Lights, camera, more action

By Gerry Miriello, On-line Forty-Niner

April 13,1998

 

The Cal State Long Beach film and electronic arts department has some illustrious alumni, but lacks the resources to put strs on The Walk of Fame.

 

Cal State Long Beach's film and electronic arts department resides in a deep valley between two majestic peaks of filmmaking: Mount USC and Mount UCLA.

 

Despite being situated so close to the entertainment capital of the world, CSULB's haven for the aspiring Fellinis and Bergmans of tomorrow does not - and probably never will - reach the prestigious heights of its richer and more lauded counterparts.

 

This is not to say that the department has not produced some very successful and relevant industry professionals. Jonathon Lawton, after graduating from CSULB, worked as a freelance editor and wrote screenplays. One turned out to be "Pretty Woman." Another became the film "Under Siege."

 

David Twohy wrote screenplays for "The Fugitive" and "Waterworld," then wrote and directed "The Arrival," starring Charlie Sheen.

 

Tyger Williams is another well-recognized graduate. He wrote the critically acclaimed "Menace II Society."

 

Even Steven Spielberg matriculated here for a few semesters. Then, as legend has it, some instructor told him his future in the business didn't look too bright. The rest is history.

 

"Here, we have a film and electronic arts department," said Steve Hubbert, film services coordinator. "Not a film program."

 

Therein lies the difference.

 

"The Cal State system did not want to designate a graduate film program in the L.A. area because of UCLA and USC," said Dave Viera, a CSULB film professor since 1983. "There was too much competition there. That's why San Francisco State and San Diego State have graduate programs, and we don't."

 

Viera said the more prestigious, non-state schools, such as USC or even New York University, which has a famed background in film education, are geared for enormous graduate programs.

 

By the way, Spielberg now donates most of his money to USC, Viera said.

 

Mike Pounds, chairman of the film and electronic arts department, feels an economic recession over the last five years or so has caused California higher education to take big hits in certain budget items.

 

"We don't have the flexibility to keep pace with changes in the [movie] industry," said Pounds, who is beginning his second year as chairman. "So we try to stress basic skills and theories of film and electronic media."

 

Pounds said that under Bob Finney, head of the department from 1981 to 1994, more than 600 students were film or other electronic arts majors in a given year.

 

"That led to an unwieldy budget," Pounds said. "So the CSU system declared us an impacted program. We now have control over admissions, and set specific standards for hopeful FEA majors.

 

"Now, we have three times as many critical studies students than film production students," he continued. "This enables our abilities to match the production equipment and services available."

 

Viera agreed that impaction is beneficial to the department. "Only 20 or 25 students get into the production option each semester," he said. "That improves the [quality] level of students, because the committed ones stick with it. As a result, production graduates get better jobs."

 

Viera said most of the film students come to CSULB wanting to be feature-film directors: the next Quentin Tarantino or Jane Campion.

 

However, the harsh realities of the industry combined with the limited equipment available here divert students into other technical aspects of production, such as camera operation, lighting and editing.

 

Viera roughly estimated about 30 percent of film department graduates now work in the motion picture business. Pounds, however, gave a much rosier yet unofficial figure of 86 percent who have jobs in some capacity with the film industry.

 

"The film emphasis is there, it just needs to be highlighted," said Steve Krug, a production student, member of the CSULB Cinema Society, and College of the Arts student representative. "We should be getting new faculty next year, and we hope the university can give us extra funds.

 

"Going to USC guarantees you a job," he continued. "So there isn't much of a comparison [with CSULB]. But we are the only state school with a strong program in fiction filmmaking."

 

Krug is the student voice at department faculty meetings, and he has not always liked what he's seen.

 

"I've never seen anything like the last meeting in my life. Teachers were bickering, and there was just a lot of politics going on. I got a sense of a dysfunctional faculty, with video, film, TV and radio people finding it hard to work together.

 

"I don't want to point any fingers," Krug said. "But the students are not getting what they need."

 

Pounds admitted there usually is a large amount of discussion at department meetings.

 

"I give everyone a chance to speak," he said. "I would hate to be in a conversation in which someone feels they cannot express themselves. If that causes a lack of focus and preciseness, then that's the price to pay."

 

Krug cited the lack of updated and modern equipment at CSULB.

 

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"We don't have the flexibility to keep pace with

changes in the [movie] industry ... So we try to

stress basic skills and theories of film and

electronic media.

 

-Mike Pounds, chairman, film and eletronic arts dept.

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"There was one working sync camera (able to shoot images with dialogue) available last semester.

 

"Sometimes I would go off campus to get stuff. I have friends that go to USC and UCLA [film schools], and the things they are able to use frustrates me at times.

 

"This [issue] is what students are talking about," Krug said.

 

Pounds said he has heard the cries for new equipment.

 

His vision for the future includes a change into a digital environment for the department, merging film and video.

 

This is in response to film students' complaints that the video production people's use of film cameras limits the time film people have to do their work.

 

He is also aiming for a more comprehensive and well-rounded production technology

education.

 

"Adversity has benefited us," Pounds said. "I am guardedly optimistic that we can use lottery funds to hire more part-time faculty who also work in the movie industry, like current teachers Gary Prebula and Gail Chandler."

 

Krug said that dealt with another grievance, which is the "lack of knowledgeable [industry] connections made by students on campus."

 

"The industry is about who you know, not what you know," Pounds said.

 

"It is tightly networked. Our students have a different clientele. They are not as glamorous as USC filmmakers, but they are cultural workers. They are very important.

 

"Without them, there would be no films. Instead of the accolades, our graduates want to practice their craft and do good work."

 

Pounds believes, though, that CSULB's film department will never reach the heights of a USC, UCLA or NYU.

 

"The CSU system is an undergraduate system," he said.

 

Meanwhile, Viera knows the financial realities and hardships of college fundraising.

 

He knows that one advanced film camera costs between $30,000 and $40,000. But he loves the students - and movies.

 

"Remember my motto," he said. "Film is fun."

 

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