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As creator of the two-day curriculum that inspired a worldwide
revolution in moviemaking education, former line producer Dov S-S
Simens continues to teach and inspire individuals who yearn to tell
stories through motion pictures. In 1986, he presented his first
class at UCLA, "Producing Ultra-Low Budget Features." Similar teaching
stints followed at USC and NYU. His classes were so well received
that he concluded his talents were better utilized as a filmmaking
instructor rather than as a filmmaker. He founded the Hollywood
Film Institute in 1989, and since then, has taught courses on five
continents. Today, the course is universally lauded and recognized
as the pre-requisite for smart moviemakers. Dates and locations
for upcoming classes can be found at www.indieslate.com/store, where you
can also register.(Discounts available for IndieSlate subscribers and groups).
A Graduate's Perspective
by Robert Harrison
Alfred Hitchcock once said "everything you need to know about
filmmaking can be learned in two to three days." Hollywood Film
Institute's Dov Simens agreed with this sentiment, and created the
"2-Day Film School Crash Course."
Graduates of Simens' course include Baz Luhrman (Moulin Rouge,
Romeo & Juliet), Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction),
Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels), Chris
Nolan (Memento), and a host of Hollywood notables, including Queen
Latifah, Connie Stevens, Sinbad and Will Smith.
I attended the "2-Day Film School," presented over a weekend
at the Film Arts Foundation in San Francisco. I didn't notice any
"personalities" there that weekend, but I was too busy attempting
to absorb the enormous amount of cogent information the colorful
instructor presents. His style is intense and fast-paced -- which
it has to be when you consider the knowledge he shares in two days.
To this end, although he permits questions mid-lecture, he doesn't
allow rambling life histories or big "presentations." He wants the
questioner to get to the point as fast as possible. If we initially
thought that appeared rude, we soon came to understand that without
cutting to the chase, the class would never move on to the next
topic.
Man On A Mission
Simens has presented the 2-Day Film School throughout the world
for over 10 years; alumni number in the tens of thousands. Addressing
the inevitable question, he freely acknowledges that "those who
can do, and those who can't teach," saying that he doesn't consider
himself a talented director or producer, but a very competent line
producer with a deep knowledge of the business, and the enthusiasm
to teach it. This knowledge is very apparent, and he cuts through
a lot of common misconceptions about the business, stripping the
tinsel off the town, so you get a very clear idea of how movies
-- Hollywood or indie -- get made, marketed and sold.
"This is boot camp," says Simens, and "I'm going to teach you
how to make your first feature film. I'm going to clear away the
fog."
Make a Movie
From the beginning, Simens emphasizes that moviemaking is a business.
In fact, as he points out, it's the third most prolific business
in the USA today; only agriculture and aerospace gross more dollars!
In approaching it as a business, he's very clear about the order
of things: "First you make a movie, then you make a deal; without
a track record, you don't make a deal to make a movie."
He advises that before you attempt to make a movie with a $20
million budget, you make one with a $2 million budget, and before
that, one with a $200,000 budget, and maybe one with a smaller budget
than that to start off. And, he says don't make a short expecting
to make money, because "almost nobody buys shorts."
He exhorts his students to "Make the movie," and discusses in
depth how to do it with budget levels of a few thousand up to $300,000,
which he feels are realistic for first-timers. Independent moviemakers
are those who obtain their own financing to make a movie, and somewhat
encouragingly, he says, "if you only have $5,000, rent
a Canon XL1-s, and go out and make your movie!"
Soon, you begin to see how the pieces fit together, and Simens
inspires you with the confidence that you can make it all work.
Critical Pieces of the Puzzle
"Get the script," Simens repeats. It's the most important thing
in your budget -- although not the most expensive. He goes into detail
about how to obtain one -- from writing it yourself, through writers-for-hire,
to optioning a script.
For those who don't know what a gaffer, grip, best boy and other
crew members do, Simens defines the roles of each. He also discusses
working with and without the various industry guilds and unions.
While on definitions, he cautions not to call yourself a "filmmaker"
because it's a generic term that it indicates you don't know the
business. He advises calling yourself a "producer," and he clearly
believes this is the most important job in the creation of a movie.
From the practical standpoint of shooting a movie on a limited
budget and schedule, he covers the basics of directing -- from picking
the actors at a casting session to essential camera angles and coverage.
(If becoming a highly skilled director is your goal, youll need
to seek out other ways to hone the craft, preferably with hands-on
training and practice).
With regard to budgets, he takes the lid off the system when
he explains how the published budget is frequently inflated to add
perceived value to the project. Likewise, he observes, the word
"film" is used in place of movie to add apparent value to the product.
In the rare case of a genuinely low-budget project, he says that
sometimes a much lower figure than the actual budget is claimed;
this is another way to generate "buzz." For example, El Mariachi
may have cost only $7000 to get the "film in the can," but hundreds
of thousands more were spent on the version you saw at your local
cinema.
In terms of location and length, Simens says, "Keep it simple."
Since the budget is directly proportional to the complexity of the
shoot, he advises starting with a one-location, stage play-like
feature, adding that 90 pages of script are easier to shoot than
120 pages. Another reason to keep the movie to 90 minutes or under
is that theaters can more easily program these lengths.
He points out how to cut costs for both film stock and processing.
For example, as a student or first-timer, you may be able to negotiate
a better-than-normal price on both For stock, seek out "buy backs,"
"re-cans" or "short ends."
And on the Second Day
On day two, Simens covers selling your movie. Topics include
generating publicity, festivals and markets, foreign sales, distribution
deals and traps, and the various "windows" of sales potential that
the indie moviemaker must explore.
During the weekend, he also gives advice on raising money to
finance your project, post-production, getting releases and other
legal issues, profit sharing among participants, and a whole lot
more than I have room to describe in this article.
For those unable to attend (or make notes quickly enough!), the
course is available as the "Audio Film School," 16 audio tapes of
the entire weekend. I hear that many people take the course a second
time, and I certainly will if the opportunity arises.
The Legacy
Beyond the education, Simens gave me a sense of confidence. Particularly
since what I had previously perceived to be overwhelming was, in
fact, quite understandable, once it was broken down into separate
units and clearly explained by someone who's obviously a master
at presenting the material.
A week after taking the course, I met with a producer from L.A.
to discuss a project in which I am involved with a first-time moviemaker.
The deal had gone sour, and we thought that a meeting might get
it back on track. We talked for about four hours.
Later, the L.A. producer said he hadn't known what to expect
(he knew I hadn't produced a movie before), but he was delighted
to discover that he was talking to a (ta-da!) producer.
I guess I'm on my way. Thanks, Dov!
Robert Harrison was previously an advertising photographer in
his native England. He produces and writes about gear and the industry.
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