Crew Size
According to the article “Spinoff City: Why Hollywood Is Built on Unoriginal Ideas” written by Amanda Klein (an associate professor of film at East Carolina University) and R. Barton Palmer (a professor of literature and the director of film studies at Clemson University) “...studios discovered that fans would go to see movies like Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977) over and over, thus ushering in the era of the modern blockbuster.” With the rise of blockbuster films the budget of films began to increase as studios hope that by having a high-budget film they will have even higher capital returns, however they run the risk of losing money or barely making a profit as blockbusters are “movies that can potentially make or break a studio” (Klein and Palmer). It is expected though that as the budget for a film increases the number of people involved with the film will also grow. More people will be needed to light the film, to work on the effects, and all other aspects of the film.
Entertainment Film
It is this type of environment that the VCU Cinema students are being trained to work in.
As quoted before from the VCU Cinema Prospective Students Page Cinema students are given the “opportunity to create narrative films in a collaborative environment using professional equipment and undergoing intensive preparation for employment in the professional movie making industry” (“Prospective Students…”) with the emphasis being on the collaborative environment and the professional movie making industry. The students have to learn now how to work in a team setting or else they will not be prepared to work in the Hollywood industry. According to the Internet Movie Database page for Star War: Episode VII - The Force Awakens there are 1,999 people credited in the making of the film with a $200,000,000 budget. A Cinema student has to be prepared to be one of hundreds involved in the process of creation of similar pieces in the professional movie making industry. They have the chance to be one of the major people involved in the creation such as a director or producer where their voice will matter more, but there is also a great possibility that they will be one of the crew members who have less of a voice. Their industry is dominated by the concept of high budget and highly entertaining films. The students have to be aware that their voice is one of many when it comes to creating these movies.
Moody, Chris. Tfa_poster_wide_header_adb92fa0
Art Film
This is the trailer for the documentary Sonita.
In opposition the VCU Film students are being formed into Independent
Filmmakers because the program’s “Emphasis is on basic to advanced independent and artisanal approaches to filmmaking” which can be found on the Filmmaking Concentration page of the VCU Photography and Film website. Independent film tend to have much smaller crews than those created for the entertainment industry as independent films are created outside of Hollywood. They do not have the same funding as massive blockbuster films therefore those involved tend to play a greater hand in the creation of the film. For instance the Internet Movie Database has credited 5 people in the making of Sonita which won awards at the Sundance Film Festival, the Amsterdam International Documentary Festival, and the Portland International Film Festival; it won multiple awards on a nonexistent budget. Yes, some independent films have larger budgets than others, but that funding tends to come from others who work in the independent filmmaking industry rather than them being supported by massive studios. Independent filmmakers are looking to enlighten the world on issues and topics important to them but through a more personal experience than is created by showing them through an entertainment setting.