James Franco Creates College Course About James Franco
The latest project that actor-writer-director-Oscar host-professional student James Franco has undertaken to add to his growing list of educational and artistic activities at first came as a surprise to me. Then I had to nod my head and say, "Well, of course he would do that, wouldn't he?"
Partnering with Columbia College Hollywood, Franco has added a new class to the school's curriculum, called "Master Class: Editing James Franco... with James Franco." It's exactly what it sounds like: a class about James Franco, created by James Franco, using film editing as a way to examine the actor's life and career.
The goal of the class is to create one (or possibly more) 30-minute documentary about Franco’s atypical life, using footage from his career; much of it comes from behind-the-scenes footage of short films Franco has directed. 12 of the film school's most promising editing students will be part of the first weekly class, which will also be taped and is intended to be included in the film or used for another project. Here, Franco's passion for both art and higher education can intertwine -- sometimes via Skype, when his busy schedule does not allow him time to come to class in person.
James Franco just doesn’t stop, it seems. From film and TV acting to writing and directing, from performance artist to novelist, all while earning multiple master's degrees, he's involved in too many projects to count, and the moment he finishes one he begins another. "I shouldn’t say I’m doing so many things, because it starts to sound ridiculous after a while," Franco told the Times, rightly, in September. Then he described a few other upcoming projects.
Read the full press release about "Master Class: Editing James Franco... with James Franco" below:
Academy Award-nominated actor James Franco has partnered with Columbia College Hollywood to offer an innovative course through which 12 of the private film school’s best editing students will create a 30 minute documentary film from videographic footage from Mr. Franco’s own unorthodox career.
Mr. Franco’s frequent collaborator and editor Tyler Danna is teaching the course, which has been entitled Master Class: Editing James Franco…with James Franco. Mr. Franco is providing the footage - much of it from behind the scenes on short films he has directed - and the conception for the course and will speak to the students weekly via live feed (Skype) and attend the weekly class sessions when his schedule allows. The student editors will seek to create a cinematic image of James Franco through the footage. […]
Master Class: Editing James Franco…with James Franco meets on Thursday afternoons weekly. As conceived by Mr. Franco and Mr. Danna, the class sessions themselves will be taped and be part of the final film created by the class or another project.
There is the potential to carry the class forward with 12 different editors in the spring quarter and beyond as the film project continues.
-- Annelise Bianchini
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