Tuesday, August 25, 2009
New Date for Info Session!
The date for the MPS Live Action Short FIlm Information Session at SVA has been changed to Saturday, November 7th, from 2-4pm at SVA. Come check out this new program!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Economy of Short Film
Last night, I met with six of our program's faculty to converse about filmmaking in general, and specifically, short filmmaking. As I listened to the members of the group that included working screenwriters, a film historian, an editor, an assistant director, a director and producer, discuss what made the short film a unique and often particularly challenging genre, the word, "economy" came to mind. That is, the short film requires an economy of words, of shots, of locations, of cuts, and also, in part because of this, the short film also becomes an economic vehicle for the emerging or independent filmmaker.
Thomas Jefferson declared, "The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do." Indeed, the short film's screenwriter must heed this advice. Each page of a screenplay translates to about a minute of film. Furthermore, the attention to time is not the sole responsibility of the screenwriter, but also of the director, the cameraman, and the editor. Not only should each word of dialogue be pertinent, but so too should each second of each shot. Superfluity cannot be afforded.
And, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences classifies the short subject as any film lasting fewer than forty minutes, most strive to make shorts that are half or even a quarter that length. Spielzeuglad (Toyland), which won an Oscar in 2009 for best Live Action Short Film was just fourteen minutes. Cutlass, Kate Hudson's short that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival was sixteen minutes. Bob Giraldi's Second Guessing Grandma has a running time of just under ten minutes.
This is especially true today, as the short film has transitioned from elite arthouse fare, whose main method of distribution was through small festivals, to populist entertainment that can be created by anyone with video capability, and is distributed on the internet. In fact, although short film festivals, and categories for shorts in mainstream film festivals are more popular than ever, it is YouTube, the iPhone, PDAs, and PSPs that have made the genre distinctly relevent. These small screens are an ideal viewing place for small films: a viewer can watch a short on his morning commute, or while waiting in line for a coffee. He can easily show it to friends-- there is a sense of immediacy to the short film. Furthermore, as we become increasingly pressed for time and saturated with media, a fifteen, or ten, or five-minute narrative is the limit for many people's meaningful consumption.
Indeed, in an era where every resource, including materials, energy, conversation, time, and money, is valuable, shorter is better.
Thomas Jefferson declared, "The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do." Indeed, the short film's screenwriter must heed this advice. Each page of a screenplay translates to about a minute of film. Furthermore, the attention to time is not the sole responsibility of the screenwriter, but also of the director, the cameraman, and the editor. Not only should each word of dialogue be pertinent, but so too should each second of each shot. Superfluity cannot be afforded.
And, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences classifies the short subject as any film lasting fewer than forty minutes, most strive to make shorts that are half or even a quarter that length. Spielzeuglad (Toyland), which won an Oscar in 2009 for best Live Action Short Film was just fourteen minutes. Cutlass, Kate Hudson's short that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival was sixteen minutes. Bob Giraldi's Second Guessing Grandma has a running time of just under ten minutes.
This is especially true today, as the short film has transitioned from elite arthouse fare, whose main method of distribution was through small festivals, to populist entertainment that can be created by anyone with video capability, and is distributed on the internet. In fact, although short film festivals, and categories for shorts in mainstream film festivals are more popular than ever, it is YouTube, the iPhone, PDAs, and PSPs that have made the genre distinctly relevent. These small screens are an ideal viewing place for small films: a viewer can watch a short on his morning commute, or while waiting in line for a coffee. He can easily show it to friends-- there is a sense of immediacy to the short film. Furthermore, as we become increasingly pressed for time and saturated with media, a fifteen, or ten, or five-minute narrative is the limit for many people's meaningful consumption.
Indeed, in an era where every resource, including materials, energy, conversation, time, and money, is valuable, shorter is better.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Information Session
We've just scheduled an information session about the program for prospective students on October 24th. Exact time and location to be determined...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Shorter is better: The First Graduate Program Devoted to the Short Film
In fall 2010, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) will pioneer the first ever graduate program devoted exclusively to the short film. Long overshadowed by its more glamorous sibling, the feature film, the short film is integral to the existence of an evolving and pertinent film industry, particularly as a conduit for the emerging filmmaker. In fact, many established and successful directors, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese, first began by making short films (1:42:08, Amblin' and The Big Shave, respectively). It served as a way for them to develop their abilities as filmmakers, and gain entrance into the industry.
Today, for the first time since the 1930’s, the short film has become a hot commodity. The shifting and changing media landscape has made short films one of the most relevant and malleable mediums available to filmmakers. Indeed, television, the internet, and mobile devices have all generated a market for shorts that goes beyond film festivals. What’s more, the widespread use of digital media and editing equipment has made the genre an economical and accessible way to articulate and experiment with ideas that might otherwise be deemed too challenging or untenable.
SVA's MPS Live Action Short Film program, chaired by Bob Giraldi, is a one year, 36 credit program, in which students will develop the intellectual and practical tools for filmmaking, including the conception of an idea, pre-production, photographing, editing, and marketing the final product.
The program places an emphasis on the filmmaker as collaborator. Students will develop a familiarity with every tool of filmmaking, and work with one another as directors, writers, crew members, and editors. This collegial way of working is an excellent model for both a supportive artistic atmosphere and a professional filmmaking environment. The course of study ultimately culminates in a competitive, thesis-based short film festival, hosted by SVA at their West 23rd Street theater.
The MPS Live Action Short Film program celebrates the truly independent art of filmmaking, honoring first-time filmmakers, instructing them about the history of short film, and outfitting them with the creative, technical, and critical tools needed to impart their artistic visions.
Today, for the first time since the 1930’s, the short film has become a hot commodity. The shifting and changing media landscape has made short films one of the most relevant and malleable mediums available to filmmakers. Indeed, television, the internet, and mobile devices have all generated a market for shorts that goes beyond film festivals. What’s more, the widespread use of digital media and editing equipment has made the genre an economical and accessible way to articulate and experiment with ideas that might otherwise be deemed too challenging or untenable.
SVA's MPS Live Action Short Film program, chaired by Bob Giraldi, is a one year, 36 credit program, in which students will develop the intellectual and practical tools for filmmaking, including the conception of an idea, pre-production, photographing, editing, and marketing the final product.
The program places an emphasis on the filmmaker as collaborator. Students will develop a familiarity with every tool of filmmaking, and work with one another as directors, writers, crew members, and editors. This collegial way of working is an excellent model for both a supportive artistic atmosphere and a professional filmmaking environment. The course of study ultimately culminates in a competitive, thesis-based short film festival, hosted by SVA at their West 23rd Street theater.
The MPS Live Action Short Film program celebrates the truly independent art of filmmaking, honoring first-time filmmakers, instructing them about the history of short film, and outfitting them with the creative, technical, and critical tools needed to impart their artistic visions.
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