The Hollywood Film Institute’s Dov Simens will be bringing his internationally acclaimed two-day film school to Sydney this month. Presented as part of ISA Focus – the International Screen Academy’s new seminar program – the workshop aims to teach students how to write, direct, edit and produce their own feature films. Now, this may all sound a little too good to be true, but as we discover, Simens isn’t one for indulging in empty rhetoric. He’s honest about the industry and about himself, particularly when he’s been described as a mentor to big-name Hollywood directors like Quentin Tarantino.
“It sounds like I really took them by the hand … but that would be misrepresentation,” he says. “They took the course for two days and they probably realised that they know what they’re doing and that it was time to shit or get off the pot. I just lovingly gave them a kick in the rear and said, ‘Just go do it. You have the two things I can’t teach – one is talent, and the other is work ethic.’”
Of course, the film industry is a cold, tough place. Talent and drive will only get you so far, and this is where Simens and his short course come in – to teach the reality of filmmaking and how to get your foot in the door.
“I’m coming to show how we in America, with no government funding whatsoever, make micro-budget and often rotten feature films that seem to go global and make good money,” he says. “Everybody wants the nuts and bolts.”
After spending the Saturday morning of the course guiding students on how to make a feature film in terms of script length, shoot times, camera set-ups and general logistics, Simens gets down to the nitty-gritty – money.
“I tell people to write down a number, and to be proud of how small they make it – that’s their budget for a feature film. Then I teach how to go through every line item and squeeze that amount of money into it in the best way possible.
“Now that you know how to make a film cost-effectively and have your 90-page, one-location stage play, you find out how much festivals cost and how to create a route,” he says. “There’s no guarantee that you’ll get in, but if you do, I’ll teach you how to make sure the acquisition execs come to your screening, because that’s imperative.”
If you haven’t caught on already, Simens’ course isn’t about idealism or being caught up in the magic of making movies. The film industry is, at its heart, a business. Simens won’t only help attendees to realise that fact, but how to work within it to sell their movie.
“On Sunday afternoon I’ll teach financing and how to get a group of investors, how to set up a limited liability company, and how to put on a dog and pony show. In Australia you have so many very wealthy people who would like to play with this business.
“Once you have your script and the budget is low enough that it’s realistic, partner with an actor, cinematographer, camera operator and director of photography. Then raise $100,000 by selling ten units at $10,000 each, offering 50 percent of profits, if any, with no guarantee.
“Rent a movie theatre in Sydney or go to Fox Studios and rent their screening room … and bring the real estate investors in. That’s the sizzle. Everyone always says to sell the sizzle, not the steak. Everyone in Australia wants to talk steak, steak, steak. We’re a marketing industry, not a filmmaking industry. Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle – that’s how you make money. I have the audacity to ask for it, not apply.”
Dov Simens’2-Day Film School,as part of ISA Focus, takes place atInternational Screen Academy, Waterloo, onSaturday May 16 – Sunday May 17.
