American Cinematographer - May 1999 - 89

info@wam.de

routinely alternate between bigbudget features and ultra-lowbudget art films. "French crews are
used to doing more with less," opines

Study Film-Making in Germany
at one of the most common

Glenn. He cites maverick director

Philippe Garrel as an example of
high quality on a low budget. Garrel's
latest lyrical offering, Night Wind, is
beautifully
photographed
by
Caroline Champetier. Glenn goes on
to

contents

private academies for TV and movie production in Germany.

Start your career after 7 semesters with a
Degree in Movie Arts and Sciences
(extr.): production, direction, film and media laws, film and media economics,
screenwriting and scripting, camera basics, editing, special effects

Werbe- & Medien-Akademie
Bornstr. 241-243

phone +49 (0) 231

that French filmmakers'

assert

www.wam.de

■

Marquardt, Germany

D-44145 Dortmund

861 008 0 ■ fax +49 (0) 231

861 008 18

experience with tight budgets
make for

can
efficient shoot,

offsetting the social-cost differential.
French digital effects maestro
Pitof is well qualified to compare
American and European costs. Pitof
and his collaborators from the Duboi

effects house spent months on the
20th Century Fox lot in Los Angeles

crafting

the

Resurrection

effects

for

Alien

(see AC Nov. '97). He

Cooke
OPTICS SINCE 1893

laughingly

compares this French
enclave at the studio to the Gallic

Cooke

Optics Ltd, England. Voice: 44-116-276-4510. Fax: 44-116-246-3151
Canada, South America, U.S.A. Voice: 973-335-4460. Fax: 973-335-4560

village depicted in Asterix and Obelix
Versus Caesar. "We created

little

village of Frenchmen there, complete
with cigarette smoking and loud
techno music."
Pitof confesses,
to

"My dream is

Where did

make American films in France.

The American

production system is

wonderful, but there is
heaviness
create a

same

MICHAEL MANN,

certain

go to

compromise between the
and the French way.
same

question
...

machines and

software. There

are

Which FILM SCHOOL offers work

director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet,
on a similar principle

imaginary world.
However, the American budget was
almost five times higher."
■
creating

than 80 countries?

at least 6

films in two years?

Which FILM SCHOOL includes two 35mm films in the Curriculum?
Which FILM SCHOOL is

For full details of the two-year,
CALL: +44 171 836 9642
OR Write to

not-for-profit educational charity?

THE LONDON
INTERNATIONAL
FILM SCHOOL

answer

Children, I realize that both films had
same

and which FILM SCHOOL is the oldest in the U.K.?

Which FILM SCHOOL is in the heart of Central London?

profit
They could get
better quality at a cheaper cost.
"Although France has higher
social charges than America, when
you look at the overall budget, France
is cheaper," he concludes. "When I
make a parallel between Alien
Resurrection and The City of Lost
from French craft.

and were based

FILM SCHOOL...

Which FILM SCHOOL has trained students from

certain

American films which would

the

TAK FUJIMOTO, ROGER PRATT,

HOWARD ATHERTON, MARK GOLDBLATT & CURTIS CLARK

it. It would be great to

American way
We all use the

the

full-time DIPLOMA COURSE:-

FAX: +44 171 497 3718

E-MAIL:

lifs@dial.pipex.com

Dept. AC10, The London International Film School, 24 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9HFJ U.K.

OR LOG ON TO OUR WEB PAGES AT:

www.lifs.org.uk where

you can

find complete details of the Syllabus,
a Prospectus Pack as well as

Fees, Application and Enrolment. There is a convenient form for requesting
News Items, details of Graduates' work and an Ex-students' Contact Group.

American Cinematographer - May 1999

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 1999