#1 ·
Tell me a bit about how things are going over in the States—are you actually enjoying yourself? Here in Washington, D.C., it’s a bit hit or miss...
For Liberatore...
Started by briskmarlin59 · · 👁 4 views · 4 replies
Participants
#3 ·
I spent one year at Cinema Studies, but I intend to continue my studies there on a regular basis.
#4 ·
Life here in the States is quite rewarding. The conditions for filmmaking are truly exceptional, ranging from the availability of high-end equipment to a massive population of film students. There is constant production happening; just this past quarter, there were forty senior thesis projects alone, which means you can gain experience on an incredible number of sets in whatever role you desire. For instance, during the last quarter—from January through March of this year—I served as the Director of Photography on three short films: one shot on 16mm (running about 15-20 minutes), one on Super 16 (about 10 minutes), and one on 35mm (seven minutes). This is despite the fact that I do not consider myself a cinematographer, nor do I intend to pursue it as a lifelong career.
As I previously mentioned, the student body is vast. Of course, this does not imply that everyone is a genius; there are certainly plenty of amateurs and individuals lacking in talent—people whose entire cinematic vocabulary consists solely of *Pulp Fiction* or *Snatch*. However, amidst that large mass of film students, one can still find many highly talented individuals who are a genuine pleasure to work with.
The faculty continues to improve, drawing from a diverse international pool. We have instructors from Turkey, Slovakia, and a Russian professor who teaches screenwriting starting this term 🙂, as well as a visiting professor from Wales and, naturally, Americans. Some professors maintain an avant-garde or experimental approach, though they remain in the minority; others lean toward independent styles or more traditional Hollywood methods. This diversity is quite healthy.
The college also boasts a massive department dedicated to 2D and 3D animation, as well as visual effects and compositing. Consequently, it is remarkably easy to find skilled collaborators to assist with your masterpiece—often at no cost at all.
Since the college is focused on art and design, collaborating with other departments is seamless, though few students actually take advantage of it. One can easily integrate students from graphic design, fashion, photography, or media and performing arts into various aspects of a production.
In Savannah, Georgia, people still get excited when a film crew arrives. Securing location permits is straightforward, and often you don't even have to pay for them. This stands in stark contrast to major metropolises like NY or LA, where students are mostly forced to shoot on public streets or within their own apartments and those of their friends.
Another distinct advantage is that because this is a smaller city, the unions aren't constantly breathing down our necks. In larger hubs, the unions can be quite difficult for students in NY and LA. Did you know that NYU students have to rent all their gear from commercial rental houses? It isn't because NYU lacks the funds to acquire state-of-the-art equipment, but rather because the University is restricted by union regulations.
Regarding equipment, we have access to about forty 16mm cameras—ranging from Bolex and Aaton to Arri SRII—as well as Super 16. We also have three 35mm cameras (two Movietechs and one Arriflex 2C). On the digital side, we have everything from DVCAM and DVC PRO (including several 16x9 units) to high definition. The lighting kits are excellent, and we have Avid Symphony workstations for editing, among other things.
Directly across from the building for the department of Cinema Studies (which was renamed just last week from Film and Video—I honestly have no idea what will be printed on my diploma 😢), there is the Savannah Cinema post. They handle 16mm and 35mm negative development, including standard processes like pushing, pulling, cross-processing, and bleach bypass, as well as Telecine services using a new DaVinci system for color grading.
All in all, we have everything we could possibly need. However, the primary challenge remains the fact that students must personally shoulder the costs of film stock, processing, and transfers.
As I previously mentioned, the student body is vast. Of course, this does not imply that everyone is a genius; there are certainly plenty of amateurs and individuals lacking in talent—people whose entire cinematic vocabulary consists solely of *Pulp Fiction* or *Snatch*. However, amidst that large mass of film students, one can still find many highly talented individuals who are a genuine pleasure to work with.
The faculty continues to improve, drawing from a diverse international pool. We have instructors from Turkey, Slovakia, and a Russian professor who teaches screenwriting starting this term 🙂, as well as a visiting professor from Wales and, naturally, Americans. Some professors maintain an avant-garde or experimental approach, though they remain in the minority; others lean toward independent styles or more traditional Hollywood methods. This diversity is quite healthy.
The college also boasts a massive department dedicated to 2D and 3D animation, as well as visual effects and compositing. Consequently, it is remarkably easy to find skilled collaborators to assist with your masterpiece—often at no cost at all.
Since the college is focused on art and design, collaborating with other departments is seamless, though few students actually take advantage of it. One can easily integrate students from graphic design, fashion, photography, or media and performing arts into various aspects of a production.
In Savannah, Georgia, people still get excited when a film crew arrives. Securing location permits is straightforward, and often you don't even have to pay for them. This stands in stark contrast to major metropolises like NY or LA, where students are mostly forced to shoot on public streets or within their own apartments and those of their friends.
Another distinct advantage is that because this is a smaller city, the unions aren't constantly breathing down our necks. In larger hubs, the unions can be quite difficult for students in NY and LA. Did you know that NYU students have to rent all their gear from commercial rental houses? It isn't because NYU lacks the funds to acquire state-of-the-art equipment, but rather because the University is restricted by union regulations.
Regarding equipment, we have access to about forty 16mm cameras—ranging from Bolex and Aaton to Arri SRII—as well as Super 16. We also have three 35mm cameras (two Movietechs and one Arriflex 2C). On the digital side, we have everything from DVCAM and DVC PRO (including several 16x9 units) to high definition. The lighting kits are excellent, and we have Avid Symphony workstations for editing, among other things.
Directly across from the building for the department of Cinema Studies (which was renamed just last week from Film and Video—I honestly have no idea what will be printed on my diploma 😢), there is the Savannah Cinema post. They handle 16mm and 35mm negative development, including standard processes like pushing, pulling, cross-processing, and bleach bypass, as well as Telecine services using a new DaVinci system for color grading.
All in all, we have everything we could possibly need. However, the primary challenge remains the fact that students must personally shoulder the costs of film stock, processing, and transfers.
#5 ·
A friend of mine actually attended that college, but I have to ask—how much does all that colorful paperwork really cost? (Because honestly, it sounds like a great deal)