Title How film education might best address the needs of UK film industry and film culture Name ...

302 Pages·2014·2.26 MB·English

by  Neil Fox

Title How film education might best address the
needs of UK film industry and film culture

Name Neil James Fox

This is a digitised version of a dissertation submitted to the University of
Bedfordshire.
It is available to view only.
This item is subject to copyright.
HOW
 FILM
 EDUCATION
 MIGHT
 BEST
 ADDRESS
 THE
 NEEDS
 OF
 UK
 FILM
 INDUSTRY

AND
 FILM
 CULTURE

by

Neil
 James
 Fox

A
 thesis
 submitted
 to
 the
 University
 of
 Bedfordshire
 in
 partial
 fulfilment
 of
 the

requirements
 for
 the
 degree
 of
 Professional
 Doctorate.

February
 2014
HOW
 FILM
 EDUCATION
 MIGHT
 BEST
 ADDRESS
 THE
 NEEDS
 OF
 UK
 FILM
 INDUSTRY

AND
 FILM
 CULTURE

Neil
 James
 Fox

ABSTRACT

This
  thesis
  reveals
  and
  explores
  contemporary
  relationships
  between
  film

education,
 film
 industry
 and
 film
 culture
 within
 a
 UK
 context
 through
 a
 series
 of

interviews,
 data
 analysis,
 historical
 research
 and
 international
 case
 studies.
 It

highlights
 what
 appear
 to
 be
 binary
 oppositions
 within
 film
 such
 as
 divisions

between
 theory
 and
 practice,
 industry
 and
 academia
 or
 art
 and
 entertainment

and
 interrogates
 how
 they
 have
 permeated
 film
 education
 to
 the
 point
 where

the
 relationship
 between
 film
 studies
 and
 film
 practice
 is
 polemical.
 Also,
 the

thesis
 investigates
 how
 a
 relationship
 between
 two
 binary
 areas
 might
 be
 re-­‐
engaged
 and
 it
 is
 within
 this
 context
 that
 this
 thesis
 addresses
 contemporary

issues
 within
 UK
 higher
 education
 and
 national
 provision
 of
 film
 education.
 There

is
 detailed
 analysis
 of
 UK
 film
 policy
 alongside
 the
 philosophies
 and
 practicalities

of
 filmmaking
 to
 establish
 how
 connected
 the
 practice
 of
 filmmaking
 is
 to
 the

film
 industry
 and
 national
 strategy.

 An
 international
 perspective
 is
 provided

through
 the
 analysis
 of
 the
 film
 school
 systems
 in
 Denmark
 and
 the
 U.S.
 and
 this

postulates
 potential
 future
 directions
 for
 UK
 film
 education,
 particularly
 within

the
 university
 sector.
 A
 main
 focus
 of
 the
 thesis
 is
 to
 question
 film
 education
 by

engaging
 with
 the
 voices
 of
 actual
 filmmakers
 and
 also
 via
 data
 analysis
 of
 the

educational
 background
 of
 filmmakers
 as
 a
 way
 of
 developing
 film
 education.

The
 thesis
 is
 undertaken
 at
 a
 time
 of
 major
 changes
 across
 film
 and
 higher

education.
 Film
 production,
 distribution
 and
 consumption
 have
 undergone
 major

technological
 evolution
 and
 the
 structures
 that
 were
 once
 in
 place
 to
 facilitate

graduate
  movement
  into
  the
  workplace
  are
  changing
  and
  shifting.

Simultaneously
 the
 identity
 of
 the
 university
 as
 a
 place
 of
 skills
 training
 or
 critical

development
 is
 under
 consistent
 scrutiny.

 With
 this
 in
 mind
 this
 thesis
 seeks
 to

engage
 with
 the
 potential
 future
 for
 film
 education.

  2
DECLARATION

I
 declare
 that
 this
 thesis
 is
 my
 own
 unaided
 work.

 It
 is
 being
 submitted
 for
 the

degree
 of
 Professional
 Doctorate
 at
 the
 University
 of
 Bedfordshire.

