Go See "Dear White People," If You Can!

You know me: I like to support fellow peeps! Please support the filmmakers of Dear White People. Black cinema is one of those things that gets niched too often. There is a racial theory that states Black cinema struggles at the box office due to a lack of racial empathy. In theory, white audiences cannot relate to black protagonists.

Well, Dear White People shot for the moon and is now rocketing into space. The Sundance darling has now attracted international buyers at American Film Market.

Check out the trailer:



Although the film is released nationally, the release is limited so it may or may not be playing near you.

Here is an interview with Dear White People actors Marque Richardson and Brandon Bell. They are being interviewed by Daren Jackson. All three attended USC with me and are great people!


Happy Filmmaking!

Do I Smell a SCAM???: Film "Schools"

Filmmaking is expensive. VERY expensive. Even learning how to be a filmmaker can be expensive. In this post, I'm not addressing university film schools like USC, NYU, or UCLA. These schools not only provide real degrees, they have a proven track record. Even if you attend for the alumni database, they are worth the money. You also get financial aid at these places which--at least in theory--levels the playing field between students of different socio-economical backgrounds.

I'm talking about those unaccredited afternoon classes that cost more per unit than any class at the above schools. I've never attended any of these "classes" personally, but a Google search brings up many unfortunate, but reliable sources. These programs, which can cost as much as a used car, claim to give you the "real deal" on making it in the film industry. Obviously, this is a marketing ploy, given that many wannabe filmmakers believe university-based programs are largely theory-based. While film theory plays a large part in university-based models, film programs at "The Big Three" are known for their hands-on approach to filmmaking, as well as the academia. That's what makes USC, NYU, and UCLA the Harvard, Yale, and Princeton of the field.




So, the dodgy programs sucker you into believing that university-based programs are archaic, theory-laden, and super-exclusive. And that they offer the alternative. As long as you have a valid credit card, you're in. The Usual Suspects that raise eyebrows: LA Feature Film Academy, Vancouver Film School, Academy of Cinema and Television, Film Connection, and 2-day Film School (highly debated, seems like his videos and books are better received).

Warning signs:
1. For-profit status: Yeah, one can argue that all colleges and universities are for profit. But universities offer much more for the money. Like alumni functions, larger access to equipment, ball games, and meal plans.

2. No degrees given: If the program doesn't offer any degrees of any kind, your money might be better served taking film courses at LA City College.

3. Degrees given for little coursework: 10-month master degrees are rare. In fact, both NYU and USC's MFA programs are three years.

4. Strangely high acceptance rate: Just like the Industry, very few attend real film school. Ideally, anything above a 50% acceptance rate (that is not a community college) should be reconsidered.

5. School boasts that your favorite filmmaker "attended": Most likely not, or it's a moot point all together. For example, 2-day Film School claims Spike Lee started his career there. While he may have signed-up, Spike Lee also has an MFA from Tisch at NYU. NYU wins that debate.

6. Financial aid is unexplainable: Got a student loan package but never filled out the FAFSA? Run away.

7. Recruiters use hard-sell tactics: It is the job of the recruiter to make you want to attend. However, a "how-can-we-get-you-to-come-here" approach is a red flag.

8. School reminds you that it's "not a scam": Again, most university programs rarely care if you call their programs scams. If this is an FAQ question on the program's website, reconsider.

While it's true that not everyone can and will visit the Ivory Towers of Higher Learning, you might be better off visiting your local library than attending these high-priced programs.

Happy Filmmaking.

Best Advice I Received While in Film School: Art for Business' Sake!

I credit this pearl of wisdom to Professor Drew Casper, Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Chair for the Study of American Film at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. The Man, the Legend. Let's face it: if you were a cinema major at USC in the past *CENSORED* years, Dr. Casper was the first person to tell you that your knowledge, as well as your taste, in films was pathetic. Guess what? He was right. He's always right. Hang your head in shame. He also taught you a valuable lesson on day one in his "Introduction to Cinema and Television" (CTCS 190) class. Film is an art, but it is also a business.

A business. Artists forget that part. In fact, most film majors forget that one single most important lesson for the rest of the time in film school. I learned about producing because no one else wanted to do it. We preferred storyboarding to boardrooms. MOS to ROI. Ask a film student about incorporation, and he'll say "LL-what, now?" We made fun of business students for having no vision. After all, they will all end up in human cages, colloquially known as cubicles.

