Masterclass or disasterclass?
Graphic by Easton Clark, Photo Editor
If you know anything about the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, you know the masterclasses that come with the bragging rights of being admitted. A few times a month, stars and creatives from the entertainment industry take the stage and engage with students for a few hours, doling out years of hard-earned wisdom. This often includes a screening of their most recent work, followed by a Q&A session.
Chapman has invited Dwayne Johnson, Spike Lee, Billy Ray and many others to speak over the last month. In most instances, the conversation with the guest is being recorded for The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg for his “Awards Chatter” podcast. Feinberg leads the conversation, asking about the progression of their career leading up to their most recent work. But other times, the masterclasses take on a more traditional speech nature, as someone takes the stage to teach about their specific area of expertise. However, most of the time it's the former. Students cancel plans, skip class and sometimes line up at the door for over 10 hours to ensure they get a good seat.
Aside from being starstruck, how much are Chapman students actually taking away from these master classes, and is the money and time being spent on them worth skipping their evening classes and playing catch-up later?
A recent example of a masterclass's success was the visit of Billy Ray, who provided a deep dive into story structure. He took the stage alone and spent over an hour breaking down how to develop a story and what the industry truly wants to see from aspiring writers.
As a screenwriter, learning from a professional about the tips and tricks for making your script successful and sellable is an incredible opportunity. Dodge also held a lottery to dine with Ray, where he was given students' scripts and worked on areas of their stories that needed improvement. Having somebody as successful as Ray read and provide feedback on a script is not something that happens every day.
There is more substance in a talk like that, versus when Dwayne Johnson takes the stage, discusses his career progression and shares insights on his recent work. At the end of the day, it's THE Dwayne Johnson, but it doesn't feel as educational as it has the potential to be.
“Sometimes the interviews or discussions they do are so surface-level that calling them a ‘masterclass,’ as if they’re actually teaching us something, doesn’t feel entirely accurate,” said Charlie Nguyen, a junior film production major at Chapman.
Even though attending these talks lets you flex on your Instagram story, how much of the information from the masterclass is actually being applied to everyone's learning from the next day out? Students aren’t attending masterclasses to find life-changing information that will change the way they think, breathe and act.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of value in going to a masterclass and taking notes like it’s a lecture. You don’t need to follow their advice word-for-word. Just take what resonates with you and move on,” said junior writing for film and television major Connor Lewis.
Being able to get advice from some of the greats is an asset in itself; the masterclasses make you feel inspired to work harder, and there are always pieces of it that stick with you after. That being said, every month, the masterclass list is stacked with A-listers. Again, it's exciting for all as Chapman offers a wide range of majors within film, and there is always a variety of industry experts visiting.
While these opportunities are undeniably valuable, they also raise a question about how much of this effort is genuinely about student enrichment versus maintaining a polished image. We all know Chapman is ranked number 4 in the film school rankings; we all hold that pride very near and dear to us. A significant part of that ranking is related to the names we display for our master classes. When applying to Chapman, without having experienced a masterclass firsthand, you might be led to believe that, for example, Ariana Grande is coming to campus to give an educational talk about acting. In reality, the format of her upcoming master class will be the same as the others. However, the misleading term of a “master class” drives prospective students to apply, allowing Dodge College to rise in the rankings and become a very competitive school to get into.
“Many of these events feel very PR-oriented rather than educational. It’s kind of one of the main things people associate with Chapman–especially Dodge–like, “Oh, look who’s coming to speak here.” Said Nguyen
At the end of the day, every time a student steps into the Folino Theater to sit in front of someone amazing, there are usually few complaints. Being in the presence of these people makes us, as young filmmakers, feel seen, feel inspired and encourages us to strive for greatness.
“The real value of masterclasses is that you get to hear all these different perspectives. It kind of takes some of the stress off because you’ll hear these very successful people talk about how they felt when they were your age, and it feels familiar — you can relate to it. It reminds you that not everything happens at the same pace for everyone, and it’s okay to feel like you’re not where you need to be, even if you actually are,” said Lewis.
Even with room for improvement, masterclasses at the Folino can remind students how lucky they are to get access to high-level stars with deep industry knowledge.