The workshop will be held in FUNGLODE and end this Saturday.

By: Cynthia Abréu

“If you want to be a professional who is really involved in the world of films, you have to know the lingo of the medium.”  These were the words of Barbara Boyle, director of the MFA Program of the University of Los Angeles (UCLA) in her introduction to the workshop “Meet the people, meet the industry: Learning the tools of the trade,” which began this Thursday, November 19. Here, film and scriptwriting students gain interesting insights into filmmaking in the United States.

The workshop, directed by UCLA professor Ben Harris, covers areas like financing a production, script format, the roles carried out by the producer, director, and script writers of a film, and the difference between an independent and studio production.

The participants engaged in an intimate and playful dialogue with panelists who, with a combination of humor and information, answered questions of those who are eager to learn.

Boyle pointed out that the only way to get funding for a production is to be fair and straightforward, because that is the way to set profit margins of the film and direct its distribution in a coordinated way.

She also stressed that television, DVD and other formats for broadcasting and distribution of films are fundamental ways of boosting profits.

In his exhibition, Harris referred to the role of the director and scriptwriters in cinematographic productions and how their work can benefit or harm a film. “We cannot box producers into a cubbyhole of a merely administrative role, they also have come up with creative ideas,” he added.

He emphasized that they must be creative, sure of themselves and have a nose for what works to make a film. He also spoke of some of the best film studios in the U.S. and the advantages of each, laying out guidelines for new filmmakers to follow when presenting projects to a studio or producer.

On Saturday, November 21, when the workshop continues, participants must present an oral synopsis of the story they want to film to both professors, who will evaluate them like they do in Hollywood. The professors will “point out the strengths and weaknesses of the story line with no holes barred.”

The participants in the course had a great rapport with the subjects discussed and praised the panelists for the entertaining ways they expressed their knowledge of the Seventh Art.

After the end of this first day, many felt that it was more than just a workshop. They felt like they had attended an exchange of ideas for, with and between filmmakers.

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