Film Education V/S Film “Real Life”
Hi Folks,
Now that I completed the intensive UCLA certificate in screenwriting with flying colors, it gets me rethnking about this whole debate in relation to the film industry (both US & India)- Is there a need for film education? Does it harm or help?
Unfortunately no simple answer here, just pieces of the puzzle.
For every three act structure taught by the UCLA/USC/NYU’s of the world and the industry guru’s like Syd Field/McKee/Truby/Walker/Linda etc, there are the self taught folks like Tarantino, Karan Johar, Yash Chopra,Kamlesh Pandey, Spielberg— the one thing all of these guys have in common is that their writing have POPULAR appeal, always a challenge and subsequently an achievement when got right. Each likes their own writing, but to have around 30-40% of humankind to like your writing is truly remarkable. The other thing all of these guys have in common is that neither studied OFFICIAL screenwriting (whatever that means). Hence Quentin comes nowhere close to 3 acts, they are like 33 of them and going in all directions, what he does do remarkable well is GRIP the audience and that can NEVER ever be taught in campuses. That comes from the University of the Streets of Bombay, LA, Delhi, NY. Then there is the scriptwriting of Hagas, Lucas, Kukunoor,etc all of them following the classical style and all writing brilliant stuff.
Then let us take direction.
Two people who are at the helm of their craft currently, were not trained directors, both had the VIDEO STORE experience. Tarantino again , worked in one and Ram Gopal Varma ran one. Maybe that was their education- getting a taste of what worked and what did not, ditto with Karan who has a degree in Advertising, again geared towards working backwards, i.e. GIVEN AN AUDIENCE , NOT LET US MAKE A FILM.
Contrary to what is taught in film schools where you are encouraged to make a film closest to you and what you believe in and AUDIENCES BE DAMMNED???????????
Reality strikes real quick thereafter. Then again there are the trained FILM makers and by that I mean who have learned both the academic and the practical side of filmmaking and are doing a wonderful job. Lucas is one example and Ghai another one (both from top notch schools, Lucas from USC, Ghai from FTII and both making popular films)
Now to acting.
Again there are the institute gold medallists who languish (not because they can’t act,but because they cannot win the audience over…a skill set they probably ignored while honing their acting skills) and then we have someone like Aamir, who has not gone to any top notch institute and is arguably considered one of the best in the business today (although in reality he did put in a stint at RK’s Prithvi theater).But we also have AB and SRK who have respectively been put through the motions by Ray and Barry John respectively and who thrive on popular cinema as opposed to being kings of the Arthouse and duds of the commercial cinema. Again no firm answer.
That is the beauty of the film line the world over. It is a great equalizer. It is for all, the purists, the streetsmart everyone.
Without sounding as if I know it all, now that I have a film credential to go with my CPA and Chartered Accountant credential, I think the best combo is “continuous curiosity.” That is always learning, always observing and always adjusting, cause the challenge is to please 2 billion diverse minds and no “standardized, uniform methodology” is going to tell you how to……or so I think…..
One thing film education does do - makes you introsepctive and write articles like this……..now bring on the real life Gym and Gel…cause I have a world to please!!!!!
Sincerely, Vivek “my dad was a Phd in Physics/Chem from Germany and a Violen player for the Hamburg philharmonic…..but……but…my dad was equally passionate about KL Saigal/Madhubala/My model mom…is it academia or the real world????”Kumar
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erm, Yash Raj and Karan Johar are more of businessmen than filmmakers. i have never ever consider them as filmmakers or talented.
anyway, i love the idea of filmmaking, but i do not wish to study at a college or university. i would like to experience real life…
I don’t think it’s a disadvantage having studied film making if anything it could provide an edge or advantage for yourself but there will always be two arguments on this.
One also needs hand on experience but I’d love to be involved on the creative side of movies. Visualising sets and scenes are something I’m big on.
Guys again I will have to repeat that the schools only refine your creativity, which you are born with. Creativity can not be fed into someone. Else we would have thousands of outstanding film makers graduating every year from the top schools around the world.
I think Karan should is definitely not a great director. He is 2nd generation filmwala:)
I have heard stories that top directors like Subash Ghai use to come on the sets of his first film to help him in direction. He was too young at that time to direct.
Aamir must not have enrolled into a film school officially but he has spent his earlier days working in diploma films by students of ftii [you can see him beat drums in Ketan Mehta's 'Holi'... read him pay his regards to FTII in the institute's wiztree fest's literature]… same with Ashutosh Gowariker… Sudhir Mishra… Mr. Bachchan… [he used to frequent FTII.... in fact all three of the above they regularly keep coming back to the institute.... ] this was their way to keep in touch with film studies….Sudhir Mishra in fact calls himself an Ftiian… “Hazaron Khwaisen Aisi” is one of the best films of recent times…. Kundan Shah ‘Jaane bhi do yaaron’… you see filmmakers like Adoor Gopalkrishan, Kumar Shahni, John Abraham…. they all studied cinema… more recently Rajkumar ‘Munnabhai’ Hirani…. he studied cinema…. Abhijat Joshi scriptwriter of ‘Lage raho munnabhai’ he teaches Creative Writing in the US…. [i havent even begun listing down names.... but when u say helm of indian cinema.... then it isnt ramu or anyone... but these are the ppl... ppl like Mr. Hirani and likes... who have managed to strike a chord with both the mass and class]
Kamlesh Pandey… he isnt the screenplay writer of “Rang de basanti”…. and the film… not a great film to cite. if u sit and see…. the story is ordinary….. but the screenplay isnt… the director rakeysh mehra and his co writer… they worked for years on the screenplay of RDB after AKS bombed at the box office. He actually wanted to study screenwriting but he cudnt and then he collected all the available books and literature…. the latest is he’s consulted Syd field for his new film….. he wrote some 22 or more drafts for RDB…. i repeat what i have been arguing in an similar post… we cant take film studies for granted it definitely helps…
and i agree to Honhaar that yash chopra and KJ they arent filmmakers they’re pure business persons…
[ps. kukunoor also studied filmmaking....]
