History, analysis still considered crucial to career

With the UCLA film department’s upcoming undergraduate
application deadline on April 30, students who dream about becoming
the next big thing in Hollywood will soon be scrambling to get
their materials in on time.

As potential undergraduate film students debate what area of
film they want to study, they should pay particular attention to
the critical studies focus within the department. Although the
focus is offered according to the School of Theater, Film and
Television’s Web site, no undergraduate student has ever
chosen this area, according to Brian Clark, the critical studies
focus’ department administrator.

Recently, there has been a marked waning interest in film
critical studies. In an article for the Los Angeles Times Magazine
in July of 2003, David Weddle attributed the decline in film
critical studies students to the fact that students are finding
little connection between critical studies of film and the actual
careers in film.

The idea that critical studies in film is not related to actual
film production is a gross misunderstanding according to Nick
Browne, the vice chair of the Critical Studies Committee in the
film department.

“Try to imagine any significant artwork that is ignorant
of its own history,” he said. “Film production and
critical studies are tied together.”

According to Browne, many undergraduate students come into the
film department hoping to become the next Steven Spielberg or
Martin Scorsese as opposed to academics.

“Among the undergrad population, there has definitely
become a higher interest in the production of film as opposed to
the analysis of film,” said Browne.

Deron Overpeck, a graduate student of critical studies in film,
echoes Browne’s feelings that undergraduate students are
primarily interested in film production.

“The undergraduate program is organized around film
production, not critical studies,” he said. “The amount
and kinds of courses offered (in the film department) reflect
that.”

Although many of them are hesitant to speak publicly against
their department, other film graduate students at UCLA believe
critical studies classes are a waste of time for people who want to
be professionals in the film industry.

Professor Janet Bergstrom, a professor in the film department,
feels many students may not immediately realize the importance of
learning about film history.

“Certainly there are plenty of film students who want to
be filmmakers, screenwriters or producers,” she said.
“What many assume to be important is the current film market.
What they learn (in critical studies classes) is how much film
history can be applied to the same market and then taken into the
next market.”

Bergstrom still feels her students do have a great appreciation
for film history.

“Students come to class and they’re
interested,” she said. “They come from across campus
and from different backgrounds, and they’re all equally
interested.”

Bergstrom also thinks film should be viewed as its own unique
art form, and should therefore be analyzed and viewed as such. Many
students first make the mistake of examining a film’s
storytelling structure as if it were similar to that of a
novel.

“Students should talk and write about film like it’s
film,” she said. “If they analyze it like literature
and not film, then they are looking at film the wrong
way.”

A concern among some film students is that critical studies
courses are simply not as available as other classes.

The majority of film criticism and critical studies courses are
mainly for graduate students. But according to some graduate
students, there should be a connection at the undergraduate level
between critical studies and film production.

“Theory and production should be woven together, and
students should be able to move in their own directions,”
said Abigail Severance, a graduate student in film direction.

Overpeck still feels critical studies courses are accessible to
undergraduates.

“Many of our critical studies courses are easy to enroll
in and cover topics that students would benefit from,” he
said.

Even without a strong demand for critical studies in the film
school, many other departments at UCLA offer film analysis courses
as part of their own curriculums that can count toward respective
degrees in their departments.

“It is rather common now for language and literature
courses to have film analysis courses,” said Browne.
“Adding a film course is a way to make the major look more
attractive.”

Despite the growing interest in film production, Browne still
wants to expand the critical studies curriculum because he feels
there is a strong interest in it for the undergraduate
population.

“We are hoping to add some new general education courses
to appeal to other interests in critical studies,” said
Browne. “We want to add more courses directed at South
Campus, like the relation between science and film. We want to also
begin serious studies between the Internet and other ancillary
media in relation to the analysis of film.”

When the application process for UCLA’s film school this
year is complete, a new wave of aspiring filmmakers will be set to
embark on their cinematic education. Browne hopes these students
will realize the importance of critical studies in film and use
that to help them in their careers.

“We want to expand the scope of film critical
studies,” he said. “But we always want critical studies
to have as its principle the history and appreciation of film and
media.”