“One of my most intense memories brings me back to a time right after high school graduation when, instead of going on a senior trip as did most of my classmates I set out to shoot a movie. I scrambled all friends yet uncommitted to the trip and begged them to give in to the “glamour” of filmmaking instead of the inevitable hangovers resulting from two weeks at an all-inclusive resort. Today, I wonder how it was possible to enthuse as many as fifteen of them to stay, carry heavy light equipment or hold a boom fourteen hours a day for two weeks without payment. Luckily, no one complained and all kept going to the end. For me, the experience truly was magic. Never before had I felt more alive. And never before was I more strained. Even the stresses of the extensive school leaving examinations faded in comparison to filmmaking. Nevertheless directing this film summoned spiritedness in me at levels previously unknown.

I realized that enthusiasm and intense work alone do not make a good film and understood what I was lacking most at the time: To be able to develop ideas that were important to me into enticing stories that mattered to others, I first and foremost needed life’s experience. Moreover I decided to found my aspirations on broader understandings of the history of cinema and art. I have done my best to study not only art, history and philosophy but the human mind and society as well. I have developed a keen interest in politics, world affairs and cultural events, ever trying to walk through life with open eyes and respect for the other, to forge a strong point of view out of theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

Consequently, I taught myself the basics of filmmaking and increasingly felt the need to develop narrative short films and consequently move into feature film writing and direction to express my ideas about human behavior and interaction, emotion and psyche. In my work, there are certain artistic features and qualities I am striving for. They are maybe best described in reference to three very different masters. Billy Wilder created a type of storytelling and lovingly rendered all of his characters in their vulnerability and yet all of them exhibit inner strength and a glowing individuality. Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski successfully creates compelling narratives of the every-day and blends them with playful formal elements to speak about his themes of destiny and emotionality. Another influential director is Robert Bresson. Through his unique approach to style, narration and acting, he manages to express the human enigma, the impossibility to know everything about the other, about the world. These three filmmakers certainly are role-models to me. Their work exemplifies not only the scope of different possibilities within narrative film but exhibit cinematic achievements of the expression of ideas important to me as: rendering visible the ever present tensions between the human need to connect, be understood and loved and the
necessity to cope with one’s faults, beliefs, individuality and surrounding society. This dilemma is my definition of the human condition; it is the source of all behavior and emotion. Because of its qualities and traditions the art of narrative filmmaking is best form to express it. My ultimate goal is to probe the possibilities of the medium and develop cinematic means of my own to communicate the human condition in ways that affect my spectators. My want is to create motion pictures capable of conveying life in all its facets, tragedies and pleasures.

Even though I learned much already, I am aware of the limits of my self-education. Especially within the frames of commissioned work and related responsibilities it is hard to systematically develop one’s craft. I strongly feel that I have reached a point where I would profit the most from a practical education within an artistically and financially secure frame. My urge to move closer to my goal is the main driving force behind my wish to study film production and directing. I want to improve my ability to work fluently, creatively and in sustained effort within the special logic and expression of the medium. I therefore seek to acquire basic professional-level craftsmanship in writing for the screen, cinematography and lightning, directing, editing and production in a supportive and challenging environment, one that provides the room necessary for guidance and experimentation. While gaining more experience in all aspects of filmmaking, my special concern will be to enhance my knowledge of structured narrative screenwriting and systematically be trained in the direction of actors.

In addition to the development of my craft, I am looking for a stark change from my current environment. I’d like to bridge my own background to American thought and culture. Next to improving my English language skills and maturing my own outlook by drawing from the challenges of a life abroad, I look forward to add my perspective to the academic and artistic community in situ. I expect to meet a group of like-minded young men and women displaying international diversity and intellectual tolerance and hope to be acquainted with them as pupil, collaborator and friend.

Finally, I want to use the opportunities provided by a film school to probe my possibilities and limits, for I expect a very demanding program. At its end, I intend to meet all the qualifications asked of a skilled filmmaker. A diploma from an accredited university will help attest my capabilities to employers and sponsors, although my show reel will be even better proof of talent and education. Most importantly film school would have provided the foundation for my continuous work and artistic development.
UCLA offers the wisdom of experienced, professional and active faculty members. UCLA’s professors promise to provide a strong notion and perspective about their own work and be good mentors.