It
 has
 not
 been
 submitted
 before
 for
 any
 degree
 or
 examination
 in
 any
 other

University.

Name
 of
 candidate:
 Neil
 James
 Fox
  Signature:

Date:
 28/2/2014

  3
LIST
 OF
 CONTENTS

Abstract

  p.2

Declaration

  p.3

List
 of
 Contents

  p.4

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………p.6

The
 view
 from
 the
 trenches
 –

An
 interview
 with
 Patrick
 Phillips,

Middlesex
 University………………………………………………………………………………..p.20

Chapter
 one:
 Cogs
 in
 the
 machine:

What
 can
 we
 learn
 from
 Higher
 Education?................................................p.29

  1.1
 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..p.29

  1.2
 An
 overview
 of
 UK
 higher
 education………………………………………p.30

  1.3
 Education
 and
 industry…………………………………………………………..p.34

  1.4
 Theory,
 practice
 and
 a
 right
 wing
 agenda……………………………….p.39

  1.5
 The
 split
 between
 the
 academy
 and
 the
 industry…………………..p.43

  1.6
 Overcoming
 obstacles……………………………………………………………p.49

  1.7
 Film
 in
 UK
 higher
 education…………………………………………………..p.53

Chapter
 two:
 More
 people
 than
 jobs
 –

Film
 education
 and
 the
 film
 industry………………………………………………………..p.62

  2.1
 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..p.62

  2.2
 Arriving
 at
 this
 moment
 in
 time……………………………………………..p.64

  2.3
 The
 2012
 UK
 Film
 Policy
 Review…………………………………………….p.66

  2.4
 The
 BFI
 Film
 Forever
 Strategy
 2012
 –
 2017…………………………….p.76

  2.5
 The
 film
 industry
 and
 academia
 in
 the
 UK……………………………..p.83

  2.6
 Film
 education
 from
 the
 perspective
 of
 filmmakers………………p.88

  2.7
 Film
 education
 as
 designed
 by
 filmmakers………………………….…p.98

  4
Chapter
 three:
 Interesting
 failures

and
 industry
 luminaries
 –
 International

perspectives
 on
 film
 education………………………………………………………………..p.110

  3.1
 Introduction………………………………………………………………………..p.110

  3.2
 The
 Danish
 System………………………………………………………………p.114

  3.3
 The
 American
 Perspective…………………………………………………..p.138

  3.4
 International
 ideas:
 new
 methods
 of
 pedagogy…………………..p.150

Chapter
 four:
 Paths
 to
 the
 Pantheon
 –

The
 education
 of
 actual
 filmmakers………………………………………………………..p.157

  4.1
 Rationale…………………………………………………………………………...p.156

  4.2
 Measuring
 success
 by
 alumni
 and
 alumnae………………………..p.158

  4.3
 Methodology……………………………………………………………………..p.161

  4.4
 Data
 Analysis……………………………………………………………………..p.168

  4.5
 Education
 trends
 across
 film
 history…………………………………..p.179

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………..p.189

Reference
 List

 p.194

Interviews

 p.204

Appendices

 p.242

  5
Introduction

Perceptions
 of
 film
 education

This
 thesis
 addresses
 contemporary
 film
 education
 and
 how
 the
 consequences
 of

historical
 industrial
 and
 institutional
 practices
 have
 led
 to
 this
 moment
 in
 time.
 It

also
 seeks
 to
 ask
 if
 what
 is
 considered
 film
 education
 in
 local
 and
 wider
 contexts

is
 appropriate,
 relevant
 or
 maximising
 its
 potential
 impact.
 It
 addresses
 film

education
 from
 a
 diversity
 of
 theoretical,
 historical
 and
 strategic
 positions.
 The

film
 industry,
 participation
 in
 which
 most
 film
 students
 are
 aiming
 for,
 has
 a

mostly
 negative
 view
 of
 film
 education.
 This
 view
 is
 emblematic
 of
 the
 division

between
 film
 industry
 and
 film
 education
 that
 this
 thesis
 investigates.

