Training the Next Generation

Exploring the "professional difference" at San Francisco's Academy of Art College

by Jennifer M. Wood | Published February 3, 2007

David Pfiel

David Pfeil

With hundreds of schools now competing for enrollment, choosing the right film education program can be an exhausting process for the ever-increasing number of young people who want to pursue the art and business of moviemaking. Like the students themselves, each school has its own personality, its own specialty and its own philosophy.

Students looking for a professional approach to moviemaking and the chance to network with seasoned professionals might want to add San Francisco's Academy of Art College to their short list. Though the school was originally conceived in 1929 as a place to teach advertising skills, the Academy has continued to expand to include such diverse disciplines as fashion, fine art and, in 1999, motion pictures and television. Heading up the Motion Picture and Television department is Emmy Award-winning Executive Director, David Pfeil. Recently Pfeil and AAC President Elisa Stephens spoke with MM about the Academy's program, its impressive track record, and the benefits of being in San Francisco.

Jennifer Wood (MM): There are a number of film schools out there. What makes the Academy of Art experience a unique one?

David Pfeil (DP): We are unique in that I bring an understanding of a time in the film industry that was accessible to many creative minds. It's more about methods than equipment; it's about ways of thinking; it's about the belief system that states: you never stop learning.

Elisa Stephens (ES): Academy students become professionals by learning from professionals. We have the best facilities of any art and design school in the country, bar none.

MM: When people think of working in the film industry in this country, they of course most often think of that 400-pound gorilla to your south, Los Angeles. What does San Francisco have to offer budding moviemakers in general, and particularly as compared to LA?

DP: Hollywood isn't moving, but regionalized film production is also a growing reality. We have a great assembly of talent in the Bay area and, although it's not as big as in LA, it is equally dynamic. Many film companies want to be here because this is not LA. Pixar, Lucas and Saul Zaentz are all major competitors at the box office, and they're all right here.

MM: There is no portfolio required to gain acceptance into the Academy of Art program. How do you think this help or hurt the school?

DP: Equal opportunity (open enrollment) is a right at the Academy of Art College. It is upheld by the Academy's mission statement. If students are devoted to their studies and take our work ethic to heart, they will succeed. Portfolio submission is required only for those applying for the Master's program.

We are very proud of our students' work as evidenced in our film festivals. The work exhibited not only has creative savvy, but incredible production value. Relative to how this helps us, our program is continuing to grow and students inspire each other. As to how it hurts us, I haven't seen any evidence that it has.

MM: Who is your typical student?

DP: Our students are typically very enthusiastic. They're here because of their passion for movies. Each student, however, is very unique with special abilities and gifts and I believe they all have potential to be "in the business."

MM: Does your curriculum focus on the creative aspects of moviemaking or the technical?

DP: We focus on the artistic/creative as well as the technical aspects of film. I designed the curriculum to separate the major disciplines into nine "tracks," or crafts. Similar to what actually happens in Hollywood, the art comes from the interaction of these crafts.

We separate directorial skills, acting, screenwriting, producing, cinematography, production design and the other crafts in a way that allows for concentration on skill development. "Filmmakers" may not find work in the industry; but a cinematographer, gaffer, producer, or screenwriter can find work.

MM: You offer a number of concentrations within the film program, from acting to special effects. What sort of facilities does the school offer students? How is the acting student just as well attended to as the special effects student?

DP: We have one of the most extensive equipment facilities, educational or otherwise, in California including one and three-chip digital video cameras, 16mm and 35mm film cameras (Bolex, Aaton, Arriflex and Mitchell), lighting, grip and sound recording equipment. Our editing facilities include flatbed and linear suites along with non-linear Final Cut Pro, Media 100, Avid Xpress and Avid Composer. Sound post-production is accomplished on 24-track DigiDesign pro-tools software, with seven pro-tools workstations for projects.

Screenwriters have labs composed of computers with appropriate software, producers have budgeting and scheduling software and acting students have special rehearsal stages. Some course structure must de done on location. We offer special effects instruction with live action mechanical effects and model making on site at production facilities in both LA and San Francisco. The acting curriculum offers instruction in basic exercises through advanced techniques in movement, monologue, voice and speech, agents and auditions and three-camera television work.

