Odds Are You’ll Make Something that’s Not “Good.” Just Do It!
Graduates of NYU’s Film Workshop, Shalyn Grow, Ben Chastney and Lily Wang describe the benefits and challenges of online learning, and how the course has influenced them as filmmakers.
Smashcut partners with NYU Tisch Pro to deliver the Online Film Workshop, introducing participants to the theory and techniques of developing and producing short films. As most students enter the program with little or no experience in film or video, assignments familiarize them with equipment as well as documentary, experimental, and narrative approaches. Working in online crews, students collaborate to develop their directing, shooting, and editing skills as they produce music videos, documentaries and narrative shorts.
What made you take the Online Film Workshop?
Shalyn: I’m originally from a tiny town in Southern Indiana where I grew up in the theatre. Most of my life has been dedicated to acting in plays and musicals. I’d acted in a few short films and been on some sets as an extra, but I had virtually no knowledge about filmmaking. I wanted to gain some basic understanding and tools for how to go about making my own work. I’ve just been too intimidated to fully pursue it. I also wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it — I’d always romanticized the idea of making my own short film. With live theatre being shut down during the pandemic, I felt it was finally time to take a film class.
Ben: Since I was a kid I’ve loved creating movies with my twin brother using whatever gear we could get our hands on! I want to make films for a living and wanted to hone my craft before offering it to others as a service. I think it’s healthy to always be learning and, wow, am I glad I took this course — I gained so much confidence.
Lily: I’ve always been interested in films and filmmaking, and I love the process of filmmaking where I can find myself and speak up for myself. To break into the filmmaking and advertising industry, I started in video editing and animation production. To become versatile and adapt to more functions, I decided to learn filmmaking.
Can you talk a little bit about what the whole experience is like? What’s your biggest takeaway?
Lily: The program was fast-paced and intense, which forced me to make quick decisions on what to shoot and how to shoot it. It pushed me to think of new ideas and kept me away from hesitation and doing nothing. Also, the professor and peers were very supportive and encouraging. So I never got criticized for those “bad solutions” made in a short time. It motivated me to keep going and make the best one.
Shalyn: It’s intense! In the best way. You get a great balance of information and experience. I did not expect to learn or create as much as I did. My biggest surprise was at what I could do within a deadline.
Ben: Create, create, create! The experience of making projects at a rapid pace forces you to take risks, make mistakes and learn from experience. For me, it took the pressure out of the process and gave me freedom to explore which led to monstrous mess-ups and successes alike!
What are your thoughts on the course being remote?
Shalyn: I was a bit hesitant about a remote filmmaking course, but this exceeded my expectations. Not being in a classroom and having access to resources forced me to whittle it down to the essentials and learn how to work with that. I tend to try and bite off more than I can chew, but in my remote setting I didn’t have much to work with and I couldn’t get fancy — which was great. Limitation breeds creativity, right?
Lily: It’s very convenient to take courses remotely. Smashcut saved the time-difference problem, which made my life much easier by fitting the course within my schedule.
Ben: The remote format was great for me as it allowed me to learn at my own pace in between running a small business and being with my family (I’m a father of two now.) Although I should note that the ultimate key to this class was our incredible instructor, Shivani Khattar. Smashcut is a great tool for someone like Shivani to empower her students, and in my case it was very effective. I gained a lot of confidence.
How was the collaboration with others in the course?
Lily: It was my favourite part of the class that I could share my work with others while watching theirs, as well as collaborating with them to finish a decent project. For the ‘Dream Sequence’ assignment I worked together with Shay. I filmed the clips, and she cut it. It was a wow when I watched
her version: it was so different from what I thought it would be. I learned a lot from every conversation with Shivani and my peers. They all influenced me from the perspective of arts and professional attitude.
Shalyn: I enjoyed collaborating with my classmates. Me and Jasper worked on an action/reaction shot assignment together — I filmed and he edited. I jumped when he sent me the first cut. I felt like I sent him the pieces to a puzzle and he put it together. So fun.
