N
Narphobula
Guest
Hi all,
My name is Mark and I'm brand spanking new to this student filmaker forum, but very accquainted with the magazine.
I have a problem, wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I'd also like my problem to serve as a warning of sorts.
I was a student director of a feature film this last summer. Script was written by student. Produced by an Alumni, EP role assumed by Prof, but all other crew positions filled by students. I recieved (yet to actually recieve, but will recieve) class credit for this production, as will/did the crew and post-prod. crew.
It was a 15 or so week ordeal, 5 weeks prior to summer classes, 10 weeks of the actual summer "class". Everything started from scratch - from the script (an adaptation written in a week's time, amazingly) to the workshopping of the script (really a drag) and additional pre-prod. training, which all lasted for 4 weeks. 6 weeks of production time. I put in a lot of time, effot, creative energy throughout... I made it my baby. But don't we all?
We all had to sign agreements saying that our university had the right to display our work for promotional purposes, and that we also retained the copyright for our work, or something to that nature. That's where it's blurry for me, it was sort of signed under diress. (Sign or you're off, 3/4's of the way into filming.)
Production went as smooth as can be with zero budget, under-trained and student crew, and the necessity for around 50+ extras (yeah, try swinging that with no craft services.) The Prof EP wasn't to be seen but for an hour a week for the first 5 weeks of production. I was A-OK with this, because this prof. has been less than kind in the past concerning creative choices. We were a crew, and when a problem came along, we were self-sufficient. Troubleshooting was no big deal. To summate - it was awesome.
Then what could go wrong did go wrong.
Week 4, The DP and Alumni Producer started dating. It started to affect the crew in a negative way at first, but we all learned to deal. I imagine this type of thing is frowned upon in the professional world, but hey, we're all students, and the Prod was just one. Oh well.
A crew member comes to me with a concern that the ordeal is starting to affect the production. I bring the concern to the Prof, asking for anonimity. The Prof ignores this request and brings it to both the student DP and Alumn Producer, only tells them I had the problem. Wtf.
For the rest of week 4, they're as rude as they can be to me. They start having problems with my choices as director. Mutinous rabblings are heard throughout set. I have no idea what's going on, but I figure "hey, it's late in production, everyone's tired, and everyone thinks they can do it better, we're all peers here. This is normal." Wrong.
The drama explodes, we have a meeting with the Prof. He directly blames all rabblings on me. He wanted strict shots to storyboards, I wanted freedom to bend when I got to locations I've never seen before, to bend with the talent's performance, to bend to tell a better story. That's simply where we differed. Not to mention we were knee deep in production, I didn't have time in pre-prod due to re-writes, and frankly, the crew and myself didn't need them. We worked well enough for that. We were a machine. He also gives me a quite remarkable... remak. "I've had 2 people want to quit this production, Mark! I've never had that before!" My thoughts? -Wow- It comes out he started drama with the DP & Prod., he backs off. -Wow- I'm left with a warning. "Do... half the storyboards, but not the other half, and I (Prof EP) am doing the other half for the rest of production, and you have to stick with them to the T." ... wow. It's never mentioned exactly which half I do. We have 5 days of shooting left. ... wtf, omg, wow. For the rest of production, things are weird with the DP and Prod. Weird as in they still aren't happy, despite a reconcilliation.
The Prof is now coming every day (cause, y'know, he's getting summer pay for it?) We have a casual day of filming, then he lectures me again at the end of the day because he wanted me to let the DP have more control of look. I yield, I have no choice. The Prof warns me that if he doesn't have more control, I'm off. Okay...
The next day half the shoot is cancelled because the Prod. can't find an actor over 40 to play a boss. ... Wonderful, okay let's work with it, make another guy a co-worker that's younger. The EP Prof comes in, screams at me because I wasn't using an idea of his from Pre-pro, and orders me off set. He curses at me in front of the entire crew. I'm infuriated, but again, I have to leave set. The Prod is in shock. Wonderful.
The crew sets everything up per the EP's orders. He's pretty much directing now. He leaves set, orders me not to return to set until he does, and leave everything to the second unit dir. Okay. So I sit outside, downtown, in the rain. Wonderful again. The cliche puddle splashes me. I'm in tears.
He returns, telling me I'm no longer a part of the crew, that I will retain the Director credit, and that I'm no longer allowed to be apart of post production, and obviously no longer post-production supervisor (a class I was enroled in.) The rest will be directed either by him, my AD, or the second unit dir/DP. I'm to leave set (a half hour walk home in the f'ing rain) and never to return. I tell him my many disagreements (and yes, though in tears, I'm civilized) tell him this is what is wrong with our department, and start the walk. My lead actress comes out and gives me a big hug. I will always love theatre people.
