I realized how little I knew and everyone around me seemed older and so much smarter. All I could think of was, “What the fuck am I doing here?" I was so out of my league.
Excellent post, Kelley! I wish I could've gone to film school with you back then; it sounds like it was an incredible experience. Also, have you read the recent book, "The Path To Paradise" by Sam Wasson? It's about Francis Ford Coppola, but the best parts are the early chapters about film school in the 60s and how Coppola, Walter Murch, John Milius, George Lucas (and more) broke all the rules. At one point, the professors were going to throw them all out, especially Walter Murch, because he broke all the rules and put in sounds that weren't filmed into other students' films. But, when Murch lied and said his dream was to do sound for National Geographic documentaries, they let him stay. I think you would enjoy that part of the book.
Larry, As long as it works, and you've had quite the amazing career.
By the way, I didn't know that Lucasfilm produced a bunch of documentaries. I've seen some of them on YouTube. Is that something you were involved with? It seemed like it was after Young Indy? I hope all is well my friend.
Excellent post, Kelley. I had a similar experience teaching as well. But the main thing I feel, and still feel, most days is that everyone seems so much smarter than me. So, I just listen and learn.
It sounds like a wonderful book I will check it out. Two stories I remember from film school. I can't remember whether it was Lucas or Millius that told this one. They made a film and needed a POV shot of a guy jumping off a roof. So one of them climbed on top of the old cinema building (it was only a single story with a flat roof) turned on the old Bell & Howell 70, ran along the roof, jumped off and just before they landed, threw the camera up in the air for the other to catch it before it hit the ground and was destroyed. I don't recall who jumped off the building and who caught the camera. I believe it was probably Milius that jumped and Lucas caught the camera.
The other story was that Walter Murch wrote and directed a film that took place entirely in a moving car and the reason he did that was to drive a certain Professor crazy in the editing room as he was cutting from person to person, crossing stage line, and breaking just about ever rule he could think of. I've hung out with Walter quite a few times over the years and so I asked him if it was true, that he made the film just to drive one Professor crazy? (It was the same Professor I had as my advisor years later. He was a great guy and a real stickler to the rules of filmmaking. He was one of the best teachers I ever had. He passed away quite a few years ago.) Walter said driving Mel crazy was not the original intention of the script, but it became a side benefit. I guess he and Mel went round and round on that.
It was a magical time for me and I've noticed that whenever I run into someone who went to USC's Film School before me, they always have great stories about breaking the rules. I got quite a bit of shit myself for a particular incident and it was Mel that bailed me out of it and defended me to the faculty, otherwise I might have been thrown out.
Mel was a stickler on many things, but if he believed in you he had your back. I think of him often and I miss him.
Excellent post, Kelley! I wish I could've gone to film school with you back then; it sounds like it was an incredible experience. Also, have you read the recent book, "The Path To Paradise" by Sam Wasson? It's about Francis Ford Coppola, but the best parts are the early chapters about film school in the 60s and how Coppola, Walter Murch, John Milius, George Lucas (and more) broke all the rules. At one point, the professors were going to throw them all out, especially Walter Murch, because he broke all the rules and put in sounds that weren't filmed into other students' films. But, when Murch lied and said his dream was to do sound for National Geographic documentaries, they let him stay. I think you would enjoy that part of the book.
I joined the Army to get my film education; not the smartest move, but it worked somehow.
Larry, As long as it works, and you've had quite the amazing career.
By the way, I didn't know that Lucasfilm produced a bunch of documentaries. I've seen some of them on YouTube. Is that something you were involved with? It seemed like it was after Young Indy? I hope all is well my friend.
Excellent post, Kelley. I had a similar experience teaching as well. But the main thing I feel, and still feel, most days is that everyone seems so much smarter than me. So, I just listen and learn.
I do that as well.
It sounds like a wonderful book I will check it out. Two stories I remember from film school. I can't remember whether it was Lucas or Millius that told this one. They made a film and needed a POV shot of a guy jumping off a roof. So one of them climbed on top of the old cinema building (it was only a single story with a flat roof) turned on the old Bell & Howell 70, ran along the roof, jumped off and just before they landed, threw the camera up in the air for the other to catch it before it hit the ground and was destroyed. I don't recall who jumped off the building and who caught the camera. I believe it was probably Milius that jumped and Lucas caught the camera.
The other story was that Walter Murch wrote and directed a film that took place entirely in a moving car and the reason he did that was to drive a certain Professor crazy in the editing room as he was cutting from person to person, crossing stage line, and breaking just about ever rule he could think of. I've hung out with Walter quite a few times over the years and so I asked him if it was true, that he made the film just to drive one Professor crazy? (It was the same Professor I had as my advisor years later. He was a great guy and a real stickler to the rules of filmmaking. He was one of the best teachers I ever had. He passed away quite a few years ago.) Walter said driving Mel crazy was not the original intention of the script, but it became a side benefit. I guess he and Mel went round and round on that.
It was a magical time for me and I've noticed that whenever I run into someone who went to USC's Film School before me, they always have great stories about breaking the rules. I got quite a bit of shit myself for a particular incident and it was Mel that bailed me out of it and defended me to the faculty, otherwise I might have been thrown out.
Mel was a stickler on many things, but if he believed in you he had your back. I think of him often and I miss him.