Rethinking film education: What can we learn from filmmakers?

Fox, Neil ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2959-2877 (2019) Rethinking film education: What can we learn from filmmakers? In: Film-Philosophy, 9-11 July, 2019, University of Brighton.

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Abstract / Summary

‘What the student […] should be taught is as much of our whole culture as we are capable of synthesizing. Synthesizing, not specializing. To make a film for today’s world, we should strive to comprehend as much as possible of the human accomplishment in these last twenty thousand years […] instead of seminars on Howard Hawks or Orson Welles or anybody else’ (Welles and Bogdanovich, 1992: 258).

The extent to which the teaching of film, predominantly film production, reflects the philosophy and practical realities of filmmaking and filmmakers is debatable, and has been since the earliest days of film education. Much of what is commonly understood as film education has developed and become ingrained separate from filmmaking practice - through industrial and academic prioritising and decision-making. What would a film education look like that took as its starting point the experiences and beliefs of filmmakers? Through an analysis of new and archive interviews with filmmakers, academics and industry figures this paper discusses whether or not dominant approaches to film practice education adequately serve the film industry, film culture and film students and explores alternative approaches. The idea that film education should not be solely based on the study of film is one important theme.

This paper seeks to suggest future strategies for film education at a time when film production, distribution and consumption have undergone major technological evolution, the structures that were once in place to facilitate graduate movement into the workplace are changing and shifting and the identity of the university as a place of skills training and/or critical development is under scrutiny. This paper proposes resistance, diversification and a new philosophical approach to film education.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Subjects:	Education Film & Television Philosophy & Psychology Film & Television > Film
Courses by Department:	The School of Film & Television
Depositing User:	Neil Fox
Date Deposited:	31 Jul 2019 09:36
Last Modified:	15 Nov 2024 12:21
URI:	https://repository.falmouth.ac.uk/id/eprint/3351

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