| Show Students mired in debt for film projects Jeff CPS Writer IN an effort to create length feature-length films that might get recognized by Hollywoods Hollywood's some graduate students at the nations nation's top film schools are running up massive debts through credit cards and loans that many admit they have no immediate way of paying The bills also are upping the ante for other film students who dont don't have the same financial resources despite faculty belief that elaborate films wont won't guarantee Hollywood jobs to young filmmakers In response to what one faculty member called a new phenomenon the University of California Califor Califor- nia at Los Angeles is discouraging students from making films longer than 30 minutes because of cost ups run run ups and the length of time school equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment is tied up when making longer feature films At New York University the nations nation's largest film school the large debts are compounded by bythe bythe bythe the fact film industry executives dont don't even attend attend attend at at- tend the university's screenings held in May according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to one school official The average cost to make a student film is between between between be be- tween and depending upon the school Most graduate te students view these films as their only calling cards or resumes to get into the film industry Nevertheless a few graduate students speaking anonymously reported personal debts between and for length feature-length thesis films costing up to Much of this debt was financed through credit cards and bank loans One graduate student reported spending on one set alone When asked what became became became be be- came of the set after the film was finished the student replied Its lilts probably in the junkyard At UCLA and NYU nearly all graduate film students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents go into debt primarily because they get to tomake tomake tomake make any film they want but receive no funding from the school except for equipment loaned Only a small number of graduate students reportedly go into these double-digit double debts but even so they're creating a domino effect They up the ante for everybody else said Howard Suber co-chairman co of the producers producer's program program program pro pro- gram at UCLA The liThe faculty considers these students students students stu stu- dents wildly out of control Students get approved for minute 20 films and come com back with length feature-length films he said I They say to the other students If you dont don't do that you wont won't be as good as me mesic mesic mesic sic Suber said The problem is no better in New York The liThe faculty is aware that there are some students who can afford to make more expensive expensive expensive sive films and that makes everyone else try to film school administrator administrator administrator ad ad- spend more said one NYU who vho asked not to be identified The administrator said he could not estimate the average debt that NYU graduate film students students students stu stu- dents were going into although he said he had heard of some student projects with budgets over The payoff however r hardly ever comes especially if the students expect t to be showing their films to people like NYU graduate Oliver Stone at the schools school's film festival Its lilts a myth that a lot of industry people come to our screenings the NYU administrator admitted As a result some of these spending big-spending stud students students stu stu- d dents hold their own private screenings for Hollywood Hollywood Hollywood Hol Hol- lywood brass Faculty at NYU and UCLA UCLA try try to discourage feature films that mire students in debt by telling telling telling tell tell- ing them that big bucks dont don't create big job op op- op Students feel that if they dont don't go into hock or they're not going to have a film that will get them a job Suber said The liThe belief that you must make a feature film to get geta a job is a fallacy At Columbia Pictures they signed to a two- two or year three-year contract contract contract con con- tract for a minute 10 film How However ver one graduate student did find an editing job as a result of contacts and exp experience experience ex ex- ex- ex p gained during shooting of his minute 45 film Even so he said it will take him about three years at the editing job to pay payoff payoff payoff off a debt Some film school administrators fear students students students stu stu- dents will risk anything for success Youve got a lot of egotistical students the II I I NYU official said They want the car the pool the Its It's like i earphone Its It's the Hollywood image they're feeding on their own images Its It's what's driving them into debt B But t some students see these elaborate projects as asa asa asa a labor of love not greed Its lilts very rare to find someone who's willing to togo togo go into debt like this Its It's not an an easy thing to do sai said the graduate student facing a O debt I just really wanted to do this film I t |
