The UCLA student film festival just had its judging weekend and, as always, the blockbuster short does well.
First, a disclaimer, an explanation and a rant.
One, I did not participate in the judging weekend so I cannot speak to the quality of the films personally. Many of these films were made by friends, colleagues and former students, so I’m anything but impartial. These are all student films but some are by first year undergraduates and some are by graduating MFA candidates that had former careers as cinematographers. Therefore, the quality can vary wildly.
Two, judging weekend involves 30-40 students volunteering their weekend to sit in a cramped room together to watch 12-20 hours of works. At the end of this marathon, these screeners fill out a score card that determines which 5 hours of material get sent to the blue-ribbon panel (a group of alumni and industry professionals that program our 2 hour “Spotlight” night at the DGA).
Three, I think this is a brutally unfair process. Think about it. You are stuck in a chair for two 6-10 hour days and, at the end of it, you’re supposed to pick the best films. Do you think you could remember what you saw during your fourth hour of the first day? Probably not. No, at the end of that process, I remember feeling like a zombie. I’d venture that most people can best remember the shiniest toys in the chest.
Hence, the success of the blockbuster short film. These are usually long short films (20-30 minutes) that have some bit of “flair” to them, be it shooting anamorphic (really wide widescreen), shooting in an exotic locale or using movie stars. These bits of bling help your film stick in the memory of the judging student body.
There’s nothing wrong with having some bling. Unfortunately, equally good small films tend to be quickly forgotten. Bleary-eyed and exhausted, are you more likely to remember that contemporary drama shot on DV with no-name actors or the 35mm WW2 film starring Joyce DeWitt that opens with the bombing of London?
Sigh.
(Complete disclosure: my thesis film will not have 1) exotic locations, 2) will not be shot 35mm anamorphic, and 3) will not star Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne Somers, Priscilla Barnes, Jenilee Harrison or the ghosts of John Ritter, Don Knotts or Norman Fell as Zeus.)
But all is not lost. I was happy to see that one tiny digital video shot in an apartment for about $20 bucks made it. This gives me a glimmer of hope. And, unfortunately, often, that’s the most you get in this industry if you aren’t a peddler of bling.
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