German film school

By Whitney Robosson

Film students –- they are certainly a different breed. And believe me, I know. My twin sister is a film student at USC. They’re funny, random and always have a camera in your face trying to capture whatever it is they capture. But every time I see one of my sister’s films, I can’t help but to laugh a little bit. Her ideas are really good and the camera composition is amazing, but the resources that most college students have really limit the quality of their art. No matter how great a movie is, we’re not going to take it seriously if it looks like a home video. (No, "The Blair Witch Project" doesn’t count; that wasn’t a great movie.)

Well, the film students at HFF Munich, the film and television university that's hosting our exchange, have it all figured out.And it’s not even fair to call them film students. They are film MASTERS.

One day while we were attending a lecture at the school, we had the privilege of watching the single best student film I have ever seen. I would have paid money to see this film. Every aspect of it was superb –- the lighting, the camera work, the scenery, the character development, the story line. And as the film went on, it kept getting better and better. I was so drawn in that I didn’t want it to end. After the film was over and the lights came back on, Michaela Kezele (the student) came over to ask us what we thought. I was honestly speechless. The only response I had was to close my gaping mouth. I couldn’t believe I had just seen a student’s film.

But as she told us the process she went through to make this film, I couldn’t help but to think, “Do they make these incredible student films because they have more talent than the film students I know, or is it because they have more resources to showcase their talent?”

HFF is an incredibly unique school as far as American standards go. Most HFF students have undergraduate degrees, but it is not required to get into the school. Most students are older than traditional American college students (22 to 26), but some start the program right after high school. Everyone (including the most inexperienced students) has access to top-notch cameras, lighting and other equipment. HFF even has its own in-house professional sound person!

If you think that’s something special, you’re in for an even bigger surprise. HFF is a public school, but it is a specialized public school with dozens of extremely qualified professors and very expensive equipment. Tuition must be a beast! Try €300 a semester. That’s $404.75! The public colleges in Germany are almost completely funded by the government. Can you imagine that in America? Almost everyone would have the opportunity to go to college! Parents wouldn’t have the burden of dipping into their retirement fund to pay for their kid’s education. Students who work three jobs and go to school full-time might actually have the chance to take a nap every once in a while. That’s one less thing the students at HFF have to worry about, and who knows how much that improves their work. And if this low tuition thing is making you excited, get ready to pee in your pants.

Before the students can graduate, they have to produce four films. It’s not enough that they have all the equipment they’ll ever need to create stuff that wins Oscars. The school actually gives them thousands of dollars to hire their actors and crew, make costumes and sets, and cover all the other expenses that come along with making great films. Here’s how it pans out:

first year: Students get €5,000.
second year: Students get €7,000.
third year: Students get €9,000.
fourth year: Students get €10,000+! That means if they run out, they can get more.

Many of you are probably reading this and feeling pretty jealous, or possibly thinking, “Whitney is a dirty liar.” Go ahead, look it up. But to all the American film students out there: don’t feel bad when you hear of German film students winning Oscars and realizing their dreams. It’s not your fault that American culture doesn’t support higher education. It’s not your fault that no one appreciates your art. But I say do something about it and move to Germany.