This Place Has it All
Only week two at BDFI, and already I feel so at home with my professors and classmates, enthralled with my subject matter, and excited about my upcoming projects. Inspiration is not hard to come by when surrounded by such high caliber creative individuals, and the guidance offered by Patrick and Fred is so clearly rooted in years of in-depth experience in the industry.
I love how Patrick tells all these real stories to convey certain lessons about the industry—“the 58 takes story” is a favorite.
Lectures on pitching, casting, locations, and the technical ins and outs of shooting are valuable beyond price—I simply can’t imagine having dived into the industry without all this insider information. The vernacular of the trade is seeping into my everyday speech, which thrills beyond belief and impresses my friends and roommates—always a plus.
Patrick’s theory of “ballistics” editing was a specifically exciting lecture—how to make footage look and feel like a good movie does, how to create something that acts upon its audience the way a good film should: with clarity, artistic movement, and emotional resonance—I was enthralled.
Our first editing assignment has allowed me to put this knowledge to work and it’s amazing to see it all come together by way of your own hand. What had previously seemed like such a mystery is made so clear and the philosophy of effective mixing and editing is so vastly interesting to me—I will forever watch movies with a different eye now!
The daunting task of editing in Final Cut Pro, which I had previously never laid eyes on, has been removed of its veneer of terror by Sharif, our incredibly cool and friendly editing teacher who is appropriately, staunchly anti-mouse. Eric is always available for techno-help and the facilities are unparalleled—“I get to edit my little movie in here??” was my first reaction to the state-of-the-art editing suites.
I couldn’t be more thrilled with my experience at BDFI thus far, and I can’t wait to start shooting and carve out a little room for myself in this industry with the help of the tools given to me by this wonderful program.
Adria Kloke
