My thoughts on BDFI
I’d like to share with you some of my thoughts of the past five weeks here at the Berkeley Digital Film Institute.
First of all, what is BDFI really and what do we do here? I get asked this question all the time. On the surface, it is a fairly new, private film school located in the Saul-Zaentz media center in Berkeley, California (If you don’t know what the Saul-Zaentz media center is, uh, well then look it up).
Beneath the surface however, is a little niche of reality the dean, Patrick Kriwanek, created so that students can come and pursue their aspirations of being filmmakers.
Like a scriptwriter who creates a world for the reader to live in, Patrick created a little subculture for student filmmakers to live in. Environment is important to me. Especially when it’s one where artists come to create. BDFI is definitely a place where creativity is encouraged, not stifled because it promotes a certain agenda.
Another interesting quality of the program is the quality of students. People who come here are not only serious about their learning but all seem to be great team players. Everyone crews on everyone else’s shoots and we even help each other in the story and script writing process. The students here do not selfishly work to promote their projects at the expense of others. This is refreshing.
Another interesting aspect of the program is the emphasis on learning all the skills and sub skills involved in filmmaking. The point of the school is not simply to become a filmmaker, but to be an employed filmmaker! During the course of the program all aspects of filmmaking are covered, e.g. producing, directing, editing, scriptwriting, light, sound, acting, etc. It is basically a vocational program for filmmaker.
Another intriguing characteristic along these lines is how each student is allowed to follow his or her area of particular interests. Some like to produce. Some are into directing. Some are tech geeks, editors, etc. You can essentially make the program fit whatever your particular interest happens to be.
Personally, I came to the program to help me be finish a documentary film. And as a combat veteran, I am also am interested in acting as a form of catharsis. So to that end, I am casting myself in some of my film projects. Again, you can shape the program to get whatever you want out of it.
In a nutshell, BDFI is a creative, supportive place for me to pursue my goals in filmmaking. It better be dammit, I was supposed to be living in Italy this summer.
Cheers.
