UCLA Film School Interview

Yulin writes,
Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Cassie Liu, a applicant for UCLA 2010 MFA Directing/Production Program. I read your blog which helps me a lot for the application. A few days ago, I received the “Interview Request” from UCLA. I know this is a great news for me. But I’m a little nervous and do not know how to prepare it. I read that one of your blog articles is “How I Got Into UCLA Film School” and mentioned your interview in last year .

So would you please give me some advices for this interview? How long this interview will be taken? It’s difficult? What kind of questions the professors will ask? And also, the letter told me that I need pitch a new short film idea to interview committee.Is it just an idea? Or I need do more preparation?

I hope these too many questions would not bother you. I shall be VERY appreciated for your kind help :-)

Best wishes,
Yulin

The interview time is upon us again. 64 students will be invited to interview for UCLA’s MFA Directing Program. 18 applicants will be chosen with around 8 people on the wait list. I got in off the wait list, as did two of my classmates that I know of, so it’s not all over if you are waitlisted.

For my interview I flew to New York and met with professors Becky Smith and Rory Kelley, both very nice people. Three things I remember happening in the interview:

  1. We sat and discussed my life and background, I think most of the questions were initially based on my Statement of Purpose.
  2. I named five films that I would take with me to a desert island. We also discussed my selection of films and why I chose them. One thing I remember distinctly is we talked about any threads that might exist between them.
  3. I gave my informal pitch. Before I began they told me not to talk about any thematic issues: just tell the story as clearly and succinctly as possible. I would say that this is a clearly developed story with a beginning, middle and end. You want to give an outline of the main characters, conflict and resolution. A book that I read and reread in preparing for my interviews was Good in a Room by Stephanie Palmer. It gives good advice on pitching, networking, professionalism etc.

They didn’t exactly happen in that order for everyone. I talked with them for an hour, which I felt might have been a bit long judging by what my classmates have said. It was very relaxed, and I left feeling pretty good. I wore a sportcoat with a turtleneck, which I felt might almost have been too formal.

The people here at UCLA are looking to put a class together, so if you make it to the interview and don’t make it into the school, it may be because your classmates are different. Getting rejected from film school is no excuse to not become a filmmaker. In fact there is no excuse for not becoming a filmmaker if that is what you want to be. Film school helps a lot but is by no means essential. I’m going to write more about my feelings on the film school/no film school debate later.

This year, due to lovely California budget cuts, there will be no interviews in New York. I believe some interviews may be held over Skype. Try and get out to your interview if possible, it makes a lasting impression.

Also, write thank you notes to the professors you interview with. It helps to be cordial, and may help them remember you while they’re making those difficult decisions.

Good luck to everyone going into the interviews. Let me know if there are more questions.

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in UCLA Film School | Tagged | Leave a comment

How I Prepare for Callbacks

I had a casting director for my six-minute film, which saved me a lot of time to focus on preparing my director’s notes/script. I think it is imperative to have the script broken down in detail before you ever see actors. For the actors you cast, the first audition is the first rehearsal, and it’s amazing how long actors can hold on to a misshapen piece of direction or faulty idea about the character. As a director it is your interpretations that the actors end up following. Have them before you see actors. You can’t direct actors to get what you want if you don’t know what that is. Writing a script is not enough to tell you how to succinctly and effectively communicate those ideas to actors. That is the essence of what a director does. A friend of mine sent me an email about this the other day, so I thought I would publish my response:

Dear xxxx,

I am attaching my script with director’s notes on it, as well as my more extensive personal director’s notes with backstory and all the questions I answered. Different directors/books have different philosophies, and I am still bouncing between them. Some books I like on the subject:

Notes on Directing by Frank Hauser is very short and sweet, a little lacking in scene analysis but great on blocking.
A Sense Of Direction is in the library. The whole thing is good but if you need something quick and effective the chapter on objectives is excellent.
Also for real down and dirty stuff look at Kazan on Directing. It has all of his director’s notes for all of his plays and films. He gets really personal about the characters, which I would like to do more over time.
Friendly enemies has one of the most extensive analysis sections of any of the books i’ve read. I think it can be a bit too much, but there is a lof of good stuff in there.
So for me the bare minimum of director’s homework is looking at every scene and determining the actions, using an action verb in the infinitive, like (to destroy). What is the character doing in that exact moment, is he pleading, bargaining, begging? I write these in parentheses in bold next to individual lines and actions. Sometimes I don’t need them, but if an actor is confused I have at least a few ideas to get things going, if not precisely what I want.

Second very important thing is objectives in a scene. What is the character trying to do or get? In my first scene Eli is trying to get attention. He uses a number of strategies to do this (action verbs). Sometimes objectives change in a scene, these happen when a character achieves a goal or receives information that renders achieving a goal impossible or uninteresting. Often times scenes end here.

I also think it is essential to have clear backstories worked out for “the scene before the scene,” so if an actor asks you what they were doing 5 minutes before the scene began, let alone 5 years, you know. Interestingly enough this is also a very strong tool for directing. If for example, if in my script in the backstory the two characters didn’t have sex because Zoe refused, or did have sex and Zoe’s feeling self conscious, the actress is going to play it somewhat differently. My auditions today were living proof.

