Thursday, 5/29/97 More than money In the diverse world of
student films there is one central issue – how to fund a project.
UCLA students tackle the fiscal side of filmmaking in various
ways.
By Stephanie Sheh Daily Bruin Contributor With the increasing
number of big budget bombs, low-budget films are becoming more of
an asset. Remember the gawking over Ed Burn’s $25,000 "The Brothers
McMullen." Student films face the same financial burdens as
professional ones, and a student filmmaker’s struggles to make
movies for less create just as many problems. Hal Ackerman,
screenwriting professor at UCLA, explains that first-year graduate
films are limited to 10 minutes and thesis films can be as long as
half an hour. However, this does not stop some films from costing
up to $30,000. Third-year film undergraduate Logan Hale is feeling
the financial pressure of the film he will be required to make next
year. He says he plans to get a summer job and go to relatives for
financial support. "Basically I’ll do whatever it takes to get it
done," Hale says. "The money’s found somewhere. I’m definitely an
optimist about it all, but I have backup plans, like robbing a
bank." Hale’s feelings are common among film students, but some,
like graduate student David Straus, doubt if students need to go to
these extremes. "Really, a student film shouldn’t cost an
exorbitant amount of money," explains Straus. "I know many students
who have done amazing films for three or four thousand. But then
you get into your advanced project and you might want to spend
$15,000 on a film. I would venture to say that that number is high
and that it should really be the cap." Students can produce these
amazing films and maintain Straus’ $15,000 budget by paying
attention to certain things, namely film stock and its development.
Most of a film’s cost is from the cost of the actual film stock.
Filmmakers can choose from different types of stock depending on
the effect he or she wants for the film. Certain stock produces
darker darks and whiter whites for a higher contrast. Other stock
produces a more even feel. There are no price differences between
different types of stock. The real price jump comes in the newest
types of stock. "Every company like Kodak and Eastman are always
coming out with newer versions of ‘Oh, this is a better grain film
or this will give you better colors.’ There’s usually not much of a
difference," says Victoria Schmidt, a fourth-year film student.
Schmidt does not suggest investing in these newer types of filming
materials. A price difference can be seen with 16 mm and 35 mm
film. Film that is 16 mm is much cheaper, because it takes up a
smaller surface area of the film negative. Grain and picture
quality of 35 mm film is better because the image’s surface area is
larger. Although most film festivals accommodate 16 mm films,
commercial films seen in theaters use 35 mm. With all these
different types of film, it is difficult for a student to know
which one to use. With films that feature dialogue, a process known
by filmmakers as "sync" also plays a role in the cost of a film.
Undergraduates are required to make non-sync films so that they can
learn how to tell stories visually. The cheaper non-sync films can
have soundtracks with sound effects and music, but not dialogue.
Many times a director will have to reshoot a take just because the
sound was not right. Just as the use of sound increases a film’s
cost, post production adds to a filmmaker’s toils. As Schmidt says,
she did not foresee the negative-cutting fees for her film,
"Persephone Returns." A negative cutter charges about $3 a splice,
which averages to $30 an hour. Schmidt’s film needed a lot of cuts
because there was a fight scene in it, and the total cost for the
negative cutter resulted in approximately $500. While many of these
costs are unavoidable, a lot of money can be wasted in making a
student film. Straus gives crucial advice for first-time directors.
"A big waste is a director going onto a set and not understanding
the kind of coverage he needs," Straus explains. "He ends up
shooting every angle so that he has something in post production
and that is not the way you are supposed to shoot a film. You know,
Hitchcock said that his films were made before he even got on the
set. What he meant by that is that every image you saw in his
films, he saw in his head before he shot it." While much of the
cost of a commercial film can be the actors’ salaries, it is not
hard for film students to find actors that will work for free. Many
actors will do a film just for a copy of the tape, hoping to build
their resumes as well as relationships with up-and-coming
directors. Despite the many areas where a film can gather costs,
there are many areas where it can cut costs too. Many places in Los
Angeles will give discounts on film stock and development if a
filmmaker tells them that they are a student. Straus says that a
film student can even get their film donated if they are passionate
about what they are saying. "A lot of times people defer salaries,"
Schmidt adds. "Labs will say, ‘OK, you can pay us later.’ You can
work out different deals. Sometimes people will try to get a
cinematographer that has certain connections in the industry who
was working as an assistant. So you say, ‘OK, I’ll let you be the
actual head of the camera and you use your connections to get us
free film.’" An additional element that lessens the financial
burden is the university itself. UCLA does the best it can to aid
the struggling filmmaker by loaning equipment to students free of
charge, although students are required to pay insurance in case
equipment is damaged. A free rental of a camera package from the
school can cost up to $12,000 from an equipment renter. The
university also waives the fees for filming on-campus. Whenever a
company decides to shoot a film or commercial on-campus, they are
required to apply for a permit and pay the school a fee. While
students must still apply for permits to film on their own school
grounds, they do not have to pay the fees. For students on
financial aid, Schmidt suggests that they go and try to get more
money. Since making a film is a requirement for graduation, the
financial-aid office sometimes increases their aid to pay for some
of the costs of the film. The easiest way to pay for the cost of
the film though, is by getting free money. There are hundreds of
scholarships, grants and awards that students can receive through
the school. Money is given out based on a variety of criteria, from
grades and past projects to whether or not the student is from New
York. Straus warns that while there is an enormous amount of grants
available, there is an even greater number of needy filmmakers.
"Grants, while in a sense they are difficult to get, once you get
them it’s the easiest way to make a film," Straus expands. "What
happens to the student who doesn’t get the grant? That student has
to go out there and convince people that one, he knows what he’s
doing, two, that he’s passionate, and that he’s honest. If he
convinces them of those three things then they’re going to be in a
lot better situation to get things for free." Although getting a
grant is the easiest way to finance a film, getting a grant is not
an easy thing to do. Despite the fact that students can receive up
to a couple thousand dollars, grants and awards typically will not
pay for the entire cost of a film. After receiving a grant, Straus
still spent a year going to investors in Los Angeles and Chicago to
raise money for his first feature film. "Many people listened and
didn’t care. Many people didn’t even listen," Straus says. "I
finally got enough people who cared that I was able to do the film,
but it was because of that persistence that the film got done and
not because of the grant." In looking for investors, Straus
exhausted all possible resources. He distributed business plans to
numerous people. They in turn would pass the business plans on to
other acquaintances. Finally, five people later, complete strangers
contact Straus for business meetings. "I know it is hard," Ackerman
says. "But part of the challenge of being a filmmaker is being able
to find the money to make your film, knowing what your resources
are and having the ingenuity to make a film that you can finish."
Even though there are many avenues of resources and ways to cut
film costs, financing films are still burdensome. Currently Schmidt
has not decided whether or not to go on to a graduate film school.
With the financial strain of film projects and school tuition,
enrolling in graduate school loses some of its appeal. But not all
film students feel this way. "It’s worth it if you believe in what
you are doing and you believe you have something worthy to create,"
Hale says about the struggles of raising money to make films.
"Definitely go out on that limb and spend $5,000 or however much
people are intending to spend, and create a piece of art. If you
believe in it then it’s definitely worth it." Related Links: UCLA
School of Theater, Film, and Television