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Thursday, 5/29/97 More than money In the diverse world of student films there is one central issue - how to fund a project. UCLA students tackle the fiscal side of filmmaking in various ways.

By Stephanie Sheh Daily Bruin Contributor With the increasing number of big budget bombs, low-budget films are becoming more of an asset. Remember the gawking over Ed Burn's $25,000 "The Brothers McMullen." Student films face the same financial burdens as professional ones, and a student filmmaker's struggles to make movies for less create just as many problems. Hal Ackerman, screenwriting professor at UCLA, explains that first-year graduate films are limited to 10 minutes and thesis films can be as long as half an hour. However, this does not stop some films from costing up to $30,000. Third-year film undergraduate Logan Hale is feeling the financial pressure of the film he will be required to make next year. He says he plans to get a summer job and go to relatives for financial support. "Basically I'll do whatever it takes to get it done," Hale says. "The money's found somewhere. I'm definitely an optimist about it all, but I have backup plans, like robbing a bank." Hale's feelings are common among film students, but some, like graduate student David Straus, doubt if students need to go to these extremes. "Really, a student film shouldn't cost an exorbitant amount of money," explains Straus. "I know many students who have done amazing films for three or four thousand. But then you get into your advanced project and you might want to spend $15,000 on a film. I would venture to say that that number is high and that it should really be the cap." Students can produce these amazing films and maintain Straus' $15,000 budget by paying attention to certain things, namely film stock and its development. Most of a film's cost is from the cost of the actual film stock. Filmmakers can choose from different types of stock depending on the effect he or she wants for the film. Certain stock produces darker darks and whiter whites for a higher contrast. Other stock produces a more even feel. There are no price differences between different types of stock. The real price jump comes in the newest types of stock. "Every company like Kodak and Eastman are always coming out with newer versions of 'Oh, this is a better grain film or this will give you better colors.' There's usually not much of a difference," says Victoria Schmidt, a fourth-year film student. Schmidt does not suggest investing in these newer types of filming materials. A price difference can be seen with 16 mm and 35 mm film. Film that is 16 mm is much cheaper, because it takes up a smaller surface area of the film negative. Grain and picture quality of 35 mm film is better because the image's surface area is larger. Although most film festivals accommodate 16 mm films, commercial films seen in theaters use 35 mm. With all these different types of film, it is difficult for a student to know which one to use. With films that feature dialogue, a process known by filmmakers as "sync" also plays a role in the cost of a film. Undergraduates are required to make non-sync films so that they can learn how to tell stories visually. The cheaper non-sync films can have soundtracks with sound effects and music, but not dialogue. Many times a director will have to reshoot a take just because the sound was not right. Just as the use of sound increases a film's cost, post production adds to a filmmaker's toils. As Schmidt says, she did not foresee the negative-cutting fees for her film, "Persephone Returns." A negative cutter charges about $3 a splice, which averages to $30 an hour. Schmidt's film needed a lot of cuts because there was a fight scene in it, and the total cost for the negative cutter resulted in approximately $500. While many of these costs are unavoidable, a lot of money can be wasted in making a student film. Straus gives crucial advice for first-time directors. "A big waste is a director going onto a set and not understanding the kind of coverage he needs," Straus explains. "He ends up shooting every angle so that he has something in post production and that is not the way you are supposed to shoot a film. You know, Hitchcock said that his films were made before he even got on the set. What he meant by that is that every image you saw in his films, he saw in his head before he shot it." While much of the cost of a commercial film can be the actors' salaries, it is not hard for film students to find actors that will work for free. Many actors will do a film just for a copy of the tape, hoping to build their resumes as well as relationships with up-and-coming directors. Despite the many areas where a film can gather costs, there are many areas where it can cut costs too. Many places in Los Angeles will give discounts on film stock and development if a filmmaker tells them that they are a student. Straus says that a film student can even get their film donated if they are passionate about what they are saying. "A lot of times people defer salaries," Schmidt adds. "Labs will say, 'OK, you can pay us later.' You can work out different deals. Sometimes people will try to get a cinematographer that has certain connections in the industry who was working as an assistant. So you say, 'OK, I'll let you be the actual head of the camera and you use your connections to get us free film.'" An additional element that lessens the financial burden is the university itself. UCLA does the best it can to aid the struggling filmmaker by loaning equipment to students free of charge, although students are required to pay insurance in case equipment is damaged. A free rental of a camera package from the school can cost up to $12,000 from an equipment renter. The university also waives the fees for filming on-campus. Whenever a company decides to shoot a film or commercial on-campus, they are required to apply for a permit and pay the school a fee. While students must still apply for permits to film on their own school grounds, they do not have to pay the fees. For students on financial aid, Schmidt suggests that they go and try to get more money. Since making a film is a requirement for graduation, the financial-aid office sometimes increases their aid to pay for some of the costs of the film. The easiest way to pay for the cost of the film though, is by getting free money. There are hundreds of scholarships, grants and awards that students can receive through the school. Money is given out based on a variety of criteria, from grades and past projects to whether or not the student is from New York. Straus warns that while there is an enormous amount of grants available, there is an even greater number of needy filmmakers. "Grants, while in a sense they are difficult to get, once you get them it's the easiest way to make a film," Straus expands. "What happens to the student who doesn't get the grant? That student has to go out there and convince people that one, he knows what he's doing, two, that he's passionate, and that he's honest. If he convinces them of those three things then they're going to be in a lot better situation to get things for free." Although getting a grant is the easiest way to finance a film, getting a grant is not an easy thing to do. Despite the fact that students can receive up to a couple thousand dollars, grants and awards typically will not pay for the entire cost of a film. After receiving a grant, Straus still spent a year going to investors in Los Angeles and Chicago to raise money for his first feature film. "Many people listened and didn't care. Many people didn't even listen," Straus says. "I finally got enough people who cared that I was able to do the film, but it was because of that persistence that the film got done and not because of the grant." In looking for investors, Straus exhausted all possible resources. He distributed business plans to numerous people. They in turn would pass the business plans on to other acquaintances. Finally, five people later, complete strangers contact Straus for business meetings. "I know it is hard," Ackerman says. "But part of the challenge of being a filmmaker is being able to find the money to make your film, knowing what your resources are and having the ingenuity to make a film that you can finish." Even though there are many avenues of resources and ways to cut film costs, financing films are still burdensome. Currently Schmidt has not decided whether or not to go on to a graduate film school. With the financial strain of film projects and school tuition, enrolling in graduate school loses some of its appeal. But not all film students feel this way. "It's worth it if you believe in what you are doing and you believe you have something worthy to create," Hale says about the struggles of raising money to make films. "Definitely go out on that limb and spend $5,000 or however much people are intending to spend, and create a piece of art. If you believe in it then it's definitely worth it." Related Links: UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television