Another big weapon is adjustments, or “as ifs.” Play the scene “as if” someone were listening in the next room. Play the scene “as if he were an adult.,” etc.

A lot of the time you don’t need these, but you must always have them on hand in case an actor misinterprets the character, or trips up. It clarifies what you want in terms that an actor can understand.

I will be reviewing tapes from my auditions today. For an example of a director’s script I recommend Delia Salvi’s Friendly Enemies. It’s a difficult process putting all the notes and interpretations, one that I actually find more difficult than writing, but it’s so important. Actors respect directors who know what they want at any given time. That can change, but waffling is a surefire way to lose a little bit of that essential trust between actor and director.

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Filmmaking | Leave a comment

4 Casting Questions

These are the 4 basic questions you should answer through casting sessions

1st audition:

1. In broad strokes, do they physically fit the part?

2. Can they act?

Callbacks

1. Can they take direction?

2. How do they fit with your other characters? (casting the relationship)

Casting is so important. In my last post I think I may have emphasized how people look too much. If you’re looking for a 10 year old and getting 19 year olds, it’s an issue, but the most important questions are “Can they act the part?” “Do they understand the character?” You’re not casting models, you’re casting actors. The only really relevant part is the performance, unless they’re addicted to meth or something. Punctuality and professionalism are very important as well. You usually don’t discover this until rehearsals, but trying to get in touch with a previous director can help.

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Filmmaking | Leave a comment

Casting is Writing

If the writer is the author of the story, the director is the author of the performances. When casting, take great care to ask yourself:

“What kind of (insert character name here) does this actor bring to the part?”

For most parts there are the types and the clichés: Children are cute, women are beautiful, men are powerful or handsome.

There is a new idea in my head today as I look over the casting videos. While we cast for looks and performance, we should also cast for expectation and change. In good writing, the end is in the beginning. The beginning is in the appearance of the character and the expectations the audience associates with that appearance.

If I have a character who starts weak and becomes powerful, what do I cast for? The powerful man or the weak one? It all depends on acting ability of course, but humor me in saying that you have two equally talented actors, one who is six feet tall and the other five feet. Which of them is less likely to become a powerful man? Statistically speaking the shorter one.

So which one will produce a more dramatic shift in audience expectations? The smaller one. It is generally more satisfying to see a more dramatic change, one that is, in screenwriting parlance, both surprising and inevitable. Who you cast will influence both of these qualities, but it will have a major effect on the surprise element. Imagine Luke Skywalker played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and you get what I mean. Surprise that is earned (i.e. inevitable) is intensely satisfying to an audience. Nothing is worse than a predictable movie, besides one (i.e. Avatar) that ignores its own logic to get the ending it wants.

I’m not saying cast Arnold in your suburban melodrama, but there is an incredible variety of actors. Spend some time thinking about what will communicate your theme most clearly. Spend some time thinking about your audience, what they expect, and how to play on those expectations to produce a deeper result. I’m reading Georgy Tovstonogov’s The Profession of the Stage Director (out of print). In it he writes:

The only real criterion for judging a production is the power of the impression it makes on the audience.

This impression is key to remember in casting, writing, editing etc. It’s also why feedback is so important. Feedback is something film school has in droves. One could even be led to think that one of  the reasons people here take so long to graduate (4+ years)  is because they’re addicted to feedback.

Right now for me it’s amazing to see actors speaking the lines I’ve been writing for many months. It illuminates my characters while revealing certain sections of the script as weak or vague.

It’s also difficult to realize that the writer can only communicate so much of the story. This is one of the reasons you need a strong director, because in the end it’s the actors who are communicating the story to the audience. Casting is part of the writing process for the director, which some consider 80% or more of the job. In a city like Los Angeles, which almost compensates for its absurd production costs with a healthy pool of both talented and untalented actors, it can almost feel like an embarrassment of riches. Now the sifting begins.

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Filmmaking, UCLA Film School | Leave a comment

Action Verbs

During my script breakdown, I put together a list of action verbs. Learn them, learn to use them. They are an essential building block of the actor’s language. I took this from Lenore Dekoven’s Changing Direction. She’s a Columbia Film School professor. I’m a purist with action verbs, so I don’t like ones like “to flaunt my gifts: which are found in other books. An action verb is a verb in the infinitive, like “to attack.” Here’s the list, which you can add to. Have it handy when you’re looking at your script. I’m even thinking of laminating a small one for my back pocket during rehearsals.

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Film News | Leave a comment

links for 2010-01-25

  • Sundance kicked off tonight in Park City, Utah. I hadn’t heard any advance buzz about the 10/10 online series, a recent Sundance tradition that we covered last year, and so I sadly concluded that the festival had moved away from online distro for short films to instead focus more on its much-heralded pay per view partnership.

    Not the case though! YouTube seems to have scored a coup, stealing the series from iTunes. Coup of course might be a bit strong of a word since, as usual, there seems to be no advance buzz or fanfare for the presence of these films, but the quality is high— I recognize several of them as winners from various worldwide festivals.

