“If you want to be a filmmaker, you just have to go out and make films” says young director who received $2,000 camera as a college graduation present
The crowd at the 92nd Street Y was buzzing with aspiring artists Tuesday night as six young successful film makers: Gavin Middlefield, Lars Benthol, Lisa Still, Razz Room, Dino Lint, and Therese BlueCheese gathered for a panel on millennials in the film industry.
The six young filmmakers, all graduates of NYU Film School, are all currently directing or producing in the industry. Many received their start from short films making the rounds at the festivals. The questions, predictably, revolved around how young people could break into the industry today.
“I’m not sure how necessary film school actually is,” said Middlefield whose total education between undergrad and film school was worth roughly $463,000, “I guess it helped to learn how to format scripts. And have access to equipment that was industry standard. But I think I would be fine without it.” Middlefield is posed to direct Dr. Strange Part 2 scheduled for Fall of 2019.
Therese BlueCheese was next to chime in. Her 2014 film, LoliCrop, about a candy shop that secretly deals marijuana won her the audience award at South By South West.
“You just have to go out and film,” BlueCheese answered in response to a young student’s inquisition about how one could get recognized, “For my first film we just got together at my house one week and just went for it.”
Therese, having received a Canon EOS 7D for college graduation from her parents, was also fortunate enough to have a close uncle who owned an American motion picture visual effects company to donate lights, a close friend who happened to be the sound mixer for the Mission Impossible Movies, and a computer with Final Cut installed on it. All in all she made the movie on the tight budget of $5,000 from a kickstarter she sent to her family.
“I think if you’re good at it and you work hard, you’ll shine above others,” said Dino Lint who’s just straight up Daniel Day Lewis’s nephew, “The important thing to take away here is that no matter how rich you are, you can’t buy talent.”
The Milennials in Film event will continue tomorrow with a panel on diversity from the same six people.