MM: Obviously, a school's program is only as strong as its teachers. Your faculty is made up primarily of working members of the film and/or entertainment community. How do you recruit professors? Who are some of the people teaching at the Academy of Art today?

DP: I am most interested in finding people who can teach. We carefully review an instructor's work and experience. Without the ability to communicate, the student is left with the experience of knowing someone who was good in his field. What students need is someone to excite them, teach them the skills and bring them closer to the working experience. Our current staff includes Randy Love, Don Starnes, Ellen Sumpter, Curran Engel, Amy Spies and Steve Romanko, among others. Their credits include Artificial Intelligence, Nash Bridges, Matrix, Mrs. Doubtfire, Home Alone II and The Negotiator.

MM: How does a professor's full-time involvement in the industry help him/her teach a class? Does the fact that your professors have other commitments keep them "on the cutting edge" or does it make them less accessible to students?

DP: We believe the fact that they're active in the industry is an advantage. We work around "work" by allowing for guest speakers, but only twice a semester. Most people in the film business are freelance, so teaching is essentially like working on another project.

ES: Our educational philosophy is to teach students professionalism from day one. The only way to learn to enter the dynamic fields of art and design is to learn from those who are doing it. The fact that our instructors are working professionals is the major contributing factor to the school's success. No other school offers students the opportunity to work so closely with the top professionals in the business, using the same equipment and facilities used in the industry.

MM: What sort of careers are your students pursuing after leaving the Academy?

DP: We have students who are working as directors, producers, production managers, cinematographers and editors. We have screenwriters and actors who have acquired agents prior to graduating. However, we are a freelance industry. Once a film is completed or your portion of the work is accomplished, hopefully you have been networking and preparing for the next job. A number of our international students have been very successful with their own production companies in their native countries and some are now teaching as well.

MM: In general, do your students tend to stay in the San Francisco area?

DP: Many of our graduates move to LA; Hollywood is still the heartbeat. It is something you have to do to be in the "big time." It used to be said that to be in advertising you had to go to New York. San Francisco has developed a name as a "creative" ad town. I feel that San Francisco now has a good shot at becoming a production hotspot in the manner of Dallas and Toronto.

MM: Can you talk a bit about the programs you offer in addition to your degree and/or certificate programs? Tell us a bit about your Saturday and Summer Art Experience programs, for example.

DP: These are tuition-free courses that introduce high school students to college and the art of filmmaking. Generally, students and their parents are very excited about these programs, which help to ground students in their futures. Many go on to become some of our best students. We also offer a summer grant program for continuing education for high school teachers.

ES: Today, the Academy offers two scholarship programs geared toward high school students the Saturday Art Experience and Summer Art Experience, which involve more than 1,600 students each year. The Summer Art Experience offers scholarships to high school students each summer for six weeks of professional-level art instruction, while the Summer Art Experience gives students the opportunity to choose from 15 three-hour courses taught by the Academy's faculty over six consecutive Saturdays. The Academy also offers the Summer Study Grant, portfolio based scholarships for high school and community college students looking to further their arts training at the highest level. This scholarship offers up to 100 percent tuition to attend college classes in our summer term.

MM: San Francisco is already an area rich in arts and culture. How does the Academy of Art reach out to, and further enrich, this community?

DP: Set in the heart of San Francisco, the Academy of Art College draws upon its rich urban setting to enhance its learning environment. Students are guaranteed housing in the city and are able to benefit from San Francisco's museums, libraries and artistic energy.

Most recently, the Academy has been assisting the local chapter of the Red Cross with its fundraising efforts through my participation as Chair of the Red Cross International Ball. The Academy has also worked with the San Francisco Advertising Association to keep this wonderful organization running by offering it space within the Academy. We always look for ways to support the San Francisco community, and these are just a couple of examples.

MM: What are the characteristics you think best describe a successful Academy of Art student?

DP: A successful AAC student never believes they've made it. They always strive to do better and learn more.

For more information on the Academy of Art, visit: http://www.academyart.edu

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