Every year, a mere 30 students write their way into one of the
world’s most renowned and success-bearing film programs
““ UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.
However, outside of the accepted applicants consisting of 15
transfers and 15 current UCLA undergraduates, there are more
potential starving filmmakers than there are empty street corners
in Los Angeles.
Thankfully ““ for the would-be filmmakers, that is ““
formal schooling is not the only road to the industry.
“Undergraduate education is a far greater enterprise than
mere vocational training,” said screenwriting professor
Richard Walter. “At the same time that UCLA has the most
successful film department in terms of having its graduates move to
respectable professional success, the fact is that most people in
the movie business did not attend film school.”
One can gain a fairly extensive education in film history and
theory on campus without being a film student.
Most notably, UCLA provides myriad screenings across campus, new
and old and both foreign and American.
For more mainstream fare, the Campus Events Commission screens
upcoming and recent releases throughout the year in the Ackerman
Grand Ballroom. For a more offbeat crowd, the Graduate Students
Association sponsors Melnitz Movies, first-run independent and
foreign films, often accompanied by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
Sofia Coppola, Jean Pierre Jeunet and Peter Dinklage have come to
speak in the James Bridges Theater in recent years, to name a
few.
Meanwhile, the UCLA Film and Television Archive is home to one
of the largest collections of media materials in the United States
““ second only to the Library of Congress ““ and the
largest of any university in the world. Many of these titles may be
accessed for viewing in the library’s Media Center, or may be
shown in courses across campus. Additionally, the Archive sponsors
screenings, often tributes to classic filmmakers or foreign
movements, also shown in the James Bridges Theater.
According to school spokeswoman Teri Bond-Michael, the school
also hosts public film-related events throughout the year,
including special guests and screenings.
“Each year, in June, the School of Theater, Film and
Television celebrates student talent with UCLA Festival, a weeklong
series of events showcasing the latest work by the next generation
of artists,” she added.
Screenings are one aspect of theoretical film education, but
UCLA also offers more courses to non-major students than many
realize.
Almost a dozen courses ranging from the History of American
Motion Pictures to Screenwriting Fundamentals are not only open to
all majors, but are taught by experienced faculty and can provide
groundwork for a future as a filmmaker.
“For me, the technical is second, and theory is first.
That’s the good thing about UCLA. Even before you get into
film school, you have to take a lot of critical studies
classes,” said Susie Shen, who graduated from the school last
year and currently works for Sony.
According to Hal Ackerman, also a UCLA screenwriting professor,
an important aspect of building a supportive, creative community of
filmmakers, learning technical skills and gaining valuable
experience is learning how to collaborate and work with everyone
from their peers to the crew.
The technical side of film school, however, can also be matched
on the UCLA campus as well.
UCLA film graduates and undergraduates alike are in constant
need of free labor. Crew calls are posted in the halls of Melnitz,
and simply asking around is bound to yield some copy and credit
positions. And within the academic environment that is UCLA, more
experienced film students are more than willing to teach what they
know.
Other organizations and clubs around campus utilize film
equipment and can provide valuable hands-on experience in a variety
of contexts. The UCLA Ad-Marketing Team shoots commercials, various
UCLA news programs produce daily or weekly feeds, and many other
television programs are always looking for fresh, creative
talent.
“I helped write for and light UCLA Newsbreak,” said
Shen, who participated in a variety of film-related activities
inside and outside of the film program. “And we were hardcore
about Ad-Team.”
UCLA also provides access to internships, listings that are
often available only to students. The Center for Community Learning
(A333 Murphy) and the MyUCLA Web site both have dozens of listings
for film and television internships.
“Because of our great involvement in the professional
world, there are many opportunities of (mostly unpaid)
internships,” Ackerman said.
“These are coveted positions where you will get to do all
the crappy grunt work. But you will learn a great deal about how
things work in the real world.”
Whether on or off campus, at screenings or working on a graduate
shoot, UCLA is well-suited for a thriving film community.
Most important, however, is to utilize the campus and the
hundreds of creative minds meandering about UCLA each day ““
and create.
“If you want to be a commercial, studio person, do an
internship. If you want to produce, line-produce some student
films. If you want to be a writer, you should write. Whatever you
want to do, just take it and start doing it,” Shen said.
“School is just a side thing.”