Film School Generation

In our cinema class, we have watched some documentaries about film, most specifically the American Cinema. This time, we watched a documentary about Film School Generation, a  new generation of young filmmakers who came to revolutionize the way American films were made and appreciated. This documentary examines the generation of great Sixties directors who challenged traditional thinking on what movies could be about and say. Some of them include Francis Coppola, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma and Steven Spielberg. The films they made were part of the studio system. They introduced subject matter and styles that set them apart from the studio traditions. 

Steven Spielberg

George Lucas

We learned that a lot of famous directors went to film school on which made them real good in directing and making films. Some of the famous film schools in America were the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. According to the author Lynda Miles, UCLA is a film school noted for personal kind of cinema while USC is a film school who fought the industry. Some of the Directors who have attended and earned degrees from film schools include Francis Ford Coppola (UCLA Film School, MFA film directing), Martin Scorsese (NYU Film School, MFA film directing), and George Lucas (USC Film School, BA film directing). 

Martin Scorsese

There are some kinds of directors who are public in mind and those who don’t consider public at all. Based on the film that we watched, for me the directors who are public in mind are George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. George and Spielberg have an American point of view and wanted to make movies that would move everybody. George Lucas made films that became a hit such as American Graffiti and Star Wars; while Steven Spielberg made hit movies such as Jaws and Jurassic Parl. On the other hand, the directors who make films for themselves are Francis Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma and John Milius. These directors make movies to satisfy and can move themselves. They don’t really care if their movies will become a hit, they just want to express themselves in film the way people them were doing it.

All directors have their own style and ideas in making films. For me this is a good thing for cinema and in the world industry because they can make a profound effect by making such good films that can make the industry grow effectively. The global market also is growing, as many countries are creating a consumer demand for film within their growing economies. When we think about basic needs, we don’t really think about watching a movie. But as developing countries improve their economic reality, movie theatres become possible.