by Bill Klump | @TheKlumper | Photos by Tori Grace/Daily Disruption | January 24th, 2012
The term film school is used to describe any educational institution dedicated to teaching aspects of filmmaking, including such subjects as film production, film theory, digital media production, and screenwriting. Film history courses and hands-on technical training are usually incorporated into most film school curricula. Technical training may include instruction in the use and operation of cameras, lighting equipment, film or video editing equipment and software, and other relevant equipment. Film schools may also include courses and training in such subjects as television production, broadcasting, audio engineering, and animation.
The formal teaching of film actually began with theory rather than practical technical training starting soon after the development of the film making process in the 1890s. Early film theorists were more interested in writing essays on film theory than in teaching students in a classroom environment.
Those seeking to learn the technical craft of filmmaking in the early days of cinema were largely self-taught engineers or still photographers who experimented with new film technology. With the rise of commercial film making in the 1920s, most notably the Hollywood studio system, those seeking to learn the technical skills of film making most often started at the bottom of a hierarchical system and apprenticed under a more experienced person to learn the trade. Filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean started in this way, beginning as a title card designer and clapperboard assistant, respectively, in the early 1920s. The USC School of Cinematic Arts was founded in the midst of this Hollywood system in 1929, and continues to be widely recognized as one of the most prestigious film schools in the world.
The tradition of apprenticing up through a hierarchical system continues to this day within film studios and in television in many technical positions such as gaffers, grips, camera operators, and even into post production with editing and color correction. Independent lower budget filmmaking in the post war period using portable 16mm film cameras allowed filmmakers like John Cassavetes in the United States, along with members of the French New Wave and Italian Neorealism in Europe, to circumvent the classical system.
The notion of granting a four-year college degree in film took root in the 1960s with the founding of prestigious film departments like the New York University Tisch School of the Arts (1965), Walt Disney founded California Institute of the Arts (1961), the University of Texas department of Radio-Television-Film (1965) and the Columbia University School of the Arts (1965). Over the years competition for admissions to these programs has steadily increased with many undergraduate programs accepting less than 10% of applicants, and with even more stringent selection for graduate programs.
Today, the increased difficulties in getting into and the financial costs of attending these programs have caused many to spend their money self financing their own features or attending a shorter trade school program for around the same costs. These schools do a pretty good job at teaching you the “tools” necessary for the job, but lack significantly in what is perhaps the most important element needed to succeed in the film/production business (entrepreneurial skills). That’s where our “Disruptor of the Day” comes in.
Introducing Prema Thiagarajah & Nashville Film Institute (N.F.I.) – The NFI Filmmaking diploma course is fast-paced, focused on the filmmaker, and teaches every commercial application of the moving image. They believe that communication is an Art form, and that in order for artists to best project their ideas onto the screen, they need to know the technology, business, and techniques involved in the entire filmmaking process, including how to be an entrepreneur.
At NFI, they want to help you share your beliefs, your style, and your stories with the world… they want you to tell your stories. The NFI film program is fast-tracked – designed so you learn and start making films quickly. The curriculum is for people who want to roll up their sleeves, work hard, and quickly get to work behind the camera and in the editing room. People like Tommy Golden.
Tommy Golden, on July 5th 2011, stepped out of the comfort zone of the life he knew and at 37 years old entered into film school. Though it was a very big change he found out that the skills he had developed over the course of his career had payed off. Reading as many books that he could get his hands on, he learned that everything is not taught in film school, it simply can’t.
Film school is not easy and the hip thing to do. It is hard work and long hours away from your family. I must say that it is well worth it in the long run. Being a filmmaker does require a level of maturity outward and inward. I know that when I graduate in April, 2012 I will look back and smile.
Tommy is off to an outstanding start, he was recently contacted by OpenFilm (a project started by James Caan and Robert Duvall) to host and show his film, “Behind My Smile” (his documentary project for NFI).
The students and faculty are led by founder & CEO Prema Thiagarajah – Prema has over 17 years experience in the education industry. Ms. Thiagarajah is a global financial management executive who is a proven finance, turnaround and operational expert. She has been instrumental in rebuilding under-performing operations that resulted in significant increases in revenue and profitability within 12 months. She has been instrumental in building strong self-managed teams and has vast business experience, including successful financial and audit positions for various multinational corporations. Thiagarajah’s negotiation skills have been utilized to bridge the cultural challenges in many countries and she has worked across the globe including Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States.
OK, now that the formal introduction to Prema is finished, let me say she is what makes NFI tick. Prema creates a fun, loose, but hard-working atmosphere around NFI, much like a real production company or set of a film. I don’t want to sound too “cliché”, but Prema is passionately focused on making sure every one of her students becomes all they can be. Watching her interact with her students, I had the distinct impression that she wants them to succeed almost as much as she would her own children.
“Prema is definitely shaking up Nashville. With her exotic looks and clarity, both of purpose and mind, Nashville initially was wary, but they soon found that she is a force of nature. She is driven and soon, despite her uniqueness (or perhaps because of it), the community has come to see what I see in her – integrity, vision and enthusiasm. She has helped provide a haven and purpose for her students. Tennessee realized that she could help train skilled labor for the developing film industry. Yes, Tennessee has great tax incentives for producing films, but they didn’t have the skilled labors and production companies needed to bring in people who understood the jargon and equipment of film making. NFI helps fill that gap. But she isn’t just training workers, she is also helping the students find their true voice. Through their 9 months at NFI, students explore other genres and, sometimes, find a completely different direction – one student entered the program wanting to make horror films, but he has since discovered that he has a special talent for documentaries. Without exposure to Prema and NFI, this talent would not have been revealed. I look forward to working with Prema and NFI in 2012. Who knows what she’ll shake out of me!” – Laura Langford
To learn more about our “Disruptor of the Day”, please watch this short video, and be sure to visit their website at www.thenfi.com