When you leave the palm-tree laced campus of 'SC, you quickly come back to earth. Yes, you know how to make a film from start to finish, creatively-speaking. But can you promote it out of the bowels of Development Hell? Do you know how to sell distribution rights? Can you negotiate for soft money or tax reimbursements? What about raising the money for the film's production in the first place?

Not that 'SC didn't remind its students of these things. It's just no one listened. They were too busy memorizing all the cool lingo used on professional shoots, like OTS (over the shoulder) and "dutch angle" (that overused sideways perspective). No one told us the b-school students would be our bosses! And now they are pissed due to the years of snarky comments from artsy-fartsy types, as Temp X and the Anonymous PA would tell you. Because of the lack of business skills and marketing, many former film majors will get frustrated and eventually go to law school when they get tired of eating spam and Ramen for 600 days in a row. Or when they knock someone up. Whichever comes first.

But it's not too late. Remember most people are in the film business to make money (even the ultracool indies). Most films, even runaway budgets, are funded with equity, and your investors want their money back! Now more than ever, the indie filmmaker has to be a salesperson. Making deals is where the money is at! Lucky for us, good businesspeople are made, not born. One good book to check out is The Producer's Business Handbook. It covers everything from gap financing to completion bonds. At least, once you have the business side down pat, you can move up from Ramen to boxed macaroni and cheese. Just remember milk costs money.

Happy Filmmaking.

Best Advice I Received While in Film School: Playing With Others

Last weekend, I attended a career seminar hosted by my alma mater. While the advice was superb all around, one key phrase lit a light bulb in my head: collaboration with fellow alums. Cue "a-ha moment".

As young people, we live in a constant world of competition. It's a myth that my generation needs such a self-esteem boost that the "everyone is a winner" manta is a standard. Even as a little girl, I was told to stand out from the competition.

Competitiveness drives our reasoning behind many of our life goals. If we don't get into one of the big-three schools (That's USC, UCLA, or NYU), or if we don't land that mailroom position at William Morris, we are doomed to fail in life. One sidebar: there are very few industries where people literally beg for low pay, substandard benefits, and office worker abuse like the entertainment industry. But that's the Industry for you!

Our competitiveness may just be a by-product of our capitalistic society. If that's the case, then collaboration just sounds plain socialist. Socialist or not, film is a collaborative art, even if pro-auteur theory fans don't want to admit it. Collaboration was something my film professors had preached throughout college, and for good reason.

When I collaborate, I learn to listen. Listening is an underrated skill. It allows me to gage various points of view, while encouraging everyone to work towards a common goal. It can be frustrating, yes, but also loads of fun. Not to mention, if you crew on someone else's film, he or she might return the favor. Industry collaboration works like the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

So the moral of my story: Kindergarten was right. You really should have been graded on how well you played with others.

Happy Filmmaking.

USC's First Look 2009!

This weekend. Saturday and Sunday. In the Norris Cinema Theatre on USC's campus. In Los Angeles, California! Be there!

But seriously, First Look is always a big deal for the School of Cinematic Arts. It showcases both undergrad and grad thesis projects from the previous semester to the general public and alums. Highly supported by former and current students, First Look is often the highlight of the year for the schoo, only falling short of graduation.

I'm going to not only support my fellow trojans, but to support a few friends and acquaintances who are showcasing on Sunday. For example, Christine T. Berg will It gives me time to be jealous of them (I'm just kidding, but I live for this!) If you are in town, you should check it out, too.

I can't sign off with doing the school cheer:
S-O-U-T-H-E-R-N C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A! Southern California! (Victory sign in the air).

Happy Filmmaking!

Legal permits vs. good ol' fashion shoot-and-run

Coming home from work today, I noticed a "Notice of Filming" posted on the front door of my apartment building. I am very familiar with these signs, and every time I see one, my face lights up. They bring me back to my film school days, when students always ran into one universal problem: permit, or no permit?

Fundamentally in Los Angeles, it is illegal to shoot a film in a public area without securing a permit. Especially if you would be obstructing the normal traffic or pedestrian flow. Thus, Los Angelinos expect the notices. If you don't have one of these, there is nothing you can do when some asshole decides to take a shortcut straight through your shoot.

