Recently, I came across this short segment of an interview with Steven Spielberg. In it, he
expresses concern about a growing trend of young filmmakers being completely unfamiliar with classic cinema, and the value that comes with understanding what influenced today’s artists. How does this disconnect happen? Certainly, each new generation tends to feel a stronger link to art coming from ‘their own’, but it’s a deeper problem than that. I feel that a large reason why this is occurring has to do with the growing shift in the attitudes towards college education and especially “film schools”.
For decades now, America’s youth have been told from the day they enter the public school system, that the formula for financial success and ultimate job fulfillment is to be had by entering through the doors of the University. However, due to the meteoric inflation of tuition and other collegiate related costs, and the realization that students rarely leave the school with the education needed to succeed in today’s marketplace, (not to mention crippling debt that hangs like a millstone around one’s neck for nearly half a century after) have many second guessing the choice to seek the college route.
This seems to be doubly true for students of film and film related majors. There is no clear pathway into the industry. No finite test results that ensure competence in the art or even a steady job. Nor a clear-cut ladder to climb to reach one’s goals. The waters of the film and television business are deep, murky, full of sharks, and there’s very little a diploma can do to protect you in these seas. But is making the decision to avoid Film School all together a good idea? The answer is a vague- maybe.
First off, I want to be clear that I’m not inherently against colleges or film schools. I attended a University and was very grateful for the insights I gained while I was there. I also want to be clear that there is a difference between “going to school for film” and going to “Film School”. Just about every major (and minor) university or college is going to have some kind of film or media major. “Film Schools”, are the rare breed of University that carries a strong reputation for being highly focused on film and related studies. These schools have a deep network of established alumni that can get students and graduates a big leg up on networking and finding valuable internships and, sometimes, immediate work. Schools such as University of Southern California, UCLA, NYU, and The American Film Institute, and a few others, have enough of a tradition and the network to provide a lot of potential opportunities for outstanding students. However, they are also very costly with the average undergrad tuition hovering around $50,000 per year. Many great filmmakers came through these halls such as John Singleton, Robert Zemeckis, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Francis Ford Coppola, Patty Jenkins, Sam Esmail, David Lynch, and Terrence Malick. If you have the money and the ability to get to these institutes, and hope to take advantage of their networking and understand that this is not a magic golden ticket, then by all means, take the plunge. However, we are now living in different times and prospective students of filmmaking have never had more opportunities than they have right now.
It is worth wondering, can success be had if you don’t go to film school? Absolutely. Film greats such as James Cameron, Ridley Scott, Stanley Kubrick, Franco Zeffirelli, Quentin Tarantino, Peter Jackson and David Fincher all skipped the University experience and turned out just fine. These, and other filmmakers, all seem to give similar advice that the best thing you can do, is just start making stuff. However, in the zeal to pursue their goals, many new filmmakers skip over content that can really help to shorten the learning curve. No area is this more apparent in, than the newer generations disregard for classic films. If there’s one thing that most film schools succeed at, is establishing a solid foundation in essential classic cinema.
In today’s YouTube fueled, instant gratification culture, the fad seems to be more focused on what’s “trending” as opposed to what is actually good, or at the very least, educational. So while you might not want to spend the time to do a yearlong deep dive into the influence of Neo-Realism, being aware of what those films were and especially what lessons can be learned from them, is certainly valuable. In addition to these films, there are several books that can also teach a great deal to the new filmmaker. If the thought of “textbooks” is shudder inducing to you, think of them as “cheat guides” to making the most of your quest. Take the time to respect the art and the industry and you can gain much from the study of its original innovators. So while you might not need or want the college experience when it comes to cutting your teeth for the film industry, don’t forget to allow yourself to still be a student. Don’t cut class.
Any list of texts or films will inevitably leave things out that people feel should be included. The extremely wide and rich history of film from every corner of the world has dozens of amazing selections that should be on any essential list. However, for the sake of brevity and being able to digest a moderate amount of information easily, I’ll provide a simple list of texts and films that I feel can fill that education gap missing in so many of today’s new artists. Consider this a springboard to pursue a lifetime of study and research into this amazing art form. For the sake of this discussion, I’ll limit “classic films” to pictures produced prior to the 1970’s.
Texts:
Films Silent Era:
1930’s
1940’s
1950’s
1960’s
1970’s
