JUICIOS EN ESTADO DE SENTENCIA Y SENTENCIADOS Menores

created   a   situation   where   ‘universities   were   increasingly   treated   like   sort   of   small-­‐scale   corporations,   yet   with   none   of   the   inventiveness   and   freedom   of   small-­‐scale   corporations   because   they   were   still   dependent   upon   block   grant   subsidies  from  the  government’.  

1.3  Education  and  industry    

1.3.1  The  UK    

In   respect   to   film   education   the   significant   role   of   Skillset   (known   as   Creative   Skillset  since  late  2012),  the  government  training  initiative  can  be  seen  as  having   created  a  similar  impact  to  what  Critchley  believes  above.  In  some  quarters  there   is   a   similar   dissatisfaction   akin   to   the   ‘massification’   described   in   section   1.2.  

Writing  about  film  schools,  Petrie  (2010)  notes:  

What  has  emerged  in  the  UK  is  an  educational  environment  in  which  any   serious   intellectual   dimension   in   the   instruction   of   film   and   media   practitioners  has  effectively  been  eclipsed  by  the  vigorous  promotion  of  a   rather  reductive  concept  of  skills  training.    

This   is   not   a   unique   perspective.   Phillips   (2012   Interview)   comments,     ‘there’s   such   an   entrenchment   within   the   Skillset   crowd   around   theory,   and   creative   ideas   and   intellectualism   in   general   “getting   in   the   way”’.   Lottery   funded,   and   guided   by   the   powerful,   impressive   spokesperson   Lord   Puttnam,   the   Skillset   agenda  has  become  dominant  in  film  practice  education.  The  organisation  has  a   focus  on  training  that  seeks  to  both  replicate  and  support  the  industry  directly.  

According   to   its   website   it   is   the   ‘Creative   Industries’   sector   skills   council   and   works  to  raise  skills  levels  in  every  sector  of  industry  within  its  remit’  (Creative   Skillset,   2013).   Here   ‘skills’   is   the   key   term,   as   the   organisation   name   suggests  

and   the   focus   on   industrial   development   for   national   commercial   gain   is   clear   from  the  ‘about  us’  section  of  the  website  which  features  a  number  of  terms  that   are  key  to  the  identity  and  operation  of  Skillset  namely:  

Productivity;   competitive;   influencing   and   leading;   developing   skills;  

policy;   opening   up;   diverse;   consultation;   research;   strategic;   funding;  

careers  resources  (Creative  Skillset,  2013).  

As   will   be   addressed   later   (section   1.7.3)   looking   at   the   language   used   to   promote  university  film  courses  reveals  there  is  a  clear  preference  for  words  that   reflect  commercial,  technical  and  production  based  ambitions  and  which  eschew   any   hint   of   theoretical   or   cultural   accompaniment.   Indeed,   on   the   Creative   Skillset  website  the  word  ‘policy’  is  in  bold  yet  the  preceding  word  ‘education’  is   not.   The   influence   of   Skillset   should   not   be   under-­‐estimated   in   the   higher   education  landscape  as  the  approval  of  institutions  as  having  Skillset  status  has   become  a  key  benchmark  in  production  training  that  is  nationally  recognised  and   which  can  lead  to  greater  institutional  investment,  awareness  and  an  increase  in   applications   for   the   ‘approved’   film   school   or   university   course.   However,   Petrie’s  earlier  assertion  could  be  seen  as  endemic  of  UK  education  as  a  whole  at   a  similar  level.    

An  interview  with  Bill  Rammell,  the  University  of  Bedfordshire’s  Vice  Chancellor  -­‐  

and   former   Minister   for   Higher   Education   between   2005   and   2008   (Morgan,   2013),  conducted  for  this  thesis,  further  highlights  some  of  the  issues  with  higher   education  currently,  positively  and  negatively,  providing  a  nuanced  picture  of  the   situation.  He  says:  

When   students   are   paying   […]   £9,000   in   fees,   I   think   it   is   right   that   universities  do  think,  and  academics  do  think,  what  are  the  employment  

outcomes   that   are   going   to   come   for   the   graduates   at   the   end   of   their   courses  (2012  Interview).  