Woody
 Allen
 did
 not
 complete
 his
 studies
 in
 film
 at
 New
 York
 University
 (NYU).
 In

his
 early
 works,
 moving
 from
 his
 all-­‐out
 comedies
 to
 his
 celebrated
 comedy-­‐
dramas,
 education
 itself
 and
 the
 education
 of
 his
 films’
 protagonists
 is
 frequently

a
 subject
 for
 dialogue.
 Allen’s
 response
 is
 often
 derisory
 about
 the
 need
 for

education
 at
 all.
 In
 both
 Manhattan
 (1979)
 and
 Stardust
 Memories
 (1980)
 Allen’s

on-­‐screen
 character
 is
 asked
 about
 his
 education
 and
 gives
 flippant,
 comedic

answers
 regarding
 why
 he
 did
 not
 complete
 his
 studies.
 He
 uses
 the
 opportunity

to
 show
 his
 innate
 wit,
 as
 if
 that
 alone
 was
 the
 reason
 for
 his
 success,
 and
 he

dismisses
 education
 as
 fundamental
 to
 a
 person’s
 development.
 He
 is
 not
 just

derisory
 about
 education,
 but
 also
 towards
 academics.
 In
 Stardust
 Memories
 he

proclaims
 he
 is
 not
 the
 type
 of
 person
 who
 is
 suited
 to
 giving
 lectures
 and
 in

Annie
 Hall
 (1977)
 his
 character
 claims
 that
 ‘everything
 our
 parents
 said
 is
 good

for
  us
  is
  bad,
  including
  college’
  before
  the
  famous
  scene
  where
  Allen

embarrasses
 a
 garrulous
 academic
 regarding
 his
 knowledge
 of
 Marshall
 McLuhan

  6
by
 presenting
 McLuhan
 himself.
 As
 chapter
 four
 of
 this
 thesis
 will
 highlight,
 Allen

is
 a
 filmmaker
 who
 has
 succeeded
 despite
 a
 lack
 of
 formal
 film
 training.
 However

his
  success
  is
  in
  part
  due
  to
  a
  deep
  engagement
  with
  film
  history
  and
  an

intellectual
  understanding
  of
  wider
  social,
  cultural
  and
  artistic
  content
  and

contexts.
 Allen
 may
 not
 be
 keen
 on
 formal
 academia,
 but
 through
 his
 creative

works
 he
 has
 shown
 that
 learning
 from
 other
 artworks
 and
 knowledge
 of
 other

cultural
 and
 artistic
 areas
 are
 key
 aspects
 in
 his
 filmmaking.

Film
 students
 and
 film
 schools
 on
 screen
 are
 often
 portrayed
 negatively
 in
 a

number
 of
 genres,
 highlighting
 a
 disdain
 among
 the
 film
 industry
 towards
 film

education.
 One
 of
 the
 most
 extreme
 representations
 of
 a
 film
 student
 is
 in
 the

adaptation
 of
 novelist
 Bret
 Easton
 Ellis’s
 The
 Rules
 of
 Attraction
 (Avary,
 2002)

where
 a
 young
 man
 studying
 film
 at
 NYU
 misquotes
 the
 title
 of
 Dziga
 Vertov’s

seminal
 The
 Man
 With
 A
 Movie
 Camera
 (Vertov,
 1929)
 before
 videoing
 the
 rape

of
 one
 of
 the
 protagonists
 and
 calling
 it
 his
 ‘film’.
 Exceptions
 to
 the
 largely
 male

dominated
  ‘auteur
  in
  training’
  portrayals
  can
  be
  found
  in
  Tiny
  Furniture

(Dunham,
 2010)
 and
 The
 Blair
 Witch
 Project
 (Myrick
 and
 Sánchez,
 1999).
 In
 Tiny

Furniture
 Lena
 Dunham,
 who
 also
 wrote
 and
 directed
 the
 film,
 stars
 as
 a
 film

graduate
 who
 returns
 home
 to
 a
 life
 of
 veritable
 privilege
 in
 New
 York
 and
 to

work
 through
 her
 post-­‐graduation
 angst.
 The
 most
 poignant
 moment
 regarding

her
 schooling
 in
 film
 occurs
 as
 she
 is
 explaining
 that
 she
 majored
 in
 film
 theory

before
 taking
 a
 summer
 job
 as
 a
 research
 assistant
 to
 a
 documentary
 professor.

