When I got accepted into UBC’s Arts Faculty after graduating high school, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. My parents had always stressed the importance of getting a degree and everyone I knew was going wto university. so I entered my first year just taking a variety of different courses. When I was in second year, I stumbled on an intro film production class and decided to take it as an elective. I thought it might be a fun chance to experiment with filmmaking, since I didn’t own a video camera and only knew a few basics about editing.
The goal of the intro class for students was to make a short film. We were told that if we wanted to declare a Film Production Major the following year, we could submit a piece and apply to the program. There were only 15 available spots, so I wasn’t sure what my chances were. My first venture into making an actual film was not a total disaster, but my piece definitely didn’t turn out the way that I’d hoped. I applied to the program anyways and got through to the interview stage, and found out that I was selected to be on the wait list. That year everyone who got into the program accepted, so I didn’t end up getting in.
The experience of not getting into the program was definitely what made me realize just how much I wanted to pursue filmmaking while finishing my undergrad degree.
The experience of not getting into the program was definitely what made me realize just how much I wanted to pursue filmmaking while finishing my undergrad degree. I bought a camera that year and talked my way into getting edit time in the suites and made three shorts. I started talking to students who had gone through UBC’s program and found out just how competitive it actually was to get in. While I’d always heard of UBC’s amazing science facilities and programs, I hadn’t realized that the film department’s small faculty was running one of the top film schools in the county. An impressive alumni of graduates had come out of the program, ranging from editors and cinematographers to producers and directors, with the majority of them still actively working in the industry. The Vancouver International Film Festival regularly features work by many UBC grads, in addition to TIFF and other world-renown festivals. When I started watching films produced by UBC grads, I knew that there was no other place I wanted to go to learn about the craft of making films. When I re-applied to the program and found out I got in, my life completely changed.
Film School
I think the biggest thing that I learned about going to film school is that it’s a time to work on other student’s projects and learn what role you’d like to have on set. At the time that I attended UBC’s film program the structure was different than how it is today. The program has gone through major re-organizing and has been updated to accommodate the growing demand for more film classes and increased support of the film department by the university. The alumni association was recently created in the past few years to keep UBC’s film program alive and strong while helping to run events to facilitate relationships between past and present students.
Almost all UBC’s productions involved working with students from other film schools, which meant that when we graduated we already had a network of crew to draw on for future projects.
When I attended film school the production class had only 30 students (15 in third year and 15 in fourth year), and everyone was expected to pitch a project to produce into a short film. Only the top 5 voted pitches for each year would go into production. If your pitch was selected you got to direct. If not, you had to choose another key creative role as either DOP or editor. I was a producer/cinematographer my first year, which was a really rewarding experience. I had never shot on film before, and what the program emphasized was to be creative and work with students from other schools (like Cap College) who specialized in technical skills. As a result, almost all UBC’s productions involved working with students from other film schools, which meant that when we graduated we already had a network of crew to draw on for future projects.
In my second and final year of the program I wrote and directed a short film called “Scattering Eden.” The film went on to win a Student Leo Award, and when I began pitching ideas to production companies after graduation, I had a well-produced, professional narrative film (shot on 16mm) that showcased my abilities as a storyteller. Having a short that had done well in festivals and that had received recognition was an incredible asset and helped me secure a directing position at a well established production house in Vancouver.
One of the highlights of the program was its professors, who were actively working on their own productions while teaching. They have all become mentors to me since graduation, and continue to be sources of wisdom and guidance. I had the incredible opportunity to be taught by Academy Award winning documentarian John Zaritsky while I was in the program, and it was his enthusiasm and encouragement that first sparked my love for non-fiction filmmaking. The support didn’t end after I graduated either, John helped me secure an internship with a highly respected producer named Terry McKeown, who showed me the ropes of finding funding and going into production on a documentary feature.
The people that I met through the program continue to be my working partners and most valued collaborators four years after completing my degree.
After Grad
The people that I met through the program continue to be my working partners and most valued collaborators four years after completing my degree. I formed incredible partnerships through the program, and when I decided that I wanted to make a documentary film I turned to one of the people who had graduated in my class and who I’d made both my student films with. We created a production company and began producing and directing our first feature film “65_RedRoses”. Our DOP on the film, Mike Rae, had also been our TA at UBC, and because he knew us well and supported us, he dedicated himself to the project even before we got funding. He also helped me get regular paid work on a reality tv series right after film school.
65_RedRoses was funded by CBC and was recently picked up by PBS International for distribution. It had its world premiere at the 2009 Hot Docs International Film Festival and is currently playing festivals around the world. For more information about the documentary please visit: www.65redroses.com. For more information on UBC’s alumni and program, which is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year, check out:http://www.ubcfilmalumni.org/
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Thank you so much for this review.
Film making has been my passion for years, and now in my first year of university, this has been a huge help in my decision to apply to the UBC Film Production School.
Thank You.