Rammell  also  drew  on  his  own  education  as  an  example,  to  affirm  a  need  for  a   balance  of  the  theoretical  and  the  practical:  

I  did  a  degree  in  French.  How  often  have  I  used  French  during  the  course   of  my  working  life?  Very,  very,  little  indeed.  However  it  gave  me  skills  of   analysis,   of   communication,   of   interpretation,   not   language   interpretation  but  interpretation  of  understanding,  that  have  stood  me  in   enormously  good  stead  (Rammell,  2012  Interview).  

This   idea,   that   higher   education   is   of   value   and   that   employees   do   not   necessarily  need  grounding  in  their  field  is  addressed  at  length  in  chapters  two   and  four.    

1.3.2  International,  historical  and  technical  precedents    

There  is  potential  for  a  stronger  case  to  be  made  for  taking  vocational  skills  and   applying   them   in   ways   that   develop   critical   understanding   and   entrepreneurial   skills.  Scott  Gerber  (2012)  challenges  the  contemporary  American  College  system   and  suggests  that  the  old  Liberal  Arts  degree  argument  regarding  the  ‘value’  of  a   degree   is   no   longer   valid.   He   challenges   such   institutions   to   modernise   their   courses,  claiming  that  ‘entrepreneurship  education  gives  young  people  a  toolkit   to   apply   their   field   of   study   to   the   real   world.   It   also   makes   them   more   employable’  and:  

I'm   not   suggesting   we   get   rid   of   Liberal   Arts   Departments   -­‐-­‐   I'm   suggesting   we   create   more   employable   English   and   Film   Majors.   ‘Well-­‐

rounded’   and   ‘self-­‐sufficient’   shouldn't   be   mutually   exclusive   concepts   (Gerber,  2012).  

He   goes   on   to   address   the   importance   of   experiential   learning,   and   the   engagement   of   students   with   working   professionals.   In   film   theory,   the   relationship  of  theory  to  industry,  appreciation  to  production,  is  a  topic  that  is   discussed   by   one   of   the   leading   early   scholars   of   the   field,   Béla   Balázs   who   in   1952  noted:  

In   the   sphere   of   film   the   public   must   be   available   before   the   film,   the   making  of  which  is  rendered  possible  only  by  an  appreciation  ensured  in   advance,  on  which  the  producers  of  the  film  can  count  (Balázs:  19).  

No  one  would  deny  there  is  a  relationship  between  producer  and  audience  but  it   could   be   argued   that   the   lack   of   a   general   film   culture   and   the   lack   of   appreciation   amongst   audiences   of   the   cultural   dimension   of   films   result   in   an   equivalent   level   of   mainstream   films   being   produced.   Filmmaker   Steven   Soderbergh   (2013)   comments,   ‘I   just   don’t   think   movies   matter   as   much   anymore,  culturally’  and  that  ‘I  think  the  audience  for  the  kind  of  movies  I  grew   up   liking   has   migrated   to   television’.   There   is   something   in   the   belief   that   television   has   emerged   as   a   rival   both   critically   and   culturally   to   mainstream   films,  thanks  to  an  aesthetic  focus  formerly  only  found  in  films,  which  has  been   accompanied  by  a  narrative  intelligence  that  has  been  encouraged  by  the  long-­‐

form   content   opportunities   of   television   series.   Further,   mainstream   films   are   where   frequent   accusations   of   ‘dumbing   down’   are   presented,   as   opposed   to   independent  or  international  art-­‐house  film  whose  creators  and  distributors  are   constantly   seeking   ways   of   monetising   new   technological   opportunities   for   screening   and   sharing   work.   Details   of   these   opportunities   are   included   in   the   appendix  (Appendix  IV:  245)  of  this  thesis.    

