Film School & Education

I walk past the Chemistry Department, the Political Science Department, and the Department of the History of Sliced Deli Meats on my way into work. I nod at the students as they pass in the opposite direction, and I click my heels up in the air. They smile and cheer. Yes, they do. For you see, I’m that un-glorified superhero of the nether regions. That unsung savior whose home is the bowels of your heart. That brave knight who leads the charge into the unknown murk of your soul.

A gynecologist? No. I’m a university media technician, and today, I’m all business.

Let’s say after watching a particularly good or bad acting performance you say to yourself, “I could do that.” Well, maybe you could, but where and how would you start?

A 16-year-old Indian girl dressed in a beautiful silk tunic dances across the screen to the music of Bollywood.  She is upbeat, joyful and spontaneous.  A few moments later, the young woman is lying on a sofa, writhing in pain.  Sonum is suffering from the effects of polluted water in her town in northern India.  The problem stems from a medical college that dumped waste into a local river in Meerut, India, causing environmental illness among local people.  Sonum’s physical and emotional transformation, captured on video, is read more...

Beginning this May, Boston University’s Summer Term will offer an intensive eight-week institute in screenwriting. BU’s College of Communication (COM), which is co-sponsoring the program, will contribute the power of its connections with the film-making community. Promising scripts could land in the hands of notable BU alums such as Joe Roth (head of Revolution Studios), director Gary Fleder (Kiss the Girls, Runaway Jury), and a host of other key players in the movie business -- locally and nationally.

When Harrison Wilcox dons his cap and gown this month for Boston College’s commencement ceremonies, it is likely he will look back and recall his recent experience winning three awards at the college’s first annual film festival as one of his fondest memories. In March, Wilcox’s student film "Before the Styx" was honored with awards for Best Screenplay, Best Drama, and Best Picture of the Year at the school’s Baldwin Awards. The awards, which are judged by the school’s Fine Arts and Communication faculty, are given to the read more...

Guy Magar’s Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminar is truly a boot camp for filmmakers of all levels. While you don’t actually get your hands on equipment and shoot film, you are equipped with the knowledge to do just that after completing the seminar. Magar addressed everything from lenses, to working with actors and crew, to drafting an investment package for an independent film. He led the class through two intense days with animated passion; sometimes taking questions, sometimes not, and covering enough information to fill a week-long read more...

Picture it: Slowly we approach a woman standing at the edge of a cliff. We see sweat dripping from her face. We look down at the 500 foot drop toward jagged rocks. We quietly move away and...

A fight broke out between two sixth-grade students on the day I went to visit Cleveland Middle School with Alan Michel of HOME, Inc. Just before the first punch landed, a fellow classmate stepped in, and the students decided to keep the peace, sealing it with a fist pound... and then the credits started to roll. This altercation was part of a 60-second public service announcement the students had completed for their Media Literacy class, and they beamed with pride as their hard work was acknowledged in front of a small group that had gathered to watch.

The Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminar, taught by director/writer/producer Guy Magar, is coming to Boston on March 20 & 21. NewEnglandFilm.com had a chance to speak with Mr. Magar about his seminar and first annual short film competition.

EA: What drew you to filmmaking (and ultimately teaching the Action/Cut seminars)?

To each screenwriter who knows how difficult it is to develop their script into a flawless work, the Sundance Institute Screenwriter’s Lab just might be a dream come true. How does an all expense paid week in Utah with some of the best writers and directors sound? This program is a unique and intense process that guarantees a commitment from Sundance to make the movie.

If you think your kid may be the next Spielberg or just would like to get a shot at moviemaking, there is a unique opportunity located locally in Rhode Island. Executive Director, Eleyne Austin Sharp created Kid Filmmakers this year to bring kids to another world -- the filmmaker world. The company’s mission is to promote and encourage self-esteem, creativity, and discipline through the art of filmmaking.

Breaking into the film industry can be a daunting task. Without the right contacts, it can be nearly impossible to get the chance to prove yourself. The Director’s Guild of America (DGA) has been helping promising newcomers launch their careers since 1965 through the Assistant Directors Training Program (formerly the Directors Guild-Producer Training Plan). Operating independently in both Los Angeles and New York, the program trains participants to become 2nd assistant directors through on-the-job experience.

The Boston Film / Video Foundation, working in conjunction with YWCA Boston Youth Voice Collaborative and WGBH, hosted a program for Boston's youth called the Young Producers Program. This partnership expands the successful media literacy training for teens at the YVC to include production training and mentorship at BF/VF and production opportunities through WGBH. Participants, who were recruited through the YVC, come from diverse communities throughout Boston.

Tell a kid he’s going to spend two weeks in August deconstructing media and you’ll probably get a puzzled look, if not an outright groan. But tell her she gets to make her own movie too and watch her jump.

Every year, scores of American children head to summer camp. Last summer, 26 kids in Colchester, Vermont spent two weeks at Club Media--day camp that combines hands-on production techniques with classroom teaching about media literacy.

The North Shore, Massachusetts is the unlikely home to a brand new film and video education center, which has opened it’s doors this summer to students interested in high-tech production.

Part production company, part film school, Cityscape Motion Picture Education launches this month as a place for emerging filmmakers to learn their craft using the best method available -- doing it.

Cityscape's founder and director Laura Wilson recently talked with NewEnglandFilm.com about Cityscape, educating filmmakers and total-immersion filmmaking.

TP: What inspired you to start Cityscape?

You dream of something different than your 9-5, punch-the-clock job. You want to open your own restaurant, write that novel, drive across country in a VW van, become a singer, or perhaps, make movies.

Make movies! What? Are we crazy?