By Marcelle Richards
Daily Bruin Reporter Despite a donation of new digital equipment to
UCLA’s School of Film and Television, students are still
shouldering thousands of dollars in production costs. As a result
of a “strategic alliance,” Apple Computers donated 25
G-4 computers, each equipped with Final Cut Pro, an advanced
software program, which has reduced hours of manual editing to a
few strokes of the keyboard. “The rationale is
artistic,” said Robert Rosen, dean of the School of Film and
Television. “We are trying to prepare people to work in the
professional world and it’s important they learn how to use
these new technologies.” But because UCLA has not converted
to a purely digital format, costs have actually risen in switching
between two media. “The principal advantage of using digital
equipment for film students is that we can create the projects we
want at a much lower cost,” said Bryce Worcester, a
third-year film student. “The truth however, is that because
we haven’t made a full switch to digital filmmaking, costs to
students have actually increased.” Rosen said he expects to
establish more corporate partnerships in the future to get more
digital additions, while at the same time keeping traditional film
production a core part of the curriculum. “These are
wonderful tools for storytellers,” said Bill McDonald, vice
chair of production of the School of Film and Television, who
played a major role in getting digital equipment in the department.
“The benefits are the ease with which students are allowed to
experiment with their film footage, especially with all this
central storage.” Though UCLA has been using some digital
equipment in special effects and production over the past three or
four years, the new computers are the climax of the
department’s digital face-lift, according to McDonald. The
software program has 80 percent the capacity of a $100,000 piece of
editing equipment, he continued. “Apple was very interested
in forming a partnership with a major research institution,”
McDonald said. “They were certainly interested in UCLA where
students would push it way beyond the limits of a test
group.” The computers were first based in the undergraduate
department, and after positive review, distributed at the graduate
level. Other major film schools such as USC have already taken
similar courses of action. “If we look down the road, we
expect we’ll still be shooting on film,” said Gary
Goldsmith, USC coordinator of beginning production classes.
“But (postproduction) will be in digital.” Graduate
projects at USC have cost as little as $5,000 and as much as
$50,000. Goldsmith has noticed considerable savings when using
solely digital methods. Many students create their works on film,
edit digitally and then convert it back onto film, because of the
focus on using both media. “We are paying the costs of
both,” Worcester said. “We buy and develop the film and
at the same time pay to transfer our films to video for
editing.” While the UCLA film and television department
offers financial awards, students pay a large portion of the costs
out of personal funds. With the costs of production unwavering,
work and hunts for donations are common ways students alleviate
financial burdens. “I worked for over a month to get food and
services donated to my film,” said Worcester, who
additionally received a $1,000 departmental award. “The rest
of the cost for my film came out of my pocket. I guess if I
didn’t have the project I could have bought something else
worth $3,000.” At USC, undergraduate students do not incur
any costs beyond lab and tuition fees. The school pays for eight
projects with equipment provided, according to Goldsmith. The
projects are copyrighted under USC, and students must compete for
the funding. At UCLA, the film department offers $500,000 in
awards, and students retain the copyrights to their work, according
to McDonald. While UCLA students are not required to make films to
graduate, the costs of doing so are often left somewhat vague,
Worcester said. “It wasn’t until we were in the school
and saw a previous student’s work that we heard of any price
tags for making films,” he said. “Other costs that were
not made clear to us were the $700 cost of our single editing class
and the $300 cost of our cinematography class.” Despite the
added costs of mixing media, UCLA’s film and television
program models itself after today’s film industry, which
gives Worcester reason to give overall approval. “This blend
of media is the standard for the film industry today, and students
get to experience all the major processes of professional film
production,” Worcester said. “The problem that students
encounter is that they are not film production
companies.”
BRUINS VS. TROJANS Though UCLA is stepping up
in digital technology, undergraduates still foot hefty production
costs. Bruins Trojans Mandatory
film production No Yes Average costs for production $3 – $10,000*
$0*, funded by school Number of years since complete digital
"facelift" 1 4 Equipment supplied by school Yes Yes *with the
exemption of lab fees SOURCE: USC, UCLA Original by CONNIE WU/Daily
Bruin Senior Staff Web Adaptation by VICKI FENG