He tells the crew it was due to "creative differences". The crew is shocked. This is the second "firing" of this production. The cast and crew is thinking about mutiny, completely quitting the production altogether. They ask what I want. I say go on with it, we've worked too hard. They go on with it, but it helps that I had the support of the crew. It was an awesome feeling.
He directs the Friday shoot, let's the DP and AD co-direct the rest. I talk to the chair of the department, I get a general "this was his call" response, though a sympathetic one. The writer tries fighting to get me in post, as well as the offline editor, and the male lead. To no avail. "This is his call."
To date, the movie is nearing the end of cut to time. I've dealt with all this. But there are two things I want: to speak at the premeire, and to make a director's cut. I signed off, so I may have signed off my rights, I don't know, but I was wondering if anyone knew what student filmmaker rights were. Like do I have the right to a cut and to speak at the premeire? Because part of me really just wants the option. Things have cooled down with the Prof, he's still a huge dick, but he's cool with me now. (He needs me.)
It's such a strange circumstance. In one hand, I want the premeire to happen for everyone without a hitch. On the other, I don't want this experience to be had by student filmmakers after me, and I feel like my only recourse is to make this all public. That's a lot of pressure. And my "firing" is like the secret of the department - the department isn't proud, it seems, that this happened. So if it "gets out" it makes the department look bad. But then it's like "how will this make me look to employers?" You know? I've spent 4 years working up what I think is a killer reel, and would doing what I think is right (getting the word publically so this doesn't happen to another student next year) jeopordize my future?
So yeah I'm willing to answer any questions regarding this whole ordeal. There's a lot involved, I know. The whole drama thing goes even further in depth. The Prof literally insisted I include a scene concerning bird homicice. It was a romantic comedy. Wtfomg.
I wouldn't wish this upon anyone. My advice? NEVER make student films in class (unless you have to of course). Never have the Prof be an EP. Be as independant as possible. We have our whole lives for people to basically tell us our art is "wrong".
I'd really like to hear what others at studentfilmmakersforums.com have to say about this, too. The fellow directors and pro's. I'm thinking of going to the dean here, so I could use advice.
Sorry for such a long post.
Thank you!
My name is Mark and I'm brand spanking new to this student filmaker forum, but very accquainted with the magazine.
I have a problem, wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I'd also like my problem to serve as a warning of sorts.
I was a student director of a feature film this last summer. Script was written by student. Produced by an Alumni, EP role assumed by Prof, but all other crew positions filled by students. I recieved (yet to actually recieve, but will recieve) class credit for this production, as will/did the crew and post-prod. crew.
It was a 15 or so week ordeal, 5 weeks prior to summer classes, 10 weeks of the actual summer "class". Everything started from scratch - from the script (an adaptation written in a week's time, amazingly) to the workshopping of the script (really a drag) and additional pre-prod. training, which all lasted for 4 weeks. 6 weeks of production time. I put in a lot of time, effot, creative energy throughout... I made it my baby. But don't we all?
We all had to sign agreements saying that our university had the right to display our work for promotional purposes, and that we also retained the copyright for our work, or something to that nature. That's where it's blurry for me, it was sort of signed under diress. (Sign or you're off, 3/4's of the way into filming.)
Production went as smooth as can be with zero budget, under-trained and student crew, and the necessity for around 50+ extras (yeah, try swinging that with no craft services.) The Prof EP wasn't to be seen but for an hour a week for the first 5 weeks of production. I was A-OK with this, because this prof. has been less than kind in the past concerning creative choices. We were a crew, and when a problem came along, we were self-sufficient. Troubleshooting was no big deal. To summate - it was awesome.
Then what could go wrong did go wrong.
Week 4, The DP and Alumni Producer started dating. It started to affect the crew in a negative way at first, but we all learned to deal. I imagine this type of thing is frowned upon in the professional world, but hey, we're all students, and the Prod was just one. Oh well.
A crew member comes to me with a concern that the ordeal is starting to affect the production. I bring the concern to the Prof, asking for anonimity. The Prof ignores this request and brings it to both the student DP and Alumn Producer, only tells them I had the problem. Wtf.
For the rest of week 4, they're as rude as they can be to me. They start having problems with my choices as director. Mutinous rabblings are heard throughout set. I have no idea what's going on, but I figure "hey, it's late in production, everyone's tired, and everyone thinks they can do it better, we're all peers here. This is normal." Wrong.
