French Director Claude Miller told a group of students that small cameras can transform them into filmmakers.
“All of you can make films because of this camera. When I was your age it was impossible because it was far too costly,” said Miller, the permanent honorary president of the VCU French Film Festival.
Marking the film festival’s first “Master Class,” Miller spoke Thursday to about 35 students and staff in VCU filmmaking and schools of World Studies, and Mass Communications about his career and the influence of digital video cameras in film production.
Communicating through a translator, Miller told the audience that digital filming changed the way he viewed movie-making.
“It transformed me as a director and the way I make films,” he said.
Six years ago a national arts and film channel in France approached Miller about using DV small cameras – like the ones sold at consumer electronics stores – to make a series of films. The idea caught on and Miller was able to turn “La Chambre des magiciennes” into a feature length film.
Students watched “La Chambre,” the first film Miller shot using a DV small camera.
He said he spent less time on technical difficulties with a small camera, allowing him to focus more on the creative process. Directors are interested in either the technical or humanity aspect of filming, he told the students.
“I consider myself to be in the second group,” he said.
American cinema tends to emphasize the positive, Miller said. With “La Chambre,” the award-winning director sought to explore how humans deal with the suffering of others because he is interested in the bad aspects.
“In showing the negative side, I am doing it so we can learn and become better people.”
He also explained how France’s film industry is financed, which is far different from the American approach.
When people in France buy movie tickets, part of those proceeds go into a fund that finances film groups-including the VCU French Film Festival.
Before ending, Miller urged the students to use their apprehension to their advantage.
“I was scared I wouldn’t be up to the level of my expectations and ambitions,” he said about his first time working with small cameras. “Perhaps this fright you have is a good thing . . . learn to manage the fright you have in starting a project.”
Peter Kirkpatrick, executive director of the Office of International Education translated Miller’s comments during the lecture. After the lecture he told the CT that the lecture allowed more filmmaking students to become involved with the film festival, which he founded and directs.
“(Students) were intrigued by Miller’s career and by the European-French framework in which directors make their creations…Miller also was very impressed by the engagement and by the quality of the students’ questions.”
Filming with a small camera rather than the more common 35 mm had benefits, he said. It was less expensive to shoot with a digital camera. His crews were smaller, allowing him to work at a quickened pace. Having less economic pressures afforded him more freedom to invent. It also allowed the actors to be more playful in front of the camera, he told the audience.
Donald Tare, senior French major, said his favorite part of Miller’s discussion was when the filmmaker, in response to Tare’s question, stated that he didn’t have a signature style.
“He said he didn’t want to be consistent and that’s always a good trait to have,” said Tare, an aspiring filmmaker.
Steven Harris, a sophomore film major, said a professor encouraged him to attend. After the lecture he said, “As a young filmmaker and having a DV, I liked what (Miller) had to say about digital video and how he compared the two.”
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