Ben: One of my biggest learning experiences was collaborating on a creative project with strangers. When you release control to the collaborative process, you end up in exciting places that I don’t think either individual would have chosen and that’s just cool. In particular, my visual poetry project with Shalyn was a true team effort from conception to the final pieces and it was one of my favorite projects.
Shalyn: I was intimidated to work with Ben at first because he had the most behind-the-camera experience and I had the least. I think it’s clear what’s Ben’s and what’s mine. But again, I had the best time working with Ben. He and I went back and forth about this project a lot, and this ended up being highly collaborative rather than just divvying up work. I loved it.
What has been your favorite part of the class?
Ben: Shivani’s instruction and feedback were my favorite part of the class. Hearing her expert advice, encouragement and criticism made this class worth every penny.
Lily: Collaboration with others in the course is my favorite part.
Shalyn: I have three things. First, the course is process-oriented. At the beginning I was nervous to share anything. By the end of the six weeks, I was less concerned about the final result because I was learning so much in the process — and enjoying it. Second, I got to see my classmates’ work grow and evolve. They made some really fantastic stuff. and the third thing was Shivani! She was encouraging and gave great, detailed feedback. She does not let the challenges of a virtual setting get in the way of her presence as an instructor.
Can you share more details about one of your projects? How was the experience working on it?
Ben: My final film represented my most monumental effort, for sure. With the help of friends and family I assembled a crew, worked with paid actors, rented gear, secured a mountain top location, built a set, executed special FX makeup, and shot for two icy cold days in the woods of Maine to produce a dramatic survival story. Although in the end the story fell a little flat, I learned the most from this experience of “going big.”
Lily: For my music video, I found the music before thinking about the theme. Based on the atmosphere the song created, I decided to tell a love story. The girl encounters a boy on the street and drops into the fantasy of a romantic relationship. This was my first time collaborating with actors and a DP. It’s quite different from filming on my own. But I loved the process and results!
Shalyn: I tried to layer too many themes into my final piece. I learned that choosing one solid idea and allowing your audience in on that idea is the best way to tackle a short film. If you think you know what this film is about, please email me and tell me. I’d love to know. That being said, I did thoroughly enjoy making this film. We shot it all in one day, and I got to spend most of it with Asya, my best friend who is also a wonderful actor. I felt calm, light, creative — and most important, prepared. Once we wrapped, I remember thinking, “I don’t care if this sucks. I had a great day.” I can’t wait to do it again.
What’s your advice you have for others considering taking a film course?
Shalyn: Odds are you’ll make something that’s not “good.” My friend Cody (he’s a cinematographer) has a post-it on his desk that says, “It’s going to be bad. Let it be bad.” I kept that in mind when I took this course — just lean into it and feel free to laugh at yourself.
Ben: Putting yourself in a situation where you’re forced to create can help you grow as an artist by pushing you outside your comfort zone, beyond perfectionism and into new creative waters you’ve never explored. Under the guidance of a seasoned pro like Shivani, I promise you that you’ll come out of the other side of this course a better filmmaker than when you started. I know I certainly did.
Lily: Don’t be afraid of making bad decisions, because the good ones only come from rich experience. Just do it.
Shivani Khattar is a New York-based independent filmmaker who’s been teaching NYU Tisch Professional Filmmaking Workshop for Adults on Smashcut since 2019. Learn more about Shivani by heading over to our interview, and at shivanikhattar.com
What is Smashcut?
Smashcut is a next generation learning platform built for real time, media-based education. Smashcut partners with universities and organizations to develop and deliver customized, branded, media-based online programs. The Smashcut platform features a high degree of collaborative instruction, and real-time student project review via live 1:1 video sessions with instructors. We built Smashcut to help the next generation of students learn to communicate ideas and work effectively in a culture and workplace increasingly dependent on visual media and digital collaboration. Learn more at Smashcut.com.