The
 person
 she
 is
 in
 conversation
 with
 says:
 “that
 sounds
 like
 fun”.
 “It
 wasn’t”
 is

Lena
 Denham’s
 character’s
 reply,
 before
 immediately
 inhaling
 marijuana
 through

a
 bong.
 Dunham
 herself
 studied
 Creative
 Writing
 at
 university
 and
 has
 found

great
 success
 recently
 with
 her
 television
 show
 Girls
 (HBO,
 2012)
 in
 which
 she

plays
 a
 privileged
 and
 professional,
 if
 naïve,
 creative
 writing
 graduate.

The
 three
 film
 students
 in
 The
 Blair
 Witch
 Project
 are
 portrayed
 as
 people

who
 are
 excited
 and
 engaged
 with
 their
 filmic
 idea
 and
 there
 is
 a
 sense
 of

collaboration
 and
 shared
 goals.
 The
 female
 character
 of
 the
 trio
 is
 the
 director

  7
and,
 despite
 the
 need
 for
 conflict
 to
 arise
 within
 the
 group,
 her
 narcissistic
 and

overtly
  megalomaniac
  tendencies
  are
  minimal.
  Instead
  she
  is
  portrayed
  as

committed
 and
 driven
 and
 with
 the
 requisite
 command
 to
 keep
 the
 work
 on

track.
 There’s
 a
 naiveté
 and
 an
 almost
 childish
 joy
 that
 captures
 the
 thrill
 of

embarking
 on
 a
 first
 serious
 project
 for
 a
 group
 of
 young
 aspiring
 filmmakers.

The
  Blair
  Witch
  Project
  is
  a
  horror
  film,
  a
  genre
  where
  many
  film
  student

representations
 are
 found.

Another
 such
 film
 is
 the
 Norwegian
 fantasy
 film
 Trolljegeren
 (Øvredal,
 2010)
 that

follows
  film
  students
  as
  they
  become
  involved
  in
  hunting
  trolls.
  Led
  by
  a

maniacal,
 arrogant
 and
 authoritarian
 self-­‐proclaimed
 auteur
 the
 group
 is
 thrust

into
 serious
 peril
 in
 his
 quest
 for
 the
 ultimate
 documentary.
 This
 depiction
 of
 film

students
 again
 focuses
 on
 ambition,
 selfishness
 and
 naiveté
 as
 key
 characteristics

and
  personality
  traits.
  The
  fact
  that
  it
  is
  a
  commercial
  found
  footage
  film,

however,
 is
 interesting
 particularly
 given
 the
 Scandinavian
 context.

Found
  footage
  would
  seem
  the
  logical
  commercial
  conclusion
  for
  aesthetic

changes
 in
 recent
 film
 history
 brought
 about
 by
 the
 emergence
 of
 the
 Dogme
 95

movement
 in
 nearby
 Denmark
 in
 the
 mid
 1990s.
 (The
 Dogme
 95
 movement
 is

discussed
 at
 length
 in
 chapter
 three.)
 Horror
 films
 seem
 to
 offer
 an
 appropriate

genre
 to
 house
 film
 student
 representations
 and,
 like
 those
 in
 Trolljegeren
 and

Urban
 Legends:
 Final
 Cut
 (Ottman,
 2000),
 the
 crew
 of
 film
 students
 who
 start
 to

document
 the
 zombie
 apocalypse
 in
 another
 found
 footage
 film
 Diary
 Of
 The

