For years, artistically inclined college applicants have faced a common dilemma: Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts? While a B.A. allows for interdisciplinary study, many aspiring artists and performers are drawn to the focused studio experience a B.F.A. can offer.
The Prague Film School in the Czech Republic has become popular with Northwestern students majoring in Radio, Television and Film hoping to get the best of both worlds. Communication juniors Paul O’Connor and Mia Bassett said they chose the program to get more production experience.
Much of NU’s “filmmaking scene” happens outside the classroom, Bassett said. However, student-run film groups, such as Studio 22, have limited budgets, so not every student gets the chance to create their own projects.
“I have loved the film program (at NU),” Bassett said. “But in terms of getting practical experience through my classes, I barely get any.”
In contrast, filmmaking students at the Prague Film School take six core courses focused on editing, directing, cinematography, screenwriting and other areas of filmmaking.
The school provides state-of-the-art gear and technology. O’Connor said the experience has forced him to work outside his comfort zone.
“I usually use Adobe Premiere for my own projects when I’m at NU,” O’Connor said. “But they make us use Avid, which is frankly, very hard to work with — it’s less intuitive and less user friendly — but it’s a little bit more professional and a bit more standard.”
The bulk of the academic work in the filmmaking program involves planning and executing four film projects over the course of the semester.
Students also serve as crew members on their peers’ sets, Bassett said.
“People do collaborate a little bit more evenly here,” O’Connor said. “People are just interested in each other’s projects, and they work on them, and they reach out to people.”
The actors are students from Prague Film School’s “Acting for Film” program. Communication junior and “Acting for Film” student Veronica Gonzalez said that filmmaking students cast their actors after watching them perform in a showcase.
Gonzalez has acted in six film projects so far and is scheduled to act in more in the upcoming weeks. She said the school’s craft-focused curriculum has improved her screen acting skills.
“Since I come from a background in musical theatre and film’s something I’m trying out, I can make things a little too big or I’ll move too much on camera,” Gonzalez said. “I make a step, and then I’m completely out of frame, and it looks weird and the shot is messed up.”
Prague is a popular site for professional filmmakers due to its architecture and low production costs. O’Connor said he often walks past film sets at night. While many use Prague as a stand-in for other cities, O’Connor said he plans on taking full advantage of the city’s culture.
“I have an idea about an overnight date between two people — between a Prague native and an American or an English speaker,” he said. “I really want to make films that are clearly in Prague and use Prague’s exterior.”
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated Veronica Gonzalez’s name. Her last name is Gonzalez, not Silvosa. The Daily regrets the error.
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