Film School Portfolio

CHE · November 16, 2004

Hello All...and thanks in advance for your help.

I am a full time instructor at a community college teaching in its motion picture department. Like many film schools, my students are fairly short sided and only want to make BLOODY films about drug deals/suicides/shoot outs/etc. I am incredibly concerned about this and feel that students leaving the program will not have the necessary portfolio to A) get a real job or B) get into a four year school.

Here is my question...

Do you think it would be more beneficial to the students if they left the program with a packaged portfolio/demo reel or a 20 minute slasher flick? I personally believe that a polished portfolio is the answer. If that is the way to go, I envision that they will include work from thier 6 production classes including AVID editing, studio lighting, 16mm cinematography, and Film Production I, II, III.

What do you industry guys think?

Thank you very much.

CHE

Phil Rhodes · November 16, 2004

Hi,

The portfolio - although if they're doing six classes and it's a short course, they're unlikely to produce anything that will get them a job either way.

Phil

November 16, 2004

Ah come on Phil don't be so negative. I'm signing up for one of those on-line film schools! You get a degree in film in only three hours for $15,000.00.

What? You're telling me I can't direct a Hollywood feature with that kind of training?

DC

Alvin Pingol · November 18, 2004

I'm signing up for one of those on-line film schools! ... for $15,000.00.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know, there is this website, Cinematography.com... great forums... $0.... :D

Annie Wengenroth · November 18, 2004

Well I must say, I have found this forum extremely useful. Maybe it's just me. :-P

Anyway, I think it's interesting that you bring up the Bloody Kung Fu Slasher Bullsh*t Phenomenon as I affectionately call it, because I think it's actually a pretty common issue. I go to the Savannah College of Art and Design, and recently the film and video department has developed rules about student films in cooperation with the city of Savannah, the city's film commission, and the police department. These rules provide regulations for things like weapons and pyrotechnics, which I think helps cut down on violence in student films around here and forces people to think about their films differently.

In addition, the film and video professors at SCAD even go as far as to mention in their syllabi: "Please do not reenact your favorite martial arts film/western/Tarantino film." (not exact wording, but compiled from years of various professors' speeches and literature!) They're pretty strict about not allowing guns or kung fu rip-offs in school projects.

It seems to me that when one puts together a reel to show employers, the tricky issue is time. At SCAD, each quarter is 10 weeks long, and many people have said that this is not enough time to put together a decent portfolio piece. However, I think you're on the right track with wanting them to assemble a structured demo reel instead of leaving with just one or two longer films that may not show a full range of lighting/editing/camera techniques. Of course then you run into the "quality vs. quantity" issue.

I know I'm not an industry professional, I just thought I'd chip in as an older, perhaps slightly jaded, student. :-D Feel free to seize me by the collar of my shirt and escort me from this thread!

Morgan Peline · November 18, 2004

I think the same - quality is better shown in a short reel, that allows you to cut out the bad bits, than quantity with not much quality.

But then to be honest if they are moving into a 4 year BA course then I would have thought that any half decent reel would be a bonus as I thought that many absolute beginners went on 4 year courses with no experience at all. Do you now need experience to even begin learning these days? The world's becoming very competetive!

Edited November 18, 2004 by MorganPeline

CHE · November 18, 2004

SpikeyAnnie....thanks for the input. It is good to know that I am not the only one frustrated with the slasher/bloody/suicide/martial arts films. I like the idea about writing regualtions into the syllabus.

In fact, for next semester...I think that I will have all student projects revolve around an online contest like the neighborhood day contest (neighborhoodday.org) or something from media liquid.com This would get them to focus on telling a visually compelling story without the use of guns and the like.

On a side note...how do you like SCAD? I was thinking of applying to teach down there a while back...but family concerns kept me in ole' Michigan.

CHE

Jon Allen · November 18, 2004

I can tell you right now, a cool 3 or 4 minute demo reel that shows highlights is going to get you better consideration for a job. No employer (in his or her right mind) would ever sit through a 20 minute slasher flick while looking for job candidates.

I've seen 10 minute porfolio pieces that blow me away, sometimes I want to watch them again- I get so pumped! But then again, there are those 3-4 minute peices that are simply boresville.

I recommend putting together a 2-3 minute highlight piece that shows your students' best work. If you show off crap, you're going to get a job at the BK.

You might want to teach your kids how to write for screen, different genres and everything, pacing, structure etc. I knew quite a few kids at college that thought since their movie was filled with violence and vulgarity they were on the edge of some new type of cinema. They were obviously incorrect.