film and Television Production. Only NYU is comparable in numbers and quality of alumni in the industry.  Smart students utilize this resource to gain informational interviews and internships to ease the transition into the work world after graduation. 

 Internships are available through the school at virtually ever studio and numerous post production companies as well as agencies and other areas.  Internships are a great way not only to make connections but to ‘explore’ different areas of the industry before deciding on a career path.  For more great information about film school please visit www.USCfilmschool.com.

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Important Factors To Be Aware Of In Film Production

Posted by admin | Posted on 29-07-2010

Category : Region V

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Important Factors To Be Aware Of In Film Production

Those who have graduated from a film studies school enter the dreamy field with sufficient knowledge about film and video production. The only hardship or challenge they encounter is non-availability of funds. The entry of digital equipment has spawned new possibilities for film and video production. The old style of Hollywood-based film production has been displaced by new methods of production. There are a plethora of chances for serious-minded persons who know what they are talking about. Financing has become a perennial problem in the film industry. Bankers are generally at loggerheads with producers. But, nowadays, the trend has undergone sea-change.

There are a number of film study programs. Nearly 600 colleges and universities in the US conduct courses for film production. School of Cinema and Television is the oldest film institute affiliated to the University of Southern California. Nearly half of the 16,500 students of this university are enrolled for atleast one cinema or TV class. These universities have a function to perform. They have to prepare the students to face the challenges when they enter the field of entertainment. As per the website of one university, a degree or diploma obtained after a rigorous course is not only an occupational or professional degree. The program of studies should qualify a student for a number of vocational possibilities. An individual should be in a position to utilize his knowledge in a creative or practical capacity so as to exercise his judgment and initiative which are developed by a university course in film studies.

Film course does not underline the importance of one major factor. They don’t consider that money is the major force connected to film and video production. Majority of the undergraduate courses does not pay much attention to film budgeting. The topics regarding the Cost Reports and Business Plans are sidelined and sidetracked or atleast these headlines don’t receive nay priority in the course curriculum. Better utilization is visible only in Master’s program. The reason for this vacuum is that the academic stream originates from Hollywood production groups. The influence wielded by guilds and unions is responsible for the closely-guarded confidentiality of the production circles. 100% secrecy is still practiced in film circles. Despite this situation, there is a growing clamor to know more about financing and budgeting in film production. The upcoming batches of producers and directors are interested in starting their own projects, arranging funds, budgeting and reporting of total expenditure involved. They depend on Internet for further transactions.

A film institute graduate, if he possesses a complete grasp of the course material, in addition to film budgeting, cost reporting and business plans, is far away from most of the others. Most of the students, today, are concerned about film budgeting, cost profiles, expense account, project spectrum, etc… They show an increasing interest in this routine calculus only to augment their standing as filmmakers. The extensive application of digital infrastructure has originated a new vista of film production, which, despite being less expensive than the usual Hollywood-pattern film productions, cannot be considered to be economical in quantum. It requires heavy funding.

Graduates of film courses who understand the basics of expenditure related to film and video production will realize that they can accept more responsibility in their projects. Their success rate will be more and the graph will show an upward trend compare to the course-mates and colleagues due to their involvement in expenditure calculations.

These are some of the important features of film production. This exercise will be complete, only if the aspirants to stardom in different categories of filmmaking, try their best in a full-fledged scale, to evaluate the budgeting process and profit profiles.

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