divya, you mentioned… “you see filmmakers like Adoor Gopalkrishan, Kumar Shahni, John Abraham…. they all studied cinema…”
JOHN ABRAHAM???
now how could i have missed this?!? that’s it.. i need to get my sleep schedule under check
buddy I think its some other John not the actor:)
Guys, John Abraham was the acclaimed Malayalam film director and writer who created cinematic gems such as Cheriachante Krurakrithyangal(Malayalam) and Agraharathil Kazhuthai(Tamil). His name is taken in the same breath as other scions of avant-garde cinema like Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Ritwik Ghatak. He revotionalised the film making(production) scene with his film Amma Ariyan wherein he made the film a non-commercial venture with taking and giving it back literally to the state.
The Odessa Movement started by him was one of the first few inspirations for the sprawling of film societies across India.
He died in May, 1987.
http://rajamohan.blogspot.com/2006/04/remembering-john-adoor-gopalakrishnan.html
http://www.chaosmag.net/john.html
http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/john.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Abraham_%28Director%29
ahh thanks for enlightening me tushar.. i just learned my new thing for the day :-”
hey, even i didnt know much about him more than that he was an acclaimed director. just because u guys mentioned it, i visited the mentioned links n found all that out.
Thank u tushar… i am a great admirer of John Abraham and in fact seen most of his films at the ftii… [for the earlier post...]
and striker :-w …. get ur data right before guessing things “:)yea i think john mathew mathan may be the john she’s talking about”
huh b-)
I actually think that Vivek Kumar was refering to john Abraham the actor.. from No Smoking. Earlier this week I think i remember Oz saying that Anurag mentioned to him that John was from some acting school. Not quite sure… Am i right Oz?
Arghhhhhhhhhhhh… I need fucking four more tylenols to bloody overcome my hangover… I just re-read Vivek’s article and he nowhere mentions John Abraham…. Wake Up Sumeet!!!!!! But neways.. the rest of the point was in place…
“john Abraham the actor.. from No Smoking. Earlier this week I think i remember Oz saying that Anurag mentioned to him that John was from some acting school. Not quite sure… Am i right Oz?”
@striker
<):) good u’re improving….. now no idhar udhar ki chit chat… warna kartik will come with a danda… so shhhhhh…!!!
sumeet #-o… not vivek i mentioned John Abraham the famous Malayali film maker…
:((
i strictly prescribe an Indian film fest [Retro's must] to all who posted their comments and did all the “John Abraham” garbar. Lets start with Striker…. he’s the source…
Vivek - As javed akhtar says … “Have u ever seen a book with the title ‘How to write a book’ ?” The only way to learn any art is to get exposed to it … Either at a film school or by self learning (Tarantino, Ramu, Madhur bhandarkar)or by being mentored (like Anurag - Ramu , Gulzar - Bimal Roy, Raj khosla -Guru dutt)
Great post this one …
Divya ‘kartik will come with a danda’ ??? :))
u make me sound like some Shiv sena shaaka guy .. LOL
(P.S Did u know that striker’s real name is also karthik ??)
Tushar … the links are great boss …
And pls pls pls can someone come up with an article on adoor gopalakrishnan. Malayalam film industry has some pearls which have gone un noticed thanks to the tamil film industry (rabble rousing Rajnikant/vijay kant and actor par excellence kamal)….
Talking about mallu films. How many people are aware of Murali Nair? He is a regular at Cannes.
I havent watched his films but like to know the reviews if anyone has. At the start of his career he worked with a very close friend of mine. Some of his films include Marana Simhasanam,Pattiyude Divasam ,Arimpara. He was shooting in Kerela recently. The film must have been completed by now.
Some interestin thing I heard in an Madhur Bhandarkar interview that he was Ramu’s assistant at some point of time.
i guess film schools give you the rules so that you can go ahead and break them.
divya, tried putting one of john’s movies on my italkies queue but looks like they don’t have any of his films.. will go ahead and submit a request however..
as long as there’s one kartik representing on the site, that’s all that matters b-)
@vivek
“continuous curiosity.” That is always learning, always observing and always adjusting….
I quite agree with you on this… film studies help you learn the craft…. but when it comes to arts one needs to go much beyond than just practicing the craft… and the best way is continuous learning, observing…. adjusting rather growing with an awareness about ur surroundings in fact everything… Like a very senior writer i adore explained that this is like learning how to drive a four wheeler… u’re made aware of all the parts of the four wheeler and its basic functions… then u’re told how to use them…. what works what doesnt…. this manual is to help you when you start off with it… but once u learn driving… you dont need to refer to the manual while speeding up the highway… then u have to go by ur instincts…. dont you agree on this?
@striker….
i already said u’re improving…
kidding… try n see if u can… very genuine film maker for his times…. they say he was ghatak’s fav student…
I wish to study acting at FTII, Pune…having no backing in the film industry, I think it’s important to enrol in an acting school and learn the craft well..
i like to join film institute