By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com
A Yank abroad: the advantages of foreign film schools
The Reporter’s Christina MacDonald surveys schools where US film students are taking it on the road:” With top-notch facilities and high-profile instructors, institutions around the globe are attracting American students…. After attending the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television for two years, Jonathan Wald packed his bags… to attend the Australian Film Television and Radio School in Sydney. His decision was based on one simple fact: At the Australian institution, Wald could devote all of his time to perfecting his craft. “At UCLA, for most of the time you’re there, your fellow directing students serve as crew members for your films, so you’ve got directors who are acting as gaffers, assistant directors, designers and sound recordists… At AFTRS, students were very clearly differentiated: The directors directed, the writers wrote, and the designers designed.” … In sharp contrast with most U.S. universities, most charge little or nothing in the way of tuition. [And] as the movie business becomes increasingly international, studying abroad can help make young filmmakers more comfortable with other nations and cultures [which] can only help later in their careers.” MacDonald cites Germany’s independent-minded Deutsche Film und Fernsehakademie Berlin, which ccepts fewer than 50 students a year, including only 12 potential directors. “Professors include Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and auteur director Werner Herzog, and with the exception of its screenwriting class, which costs €1,200 ($1,447) a year, the DFFB does not charge tuition.” [More gazetteering at the link.]