Dead
 (Romero,
 2007)
 are
 a
 spoiled,
 narcissistic
 and
 vainglorious
 lot
 who
 come
 to

find
  humility
  through
  the
  atrocities
  they
  compulsively
  capture.
  The
  most

infamous
  representation
  of
  a
  film
  student
  resides
  within
  the
  character
  of

supreme
 film
 ‘geek’
 Randy
 Meeks
 in
 the
 Scream
 films.
 In
 the
 first
 film,
 Scream

(Craven,
 1996),
 Randy
 is
 a
 high
 school
 student.
 Subsequently
 he
 becomes
 a

college
 film
 student
 in
 the
 sequel
 Scream
 2
 (Craven,
 1997).
 In
 both
 of
 the
 Scream

films
  Randy’s
  Cinephile
  knowledge
  is
  used
  to
  guide
  the
  audience
  in
  the

  8
conventions
 of
 the
 genre
 and
 the
 form.
 In
 Scream
 2
 this
 takes
 place
 largely
 in
 a

classroom
 where
 students
 lounge
 around
 and
 discuss
 sequels
 in
 a
 friendly,
 jovial

and
 superficial
 way.

The
 film
 lecturer
 in
 The
 Freshman
 (Bergman,
 1990)
 is
 pompous,
 grandiose
 and

egotistical.
 The
 student
 of
 the
 title,
 played
 by
 Matthew
 Broderick,
 is
 one
 of
 the

most
 moderate
 filmic
 representations
 of
 a
 film
 student.
 He
 is
 both
 naïve
 and

astute,
  shy
  yet
  with
  a
  bold
  reserve,
  in
  other
  words,
  a
  three-­‐dimensional

character.
 The
 same
 could
 be
 said
 of
 Kevin
 Bacon’s
 character
 in
 The
 Big
 Picture

(Guest,
 1989)
 at
 least
 at
 the
 start
 of
 the
 film.
 The
 film
 follows
 Bacon’s
 award

winning
 film
 graduate
 as
 he
 is
 courted,
 seduced
 and
 changed
 by
 Hollywood.

Along
 the
 way
 he
 learns
 hard
 truths
 about
 the
 industry
 and
 cinema.
 This
 is
 also

the
 case
 in
 the
 following
 films.

Two
 students
 dreaming
 of
 Hollywood
 can
 be
 found
 in
 a
 British
 entry
 to
 the
 slim

canon
 of
 film
 students
 on
 film
 in
 I
 Want
 Candy
 (Surjik,
 2007).
 I
 Want
 Candy
 is
 a

comedy
 film
 featuring
 two
 aspiring
 students
 who
 set
 out
 to
 make
 a
 dramatic

opus
 but
 end
 up
 making
 an
 erotic
 feature
 with
 the
 world’s
 biggest
 adult
 film
 star.

They
 are
 portrayed
 as
 sly,
 ambitious,
 selfish,
 and
 snobby
 and
 naïve
 and
 the

portrayal
 of
 their
 film
 tutor
 is
 an
 echo
 of
 many
 of
 those
 same
 traits.
 The
 film

student
 that
 reflects
 the
 current
 state
 of
 film
 education
 can
 be
 found
 in
 Gregg

Araki’s
 apocalyptic
 teenage
 mystery
 Kaboom
 (2010).
 The
 lead
 character
 of
 Smith,

played
 by
 Thomas
 Dekker,
 is
 confused,
 smart
 and
 snobby
 and
 he
 also
 provides

apposite
 commentary
 on
 contemporary
 film
 education
 when
 he
 states
 studying

film
 is
 like
 ‘devoting
 your
 life
 to
 studying
 an
 animal
 that’s
 on
 the
 verge
 of

extinction’.

What
  the
  films
  mentioned
  have
  in
  common
  is
  a
  mostly
  dismissive
  attitude

towards
 film
 students
 which
 ultimately
 displays
 a
 lack
 of
 understanding
 of
 film

education
 from
 the
 film
 industry
 in
 terms
 of
 what
 students
 learn
 on
 film
 courses

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