A question I get asked a lot is some form of Is film school worth it? It’s a complicated question that every person has to answer for themselves, but I wanted to focus on one aspect of it which I like to call the Film School Paradox: as the cost of making films goes down, [...][...]
Author Archive
December 12th, 2011 - 4:53 pm § in News
Why Download-to-Own Sucks
One of the most publicized corporate blunders this year began with Netflix’s realization that consumers still like DVDs. A lot. Netflix’s response, including raising subscription prices and its failed Qwikster spinoff, severely compromised Netflix’s subscription base, consumer trus[...]
October 9th, 2011 - 12:53 pm § in Film School
The Seven Components of Film School Strategy
A while back Short of the Week Editor Andrew S. Allen told me I should write about my thoughts about film school strategy. Here are the seven things I came up with that I find essential to any successful film school career: 1. Find Your Voice This is a murky territory that a lot of [...][...]
October 1st, 2011 - 4:17 pm § in Filmmaking
The Drake Doremus Route
I’ve been following the success of microbudget filmmakers for some time now and I have to say it’s exciting. This week Nofilmschool creator Ryan Koo raised $125,000 for his first feature film man-child (almost enough money to pay for 3 years at UCLA). He joins an impressive group of film[...]
September 23rd, 2011 - 10:13 am § in Screenwriting
Having An Unlikeable Protagonist
One of the big words you’ll hear bandied about in LA when talking about main characters is “likeability.” “I don’t like him enough.” “I can’t track him.” “We need a ‘save the cat’ moment here.” This problem was very well s[...]
September 17th, 2011 - 10:53 am § in Film School, Filmmaking
Great First Features for 250K and Under
About a year ago I wrote a piece called the thesis film in the era of the microbudget. In brief the post talked about the evolution of the microbudget feature and its effect on the role the thesis film plays in launching careers. You can read the post by clicking here. It seems I underestimated the[...]
September 12th, 2011 - 6:38 pm § in Film School, Filmmaking
Good Enough
One of the great unspoken tragedies of film school is that many students never finish their films. The reasons for this are manifold; disappointment with the work, the potentially high costs of postproduction, and the desire to shoot pickups come to mind. If I look back on how long it took me to fin[...]
August 7th, 2011 - 12:41 am § in Contemporary Short Films
5 Shorts That Launched Features: Where Are They Now?
About a year ago I wrote a post about 5 directors who successfully launched feature films based on their shorts. You can see the films and read the post here: http://jasonbkohl.com/archives/2010/5-shorts-that-launched-features/ I thought that after a year it would be interesting to check in where th[...]
August 2nd, 2011 - 8:39 pm § in Opportunities for Filmmakers
Opportunities for Filmmakers: Cannes Residence du Festival
The Residence du Festival is an amazing opportunity for young filmmakers to live in Paris while working on their first features. It’s a bit like a combination of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and the DAAD Artists Fellowship. They’ll even teach you french! Application Details Below: 1 â€[...]
July 12th, 2011 - 6:11 pm § in Filmmaking
20% Fiction – Dylan Murray – Berkeley, CA
20% fiction is an exercise my wonderful teacher Barry Primus has us do in our advanced directing class. Each person is called up to the front of the class to tell a personal story from their lives that can contain up to 20% fiction. When I told mine it was a life-changing experience. I thought [...][...]