But permits take time away from your shoot, they cost money, and sometimes you find a locale you love, but you can't secure the location through a permit. What are you gonna do? Go guerrilla, of course! Guerrilla filmmaking tends to happen quite often in indie and student films. I did it myself. And despite the clearly laid-out rules at USC about shooting without permits, the school itself turned a blind eye to it in regards to its students. There was even a class at 'SC about Guerrilla filmmaking. Guerrilla filmmaking only works if you have a small cast and crew and very few equipment, or if you are shooting a documentary. That way you can shoot and move more quickly.

If you are caught by authorities, however, you could face legal issues. Big legal issues. And who wants that when they are trying to make something meaningful to humankind? The compromise is to secure a permit with a small crew. Here in LA, if your crew is small enough and you have no stunts or SFX, your permit may be free. Small crews are favored over large ones, and you can control the locale to your liking. In other cities, you may even get the support of the local chamber of commerce or film commission, and even some soft financing (that's price cuts and in-kind donations). Sometimes it's worth following the rules. For a list of film commisions, click here.

Happy Filmmaking!

VHS R' Us

What to P.T. Anderson, Kevin Smith, and Quentin Tarantino have in common? Besides being famous filmmakers with large fan bases, but all are established filmmakers sans film degree. These directors are usually the argument against film school. However, proponents of film school argue that these directors had a once in a lifetime shot to make it, as opposed to increasing your chances by building your network. If you aspire to be like one of these directors, there is one thing you have to do: eat, sleep, and breathe cinema.

These directors are often called "VHS filmmakers" because their "film education" consisted of watching hundreds and hundreds of films similar to their interests. Ed Wood was also this kind of director (even though he may not be the best example). These directors also have high IQs and can easily processes certain techniques.

Even if you have a fancy film school degree, it wouldn't hurt to do a little more research. Here are some tips:

• To save money, go to your local library or invest in a subscription service like Netflix.
• Put aside some time in your day or week to watch a film undisturbed. The more distractions, the more you miss.
• Use lists such as AFI's top 100 films, or IMDB top 250 as a guide for films you NEED to watch.
• Even if using the above lists, keep in mind that they slant towards American filmmaking. Be on the lookout for notable foreign filmmakers and auteurs as well, such as Fellini, Goddard, Kurosawa, Bergman, Malle, and Lang.
• Also look at films considered the "worst films ever" (not because your brother says so, but actually films universally considered bad, like Showgirls). They are good examples of what NOT to do. Usually a film's on the list because of the storyline and acting, not just poor production value or technical problems. Need help? Cheat by looking up which titles Mystery Science Theatre 3000 lampoons.
• Take notes. Not just on the storylines and actors, but on camera angles, scenes, filmic styles, transitions, and art direction.
• Watch movies in the same genre. Take note of any genre patterns.
• Rewatch your favorite films. Why are they your favorite?
• Enjoy yourself. You're watching a movie. Feel free to have popcorn, coke, and Twizzlers.

Happy Filmmaking!

Speaking of your career...

I came across this article titled, "Why Are So Many People Interested in Pursuing a Film Career?" on the Film-and-TV Career blog. In the article, Darren Alff addresses a good point: what exactly is your OWN motivation for pursuing such a competitive and stressful career?

Alff asked film students nationwide why they wanted in. The answers varied, but he pointed out it was rarely for the sake of art itself. Just like I wrote in a previous blog, money and fame can cloud the mind when choosing this career--or any career for that matter.

I have a friend who graduated with me who wants to be an actor-producer. He's really good and even made a short that his folks help fund. He apparently feels like a failure right now, since the reality of post-college life has sunk in. I reminded him that he just needs to be patient; it will come. Maybe he had visions of fame and fortune, like many film students. Once he gets past this, I think he will be more successful.

I even had those thoughts myself, knowing I should know better. I want to be a writer-director, and it is fun to imagine myself having dinner at a country club with Oprah and the Smiths, or collaborating with P.T. Anderson. Taking my mother shopping for a Hermes bag (and getting on that list in one week), or going on a shoot in Europe. And just like every other film student, I have imagined giving my acceptance speech at BAFTA, SAG, and the Oscars, in a beautiful Oscar de la Renta red dress. But I do not allow these fantasies to distract me from my ultimate goal, which is to make something meaningful and memorable. You could argue that in itself is a fantasy, but I believe it's a far more reachable one than an invitation to the White House to showcase your film.

