| New York Film Academy and NYU Film School | | | | Then go to B and H Photo and Video on 9th |
| charge students $30,000 to $40,000 a year for | | | | Avenue and 39th Street in Manhattan. Ask them |
| their programs. But most people don't realize that | | | | for Tri-X or Plus-X Reversal Film. While you're at |
| the actual filmmaking exercises done in these | | | | B & H also pick up a cheap "light meter". |
| schools are very primitive and can be replicated | | | | Reversal film is like slide film. The image goes right |
| very simply. NYU's "Sight and Sound: Film" course, | | | | on the film itself. It's the cheapest film you can |
| a 2nd year Fundamentals Course costs about | | | | shoot on which is why film schools like it. When |
| $7,000 in tuition. New York Film Academy's year | | | | you go to the camera rental house you just ask |
| long filmmaking program costs about $30,000. | | | | them how to load the film. They will show you in |
| In each of these courses, students make about 5 | | | | about 5 minutes. You can also ask them how to |
| to 6 black and white reversal 16mm films. These | | | | operate the camera and if you can rent some |
| are the kinds of movies you expect to see in a | | | | lights. You can get some film lights for about $50 |
| film school. Black and white, no sound. As a | | | | a day. |
| learning exercise, these movies actual do more | | | | When shooting, you simply point the light meter |
| damage than good because the techniques used | | | | at your subject. You punch in the speed of your |
| are so out of sync with how things are actually | | | | film (Tri-X is 400 and Plus -X is 200) and it will tell |
| done on a real movie set. Certainly, one need not | | | | you what "f stop" to put your camera at. The f |
| spend this much in tuition to make movies like | | | | stop is just a little ring around the lens that lets in |
| these to work with this level of equipment. | | | | more or less light. |
| The camera used by these schools is the | | | | It's so simple. Basically, the brighter it is outside, |
| ArriFlex-S. This camera was invented in 1952. It | | | | the narrower the f stop needs to be. If it's really |
| became very popular in the 1960s, the heyday of | | | | dark, then the f stop has to be completely open. |
| 16mm film news shooting. However, nobody in | | | | The light meter does it all for you. |
| the film business uses this camera anymore: | | | | Then once you are done shooting you go to |
| except for film students. The camera is "non | | | | Give them your film they will develop it for you |
| sync" meaning that you cannot shoot characters | | | | and put it on a mini dv tape. |
| speaking dialogue; the film will not keep the same | | | | Then you can edit it on your mac. |
| rate as the recording tape and the dialog starts to | | | | If you can't get to New York simple google the |
| go out of sync with the mouths of the actors as | | | | following. "Arriflex-S camera rental" or "Bolex |
| they move. | | | | camera rental". You can also mail order the |
| Arrifliex-S cameras, where available, rent for | | | | Reversal Film from B & H and also mail film |
| about $150 a day. There are two rental houses in | | | | into colorlab or find a lab near you. |
| New York you can go to instead of paying | | | | Or you can skip this exercise altogether and |
| thousands in tuition. Go to Hit and Run Productions | | | | make some movies with sound and color! |
| in Brooklyn Or Cinema Astoria Queens in | | | | |