This Savage Art

I think I’m a pretty smart guy. Not a Mensa member by any stretch but I have commons sense, can change a flat tire, know how to order a bottle of wine, can talk my way out of a traffic ticket and can count to ten in four languages. So I put this question to you fine readers, what is an MFA worth out there in the film industry with the state of things as they are?

I have been wrestling with the thought of going back to school and getting a Masters in Fine Arts. There are only two schools I’m applying to and I couldn’t have picked a better time. The deadline for both is December 1st. There’s the NYU Graduate Program — Tisch School of the Arts. World renowned. The film world elite have been students or have taught there — Spike, Marty, Jim and Oliver.  It’s a big program and the price tag is just as big. The other obvious New York City choice is Columbia, a school that has always been know for a solid screenwriting program and beyond. When I was taking some Continuing Education courses at NYU way back when, the general consensus was that if you wanted to direct you went to NYU and if you wanted to write you went to Columbia. Not sure how true that was then and how true it is now.

There are a few concerns here, money being one of them. There’s no way I could afford NYU on my own without any financial assistance and that doesn’t include making films, that’s out of pocket. Going through the bursars website I found out that a three year program, at about $20,000 a term, comes to approximately $150,000. That is including a modest budget for student films. Very modest.

The Columbia University MFA cost is slightly less. The first two years are all coursework, no film production at all, and it’s approximately $50,000 followed by thesis years which are about $3,000 a semester for a Screenwriting concentration. Big difference from the Tisch program but I know that NYU has invested a lot into their film department. I’m not sure how the Columbia Directing Program really stacks up.

I guess a big reason why I’m applying is maybe because I’m craving the need to be immersed in something I deeply care about and still want to improve at. I’ve spent the last year and a half caring for my son while Linda toils away in the coal mines. I feel out of loop and this could be a way to get back in. Besides, the film industry is in a complete state of panic and flux. Maybe now would be the time to do this.

I’m definitely applying to both. The decision of whether I go or not will be made when the time comes. The decision might be made for me for all I know. I would appreciate anyone who wants to leave a comment about their MFA/Film Program experience at either one of these two schools or any film school for that matter.

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Whether you have the money or not this is some very good advice on what to do with your money and how you, as a filmmaker, should evolve.

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[I decided to pull this post out of the sidebar because I wanted to add some more to it.]

Michael Clayton writer/director gets beyond the mechanics of screenwriting and to heart of the matter – imagination [via GreenCine - added podcast.] The podcast itself is a nice little film school compacted into a half an hour program hosted by the always enjoyable Elvis Mitchell. What I like about it is its a real inside take on the process of filmmaking from a doer. Not to take anything away from anyone. I’m a doer. You might be a doer. What I mean is he’s a pro writer turned director who isn’t talking out of his ass like some guru who has never been in the trenches. The real trenches. Twenty years of grinding it out only to emerge now with a project that is getting much attention. When I saw it in the theater all I kept thinking was how much I wanted to read the screenplay [you can download a PDF here.]

I attended a Script to Screen event that the IFP hosted around 2000-01(?) and Gilroy spoke with Raymond De Felitta about screenwriting. It was early on in his career and he was coming off Proof of Life. I remember thinking “that is what a pro screenwriter sounds like.” The guy walked the walk. As you will gather from listening to the podcast you’ll get the idea that he’s worked on his share of questionable films but it’s also where he learned his craft and how to swim the political waters of Hollywood. You can see the culmination of all that in Michael Clayton. You can also see the early films of Alan J. Pakula in it too which is a plus in my book. It is a shame the film got buried amongst the muck early in the year because as far as what Hollywood is celebrating right now as Academy Award fare, this is as good as I’ve seen in a long time.

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A good nuts and bolts filmmaking blog from San Francisco digital filmmaker and friend of Stu “Red Giant” Maschwitz, Eric Escobar. [via Making The Movie]

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Spike Lee will be directing a revised stage version of the 1951 comedy-drama Stalag 17.

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Continuing with the previous discussion let’s establish that I’m a filmmaker not a screenwriter. I’m going through what most independent filmmakers go through and that’s having to consider budget when writing. Part of my decision to write this screenplay was having the intention to go out and raise funds to make a film no matter what the budget. We all know how difficult that can be so in order to make the filmmaking venture doable it’s probably a good idea to start small. I’m trying to do something with enough production value that it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. It’s not just about talent or budget or a great screenplay. It’s about all those things and the planets aligning in your favor. A little luck doesn’t hurt either.

So what brings your budget down? Available and limited locations, a small cast, lots of rehearsal time, shooting on video (maybe) are all ways of putting it on the screen for less. When writing with a budget in mind think of what is available to you. What can friends and family offer that you don’t have? Robert Rodriguez speaks about this at great length. He did a lot with very little. Neil Lebute’s In The Company Of Men is a good example too. Get ready to beg too.

Now take everything I just said and throw it out the window. As I started writing this I noticed I wasn’t taking any of my own advice because it’s dangerous. Writing with constraint can stifle you. It’s like a noose around your neck. I was envisioning something really simple for this project and then I started writing it. Scenes in locations that might be a challenge started presenting themselves. Do you stop at this point? The answer is no. You do what you should always do when writing – work it out on the page. Keep it fresh and challenge yourself. Write the screenplay your mind wants you to write. You’d be amazed at what you can do if you really want to make that film. The rest will take care of itself.

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David Samuel Peckinpah. Born February 21, 1925. Died December 28th, 1984. A director with a reputation for creating mayhem on screen and off.

Always unpredictable and never tame, Peckinpah lived his life to make movies. Everything else was just filler. Today we celebrate this sometimes misunderstood, sometimes reviled loner auteur.

I’ll be adding links as I get them so please feel free to contribute through the weekend. Make sure you contact me with your link. A big thanks to everyone who contributes and visits.

Links:

Forager Blog: The Osterman Weekend

The High Hat | Nitrate: Sam Peckinpah

[This Savage Art]: Bloody Sam And Theme Explored

Cineaste: Sam Peckinpah’s Legendary Western Collection Reviewed

The Hollywood Reporter: Risky Biz Blog: Happy Birthday Sam Peckinpah

Oggs’ Movie Thoughts: Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

[This Savage Art]: Intoxicated With The Madness

Big Media Vandalism: “There’s nothing sacred about a hole in the ground or the man that’s in it. Or you. Or me.”

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