ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

10 years, 10 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Having taught for awhile, just about everything is overshadowed by Directing and Cinematography. I spent a couple of lectures just letting students know what other positions exist, and what's expected in those jobs. Perhaps you could do a seminar just to introduce these sorts of things. For example, the pathway to DP doesn't have to go through the camera department. It could easily be electrician, best boy, gaffer, DP, for example. Or do more complete seminars on those beginning positions that lead to other, and better, things. I don't know of any school that teaches one how to be a 2nd 2nd or an electrician.

10 years, 10 months ago - Mark Minors

Totally -- great idea Ellie. The course I did was broad; it covered everything from concept to distribution with a lot of practical application and experience in between. But there were still gaps. For me, the biggest was in assistant directing. How crucial is that role! And, aside from on-set call protocol, it was largely overlooked.

10 years, 10 months ago - Ellie Rofe

I love the idea of revealing the 'hidden crew' so that people have an idea of what options might be available to them - beyond the obvious.

And we're really putting our heads together to see how we can do some more technical seminars within the framework of a 3-day festival (i.e. without dedicated equipment/space and within a limited time).

Maybe we hold a kind of 'lifting the lid' series of events, with this as the intro, and then we branch out into more specific talks.

Thank you! This is much appreciated.

10 years, 10 months ago - Dan Selakovich

I completely understand where you're coming from, Jon-Paul. I have nearly 30 years experience, but here in America, to teach at the college level your must have a Master's degree unless you're a visiting lecturer (as I have been). I taught at a for profit school that has no such requirement. BUT the problem with teaching at for profit schools, is that you are only paid for lecture time. Anything else, like going over scripts, a cut, or anything else with students on a one-to-one basis is on your dime. I thought about getting my M.F.A, but damn, that's a ton of cash for education to get a relatively low paying job.

10 years, 10 months ago - Dan Selakovich

Oh, shit, Susi. A seminar on dialogue editing would be awesome. I'm so sick of hearing tracks with holes or background sound that doesn't fit just to cover up "mistakes" because the person has no idea how to build tracks.

10 years, 10 months ago - Susi Arnott

Agree whole-heartedly with Dan, and love the idea of a seminar on crews and contributions etc.
(Sound and editing are the two fields I would highlight - worrying how little they are appreciated or understood. Even set-dressing: 'signs and meaning' isn't just theory!)

10 years, 10 months ago - Jon-Paul Washington

I may be going off topic but this is a subject close to my heart as I work in education as well as freelance in several areas of filmmaking/photography. For many years organisations such as Creative Skill set have acknowledged that there is a skill gap between education leavers and the industry, resulting in many leavers not having the correct or relevant skills to break into the industry at ground level. In my experience this is a fundamental floor of the countries educational system and is due to several reasons:

Students get very little time with lecturers/technicians (like me) - due to cost saving plans of establishments.

Students get very little in time with people who truly know what they are talking about.

Educational establishments, especially Further Education in the UK, are more interested in if the lecturers can complete paperwork, recruit students and retain them, getting them to 'pass' no matter what, rather than if they know what they are talking about and have the skills necessary to then cascade down to students.

In a recent interview at a 'highly ranked' university for a Technical Demonstrators role I was turned down (12 + years experience of the industry, technical skills, practical and creative portfolio of work, First Class BA Hons. and experience of working in education delivering workshops of the whole filmmaking process (3 hours a week, 30+ weeks a year) for the last three years in favour of a young man who had graduated in 2012 from the same university, worked for the university in a junior role and was then appointed ahead of me and such like into such an important and influential role in terms of skills that the students would learn.

I'm sorry if I sound bitter, but how can he possibly have the skill set, knowledge and experience to pass on that someone like myself would have?

I've had a few other interviews that went similar ways.

I feel the above outlines the problem. Together with the fact that very few F.E. establishments can afford the kit required in order to give their students the hands-on technical, creative and practical skill set necessary to get their foot in the door.

I too have a similar approach to what Dan teaches, ensuring that students are aware of the many roles on set that people carry out rather than just the usual assumptions. I also ensure that I cover everything from conceptualisation/visualisation through to Post-Production including Sound and basic Colour Grading (i'm no expert, ha), then final output. All carried out in a logical step-by-step approach.