The school provides extensive practical training with the opportunity to conceptualize, shoot and edit several student films while not neglecting the importance of a good theoretical, historical and analytical basis. The school’s supply of equipment and its determination to teach independent filmmaking while being situated near the US film industry are very appealing to me as well. UCLA’s film program promises in many respects to be able to support my aims on a very high level.

In 1973, Elia Kazan stepped in front of students to give a long speech on what makes a film director. “So, my friends”, he concluded, “you’ve seen how much you have to know and what kind of a bastard you have to be. How hard you have to train yourself and in how many different ways. All of which I did. I’ve never stopped trying to educate myself and to improve myself.”

My dream is to look back someday and tell the same. I know I am capable of venturing this road. On it, film school would be the next step.”

Thanks to Paul for letting me publish this!

My UCLA Statement of Purpose

The book “Film School Confidential,” which I and many of my classmates based our research on when applying to film schools, has proven itself notoriously unreliable. It underestimates the cost of study, living, and making films, as well as telling what appear to be downright lies.

For example, the book says that you can write a feature length screenplay instead of making your advanced film project at UCLA. I talked to the TAs today and they were baffled. It appears no one has ever done this before.

If the information about UCLA is this inaccurate, I can only assume that it is also so for the other film schools. I had previously criticized it for being out of date. Now I would say it is often wrong, and is no substitute for doing your homework.

Just thought you should know!

The reel I sent to NYU and UTexas was 14 minutes long. This was a big no no, reflected in my rejection by both schools. The reel I brought to my UCLA interview was 6 minutes long.

One of my goals for this site is to demystify the film school application process and to give useful advice on how to apply. In the spirit of that I am showing the reel that I was waitlisted and then accepted on:

It’s a small cut of my most interesting work made before the application. Brevity and quality are king here. You’ll notice I didn’t put the film Intervention on here because it’s a bad movie with pretty pictures. It was on the far too long reel  which I submitted to NYU and UTexas. That reel was more concerned with quantity, i.e. showing that I had done a lot of stuff, rather than quality, i.e. showing a few things I’d done well.

Here are some things to keep in mind while editing your showreel for film school. Some of these suggestions come from Roberta Munroe’s excellent book How Not to Make A Short Film, which you should read immediately.

From Jason:

• Brevity and quality are more important than quantity.
• An interesting story is better than pretty pictures.
• Choose 5 minutes of your best material. The people watching them will be grateful. Just because NYU says they allow up to a half hour does not mean you should take them up on their offer.
• Keep titles simple.
• Make a DVD that plays directly when you put it in.
• Make it as easy as possible to watch and enjoy your dvd.
• No special features. No one cares.
• Test the DVD on a number of players.
• People are impressed by what is on the reel, not what is around it i.e. packaging or elaborate photos of yourself. At the film school I applied to in Berlin, there was a shopping cart full of applications. Don’t be the guy with a cool-looking picture of yourself on your DVD case. It just looks silly.
• Show your reel to friends who aren’t going to lie about how bad something is.
• In a similar vein, if your intuition tells you something is bad, cut it. Brevity.
• Give yourself at least two weeks before the deadline to send it off in case of problems.

From Roberta’s book:

• Don’t package your work so it takes four people and vise grips to get it open.
• Do make sure that your DVD plays all the way through before mailing it in.
• Don’t use paper labels on your DVD. They are the leading cause of unplayable discs.
• Do write or print your film title directly on the face of the disc with a black Magic Marker.
• Don’t include promotional items from your film.
• Don’t shrink-wrap your DVD case. It won’t make your film look any more professional or legitimate.
• Do be patient. Calling to plead your case will only make you look desperate. Let your work speak for itself.

Finally I would like to add:

• Be hard but forgiving on yourself and your work. Hopefully you have developed an eye for your own crap. It is a school you are applying to, which means you are not the end-all be-all filmmaker. You’re going there to learn.

• Be proud of yourself for applying, there are many people who don’t even make it that far.

Good luck!