  • It's been a great year for online films which has made it tough for us. Nevertheless, all of us here at Short of the Week have banded together to bring to you the official top 10 online films of 2009. Like a well-balanced meal, there's a little bit of everything: comedy, drama, animation, and plenty of stuff too difficult to categorize. One thing is for sure, you're certain to find a gem. So sit back, refill your eggnog, and enjoy the best films of 2009.
Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Film News | Comments closed

The Most Beautiful Man in the World

This is one of my favorite short films, which I thought I’d share. It’s breathtaking. Find it in high quality if possible.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World

“This week’s short film is short and on the surface slight to a point almost beyond belief. In that regard it is a film that does not appeal to everyone, a film based on atmosphere and poetics, where ambiguity reigns, and what is unsaid speaks volumes. But if you have come to understand and appreciate some of my predilections regarding short film,  you will agree that The Most Beautiful Man in the World is a remarkable film.” -From Short of the Week

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Film News | Comments closed

Prospero Without His Magic

This poem by Jack Gilbert says a lot about the difference between art and craft.

He keeps the valley like this with his heart.

By paying attention, being capable, remembering.

Otherwise, there would be flies as big as dogs

in the vineyard, cows made entirely of maggots,

cruelty with machinery and canvas, sniggering

among the olive trees and the sea grossly cast.

He struggles to hold it right, the eight feet

of heaven by the well with geraniums and basil.

He will rejoice even if the shepherd girl

does not pass anymore at evening. And whether

or not she ate her lamb at Easter. He knows

that loneliness is our craft, that death

is God’s vigorish. He does not keep it fine

by innocence or leaving things out.

Vigorish

noun informal
1 [in sing. ] an excessive rate of interest on a loan, typically one from an illegal moneylender.
2 the percentage deducted from a gambler’s winnings by the organizers of a game.

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Off Topic | Comments closed

The Moment I Became A Director

Wonderful. Watch it. Not a single one of those directors went to film school, aside from Kathryn Bigelow who was a film criticism major at Columbia.

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Filmmaking | Comments closed

Sense Memory and Personalization

When I started at UCLA I was suspicious of these practices. They seemed to be exclusively relied upon by a difficult acting teacher of mine, one who seemed to turn every scene into A Streetcar Named Desire.

This is a style of acting that can be very powerful, but is certainly not suitable to every situation or style of film.  One of the things I learned in that class is that a director always gets what he wants. If a director does his director’s notes you can see where his performances come from. Whether that is good or bad depends the clarity and originality of his vision, as well as his ability to convey that vision to actors.

Sense memory and personalization were a means by which my teacher would bring actors into a drugged emotional state, where they would play everything as if they had come from a funeral. I grew a great dislike for this kind of acting and vowed not to use it with my actors. I worked with them from the outside in, establishing clear goals and actions to play. We shaped the blocking together.

Still a level lacked in my performances, which were very praised. After presenting my piece, the theatrical version of my Bergman Scene, to the excellent Barry Primus, he looked at my actors for a while. He asked me some questions, and praised my analytical capabilities. I wasn’t making it personal for the actors though. Oh boy, I thought, here comes “Stella! Stella!”

That was not how it worked though. Barry took my actresses through a relaxation exercise (it was finals week) and then we played a game where we tried to be as silly as possible to relax them. He then did a personalization. It brought that level of personal emotion that the performance had been lacking up until then. It was a different take, but a powerful one nonetheless.

A book that I am reading right now is Truth by Susan Batson. She was Nicole Kidman’s coach on the Hours and Tom Cruise’s on Magnolia. Two very solid performances.

She has the most succinct descriptions of Sense Memory and Personalization I have seen.

For Sense Memory:

The actor thinks back through her memory to remember an event that carries an emotional sensation like one in a script. The actor must then ask these questions regarding the memory.

  1. How long ago did the event take place?
  2. What was the time of year?
  3. What was the time of day?
  4. What was I wearing?
  5. What did I need in that moment?
  6. What was the place? Outdoors, indoors, temperature, smells, sounds?
  7. What is the one thing about the place that I will never forget?
  8. Was there a significant person there with me? What was their strongest physical feature? Their strongest human quality? Something the person said or did that I will never forget? Something I wanted to say to them but didn’t?
  9. Was there a certain behavior I kept repeating?
  10. Was there anything I wanted to say or do at that time but didn’t know? Release it now.
  11. Why didn’t I say or do it then?

Personalization is a means of creating strong feelings toward a real person for your life, say an ex boyfriend, when you’re acting with someone who is not that person:

Begin the personalization exercise by examining a person from your life whom you associate with an unfulfilled need. Ask yourself to remember:

  1. The strongest physical feature of that person.
  2. The strongest human quality of the person.
  3. Was there something the person said or did that I will never forget?
  4. Is there something I always wanted to say or do to the person that I never said or did?

This is heavy stuff though, and not to be used lightly. There is more explanation in Batson’s book, as well as in Delia Salvi’s Friendly Enemies.

Share:
  • Facebook
  • email
  • Twitter
  • Yahoo! Bookmarks
  • MySpace
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • RSS
  • MisterWong
Posted in Filmmaking, UCLA Film School | Comments closed