In  terms  of  distribution,  recently  emerged  opportunities  include  digital  exhibition   platforms  such  as  Vimeo  and  Distrify  who  offer  pay  per  view  services.  Curzon  and   Artificial   Eye   recently   joined   forces   to   develop   multi-­‐option   releases   for   international   art-­‐house   film.   Their   merger   means   that   films   are   available   to   stream  from  their  website  or  through  cable  provider  Virgin  Media  on  the  same   day  as  cinema  release.  There  are  more  grass  roots  approaches  as  well  that  rely   on  younger  audience  engagement  with  social  media  to  build  word  of  mouth.  In   the   US,   director   Alex   Ross   Perry,   an   NYU   graduate   interviewed   in   chapter   3   (section  3.3.1)  took  his  film  The  Color  Wheel   (2011)  on  tour,  presenting  it  at  a   variety  of  independent  cinemas  ahead  of  short  theatrical  runs.    

The   global   film   industry   is   changing   in   terms   of   modes   of   production   and   distribution   and   new   opportunities   for   becoming   established   are   being   presented   all   the   time.   There   are   opportunities   for   both   filmmakers   and   other   content   producers   that   have   not   existed   before.   They   include   the   ability   to   create  media  content  on  high  quality  technology  that  ranges  from  smart  phones   to  professional  cameras  that  are,  in  comparison  to  previous  eras,  ‘affordable’.    

Presently,  the  majority  of  mainstream  filmmaking  continues  its  existing  path  of   production  and  distribution  -­‐  theatrical  release  followed  by  DVD/Blu  Ray  release,   followed  by  or  simultaneous  with  streaming/TV/download  release.  This  structure   uses   modern   exhibition   technology   such   as   tablets,   mobile   devices   or   Internet   enabled  televisions  as  secondary  revenue  streams  for  theatrical  and  DVD  release   strategies.   As   platforms   continue   to   change   and   emerge,   and   different   opportunities   appear   for   new   filmmakers   that   could   lead   to   new   types   of   careers,  creating  a  culturally  and  critically  well-­‐educated  set  of  graduates  versed   in  new  technologies  for  production  and  exhibition  and  transmedia  possibilities,  it   would   seem   particularly   vital   to   assuage   those   accusations   of   ‘dumbing   down’  

and  increasing  assumptions  amongst  critics  and  audiences  that  television  is  the   preferred  medium  for  intelligent  visual  entertainment.    

1.4  Theory,  practice  and  a  right  wing  agenda    

The   idea   is   not   new   to   UK   film   education,   as   will   be   discussed   in   chapter   two   when  analysing  the  history  of  film  education  within  the  context  of  the  BFI,  but   there   seems   to   be   a   fear   that   by   creating   critically   aware,   entrepreneurial/self   sufficient   graduates   the   industry   might   suffer.   Crittenden   (quoted   in   Petrie,   2011)  notes  ‘there  is  still  an  opinion  that  theory  will  dilute  [film  students’]  focus   on  what  they  do  as  filmmakers’.  This  is  at  the  National  Film  and  Television  School   (NFTS)  in  the  UK  where  current  director  Nik  Powell  (also  quoted  in  Petrie,  2011)   asserts:  

We  are  like  a  boot  camp  of  film  schools.  It’s  high  pressure.  It’s  not  like  La   Femis   […]   where   all   the   students   went   on   strike   recently   because   they   didn’t  have  enough  time  for  reflexion!  It’s  all  about  practice.  

There  is  the  amorphous  sense  that  film  graduates  who  engage  with  theory  will   simply   make   personal   art-­‐house   films   as   opposed   to   becoming   engaged   with   commercial  practice.    

The   sense   that   filmmakers   educated   in   film   theory   or   other   areas   would   disengage  from  commercial  narratives  appears  to  have  no  grounding  in  evidence   yet  it  is  pervasive  and  it  seems  counterintuitive  as  a  model  for  future  growth  and   development.  Sadly  the  mirror  image  is  also  somewhat  true  of  the  discipline  of   Film  Studies,  where  those  with  a  theoretical  approach  can  be  just  as  stubborn,   excluding  all  but  very  little  practice  based  work.  The  gap  needs  to  close  on  both   sides.