The drama explodes, we have a meeting with the Prof. He directly blames all rabblings on me. He wanted strict shots to storyboards, I wanted freedom to bend when I got to locations I've never seen before, to bend with the talent's performance, to bend to tell a better story. That's simply where we differed. Not to mention we were knee deep in production, I didn't have time in pre-prod due to re-writes, and frankly, the crew and myself didn't need them. We worked well enough for that. We were a machine. He also gives me a quite remarkable... remak. "I've had 2 people want to quit this production, Mark! I've never had that before!" My thoughts? -Wow- It comes out he started drama with the DP & Prod., he backs off. -Wow- I'm left with a warning. "Do... half the storyboards, but not the other half, and I (Prof EP) am doing the other half for the rest of production, and you have to stick with them to the T." ... wow. It's never mentioned exactly which half I do. We have 5 days of shooting left. ... wtf, omg, wow.
For the rest of production, things are weird with the DP and Prod. Weird as in they still aren't happy, despite a reconcilliation.The Prof is now coming every day (cause, y'know, he's getting summer pay for it?) We have a casual day of filming, then he lectures me again at the end of the day because he wanted me to let the DP have more control of look. I yield, I have no choice. The Prof warns me that if he doesn't have more control, I'm off. Okay...
The next day half the shoot is cancelled because the Prod. can't find an actor over 40 to play a boss. ... Wonderful, okay let's work with it, make another guy a co-worker that's younger. The EP Prof comes in, screams at me because I wasn't using an idea of his from Pre-pro, and orders me off set. He curses at me in front of the entire crew. I'm infuriated, but again, I have to leave set. The Prod is in shock. Wonderful.
The crew sets everything up per the EP's orders. He's pretty much directing now. He leaves set, orders me not to return to set until he does, and leave everything to the second unit dir. Okay. So I sit outside, downtown, in the rain. Wonderful again. The cliche puddle splashes me. I'm in tears.
He returns, telling me I'm no longer a part of the crew, that I will retain the Director credit, and that I'm no longer allowed to be apart of post production, and obviously no longer post-production supervisor (a class I was enroled in.) The rest will be directed either by him, my AD, or the second unit dir/DP. I'm to leave set (a half hour walk home in the f'ing rain) and never to return. I tell him my many disagreements (and yes, though in tears, I'm civilized) tell him this is what is wrong with our department, and start the walk. My lead actress comes out and gives me a big hug. I will always love theatre people.
He tells the crew it was due to "creative differences". The crew is shocked. This is the second "firing" of this production. The cast and crew is thinking about mutiny, completely quitting the production altogether. They ask what I want. I say go on with it, we've worked too hard. They go on with it, but it helps that I had the support of the crew. It was an awesome feeling.
He directs the Friday shoot, let's the DP and AD co-direct the rest. I talk to the chair of the department, I get a general "this was his call" response, though a sympathetic one. The writer tries fighting to get me in post, as well as the offline editor, and the male lead. To no avail. "This is his call."
To date, the movie is nearing the end of cut to time. I've dealt with all this. But there are two things I want: to speak at the premeire, and to make a director's cut. I signed off, so I may have signed off my rights, I don't know, but I was wondering if anyone knew what student filmmaker rights were. Like do I have the right to a cut and to speak at the premeire? Because part of me really just wants the option. Things have cooled down with the Prof, he's still a huge dick, but he's cool with me now. (He needs me.)
It's such a strange circumstance. In one hand, I want the premeire to happen for everyone without a hitch. On the other, I don't want this experience to be had by student filmmakers after me, and I feel like my only recourse is to make this all public. That's a lot of pressure. And my "firing" is like the secret of the department - the department isn't proud, it seems, that this happened. So if it "gets out" it makes the department look bad. But then it's like "how will this make me look to employers?" You know? I've spent 4 years working up what I think is a killer reel, and would doing what I think is right (getting the word publically so this doesn't happen to another student next year) jeopordize my future?
So yeah I'm willing to answer any questions regarding this whole ordeal. There's a lot involved, I know. The whole drama thing goes even further in depth. The Prof literally insisted I include a scene concerning bird homicice. It was a romantic comedy. Wtfomg.
I wouldn't wish this upon anyone. My advice? NEVER make student films in class (unless you have to of course). Never have the Prof be an EP. Be as independant as possible. We have our whole lives for people to basically tell us our art is "wrong".
I'd really like to hear what others at studentfilmmakersforums.com have to say about this, too. The fellow directors and pro's.
I'm thinking of going to the dean here, so I could use advice.Sorry for such a long post.
Thank you!
