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From open animosity toward third-year students to an outdated curriculum unfit for the current industry, explore students’ accounts of how the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television failed to address their concerns in the Enterprise investigation. https://features.dailybruin.com/2021/tft/
After Professor Phyllis Nagy became the head of screenwriting in 2018, she took control of the class enrollment process. Her changes to class scheduling practices forced many students to find options outside of their required classes to maintain full-time status, an alumnus said.
Nagy also updated the petition process for graduate students seeking to stay in the program for a third year, but failed to inform students about the change, multiple alumni said.
Nagy and a TFT spokesperson declined to comment on the policy changes and student communication.
Nagy and a TFT spokesperson declined to comment on the policy changes and student communication.
But the lack of communication is not the only issue.
With their first two years spent on film history and other prerequisites, many undergraduate students said TFT did not prepare them with practical skills and hands-on experience needed for real-world internships.
With their first two years spent on film history and other prerequisites, many undergraduate students said TFT did not prepare them with practical skills and hands-on experience needed for real-world internships.
Many undergraduates often can’t take courses teaching hands-on skills until their third year, an alumnus said.
“It became a running joke that by the time you got to your first production class ... you already knew everything about how to be on set,” the alumnus said.
“It became a running joke that by the time you got to your first production class ... you already knew everything about how to be on set,” the alumnus said.
While most professional studios use digital cameras, the undergraduate program equipped Bruins with film reels some said would have been more useful in 1995.
“I have no knowledge of the actual cameras that people are actually using in 2021,” a current student said.
“I have no knowledge of the actual cameras that people are actually using in 2021,” a current student said.
From lacking diversity in film curriculum to the absence of communication from the TFT administration, many student complaints often went unaddressed, several Bruins said. In a 2018 town hall, one film professor told students to expect similarly poor treatment in the industry.
“It feels like everyone is holding in this little secret that we all know – the school isn’t up to standard – and no one else knows,” a student said.
Tap the link to unveil the hidden issues behind TFT in the Enterprise investigation. https://features.dailybruin.com/2021/tft/
Tap the link to unveil the hidden issues behind TFT in the Enterprise investigation. https://features.dailybruin.com/2021/tft/