The article is worth a read. And use it to reflect on yourself. Where are your ambitions taking you?

Happy filmmaking!

The non-glamorous side of filmmaking.

Filmmaking is glamorous, fun, and exciting. At least that is the depiction. Filmmaking is so glamorized that the general viewing public thinks it's one of the easiest jobs in the world. Nothing can be further from the truth. When I talk to non-filmmaker people like my family members, some of my friends, and acquaintances, thoughts of celebrity and money enter their minds. They see a product everyone seems to enjoy that will make you rich and famous among your wildest dreams.

However, this is often not the case. Filmmakers know that making a film takes determination, a strong will, the ability to take rejection, doubt, quasi-ethical business practices (like my favorite: buying props at Walmart and returning them after the shoot), a poker face, long hours, and tons and tons of money.

In fact, more than 95% of all workers in the Industry never become famous outside of the field. So writing a script and imagining yourself pitching movie ideas to Spielberg over dinner probably won't happen. However, success does not equal celebrity. My film professors were very successful in the Industry. For example, Professor Howard Rosenberg, my televisional critic professor, is a retired film and television reviewer for the LA Times. Another one of my professors, Helene Head, directed several television shows and programs. Variety is filled with obituaries of dedicated movers and shakers that no one seems to know outside of the film industry. The general public probably does not know much about a celebrated art director or a dedicated UPM (Unit Production Manger).

Filmmaking probably won't make you rich either. You'll probably go broke. In fact, I don't know how many times I have heard people say, "if you are in it for the money, go to business school." Good thing I have ran into few people who actually get into film on the basis they will be rich. Most I know, including myself, just want to support themselves and their families doing what they love.

In this day and age, when a filmmaker wears many hats, filmmaking is getting easier, but less glamorous. Indie filmmakers often will have to take on roles in addition to the traditional "above-the-line" roles. Which means you might have to hold your own boom mike, pull focus, or cater in addition to the time-consuming duties of a director or a producer. You may be working a grand total of 60-80 hours a week, and that does not include the planning and preparation time needed if you are above-the-line.

Actual producers (not the Hollywood stereotypes driving around in convertibles with cell phones attached to their ears--now illegal in California--and hot models on their arms) put up with alot of crap. Being a producer kinda sucks. Orson Welles once said, "no one knows what a producer does, but the producer." What does that mean? Often, the producer in indie filmmaking does all the stuff no one else wants to do like hire and fire personnel, clean up a set, find the money for the film, arranging call times with the production team, shop the film to potential buyers and festivals, remind everyone to stay on budget and on schedule (also the AD's job), and directing traffic between shoots. It's a hard job.

Directing also sucks in its own way. Basically you have to dictate your vision to the actors and the rest of the crew, which takes a whole lot of negotiation. If you are a beginning director, you may find more experienced crew members doing what they want instead of how you directed them. This happens because 1. ) you are untested 2.) it creates a power struggle and 3.) you may suck at directing and the crew member believes his way is better. You may also find that the actors may seem lost if you do not give them good direction. Then when that happens, everyone's time is wasted getting the best shot, and it's YOUR fault.

Acting is probably the most glamorized film jobs out there because it creates the most celebrities. However, to give you an idea how actors may be treated, I'll quote the great Alfred Hitchcock: "Actors are cattle." Sure, they get pampered by the producer and director, but basically, actors do what they are told. That is what they are paid for. Actors who know this and can add their own input have better relationships with directors. Even though actors are done faster than other personnel, they have the most physically demanding job on set, and they have to look good doing it. Remember that 5 minute foot chase between our hero and the villain? Now imagine that took 7 hours to shoot. Worst of all, an actor who continuously forgets his lines becomes very unpopular on set with everyone.

The absolute worst thing about filmmaking is waiting for a position or opportunity. For some it may take days. Others, decades. It is an unstable profession usually dictated on how your last project did financially. So getting started is especially hard.

So why would anyone want to be a filmmaker when it means you will work in an unstable, high-stress, long hour, poor-pay job??? Because it's addictive and a labor of love. Filmmakers are passionate about their projects, and it is human nature to feel like you matter. So rejoice! You didn't become a doctor or engineer like your parents wanted!

Happy Filmmaking!