One day my phone buzzed at work, it was a message from Christopher, “I found an ad for “The Dov Simens Film Course” school in Movie Making Magazine. I really think we should go….it’s in San Francisco.”
Uhhh, what? A ten hour drive for a cheesy film seminar? “You realize we’re both broke, right?” I asked.
“Dude, check out these testimonials, though.” He sent me a link the Dov Simens Film Course website with a list of quotes from past students.
Whoa…wait…what?! THE Quentin Tarantino? No way. I guess Tarantino didn’t go to film school. But a two day seminar?
I felt like I was being sold snake oil, but I kept scrolling.
Huh.
Really? It felt too good to be true. But there they were, tons of testimonials. Guy Ritchie, Queen Latifa, Christopher Nolan, the list went on. I started clicking through to his videos. It still felt kitsch, but his message resonated with me.
“Alright man, I’m in.”
What are you going to do? If the class was terrible, at least it would be an interesting experience. In the back of my mind, I was really hoping for the best.
By this point, we had already made a feature film, but it hadn’t gone too well. We had a ton of experience with gear, editing, and acting, but struggled to bring it all together.
We decided to find the cheapest hostel we could find in San Francisco for $15 a night since we were spending all our money on the film school.
Christopher pulled up to pick me up from my work in his auntie’s Jeep. The licence plate read, “Siti”. You know, “Grandma” in Lebanese. It was fitting for the trip we were about to embark on. After our 635 mile trek, we arrived at our dingy hostel with a ton of anticipation.
We were still unsure if we were going to get worthwhile information, or get taken for a ride.
DOV SIMENS FILM COURSE, WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
We showed up early Saturday morning to a packed hotel conference room. The staff handed us a thick itinerary with this listing for the FIRST day:
“Dang, there is no way we’re going to get through all this.” I thought to myself. Dov sat down and the room went quiet.
“FILMMAKING IS NOT AN ART.” He shouted suddenly, “IT’S A BUSINESS.” Okay, here we go…“IT’S SHOW BUSINESS, NOT SHOW ART.”
He stared at the room, letting this sink in. This is an important point for Dov because it sets the stage for the entire seminar. Dov is pragmatic. He takes all romance out of filmmaking – stripping it to the bone, giving only the information you need to get your project made.
This is something I could get into.
This is what we had been lacking in our first attempt to make a feature. We had tried to make our film off of a 150 page script, his advice? 90 pages.
We had a ton of locations with intricate plot. His advice? One location. I thought back to Reservoir Dogs – one location.
KISS – keep it simple stupid. We tried to do too much. This is a point he really stresses. If you are producing for the first time, you need to keep it simple.
Dov is no-nonsense, in your face, and at times politically incorrect. There’s no fluff, he gives it to you straight. He gives you the steps to get your project done.
The first day was intense. It was a lot of information, and we made our way back to our hostel quietly, thinking about the wave of information that had crushed us. We took a look at our syllabus for the second day and saw just as much more information we needed to cover.
This time the goal of getting through everything seemed much more achievable now we knew the pace of the class.
At times, the amount of information was overwhelming. He could go on five minute rants, while we furiously scribbled notes, which sometimes wasn’t enough to keep up.
Dov makes it clear – he isn’t a filmmaker, he’s a teacher. You’re not going to get film theory, or the art of lighting and framing, but you WILL understand how to get a crew, get equipment, and raise money.
It was the most distilled information on the subject I’ve seen anywhere. It’s straightforward and actionable.
Dov worked as a line producer for Roger Corman, one of the low-budget kings. Dov knows how to get stuff made on tight deadlines with no money. This information is exactly why we came. We are a couple young guys trying to get our stuff made with little to no money, and his tactics were really eye opening for us.
The information is all there. We were able to take what we learned and put it into practice and that’s what you need to do. You also need to go into this class with the right expectations. Just because Tarantino and Will Smith came out of this class, does not mean you will have the same level of success.
Without using the information in the right way, and working hard at it, you will waste your money. If you’re not willing to work hard with the information you’re given, you’re not going to make it. But isn’t that how everything is with life?
Filmmaking is incredibly competitive, having this information will definitely help take you far, but it’s up to you to take it to the next level.
DOV SIMENS FILM COURSE, WHAT YOU WON’T LEARN
- Nuts & bolts of filmmaking
- Lens choices / camera angles
- Craft
- Editing
What I appreciated most is his repetition that you can’t teach talent. It’s true, you can’t. What you can teach is process. The process of filmmaking is something that is so shrouded in mystery, it’s tough to find real true information on how to get your stuff made.
If you’re already an accomplished filmmaker this course isn’t for you, it’s for those early in their journey looking to get practical production advice quickly.
He goes through the range of budgets – starting at $5000 and works his way up to 10 million, showing how to get it done, step by step. His whole shtick it to figure out how much you can raise, raise it, and shoot it at that price.
The seminar will absolutely give you the tools you need to go out and make something happen. We both left feeling inspired. Within six months Christopher raised more than $11,000 for his documentary LIGHT, and was on a plane to Lebanon.
While I highly recommend the course, I will say that you will get the same exact information through his DVDs. While I enjoyed being there in person, and loved interacting with him, Christopher and I could’ve split the difference on the DVD’s and saved a long ten hour drive.
The course flies by so quick that it probably would’ve been better to go back and rewatch a lot of the information. But if you really want to check him out in person, you can see his schedule here or get the DVD set here, which was updated in 2014.
The stuff I’ve gone through here is just the tip of the iceberg. The DVDs are 16 hours long, with practical, straightforward information. If you’re serious about getting your project made, you need to check it out. As a disclaimer, the links in this article are affiliate links, but I think this is one of the most useful courses you can take.
Have you taken the Dov Simens Film Course? If so, tell me your thoughts in the comments!
I love Dov! I took his class back in 03′. Flew out to take it in person and was totally worth it, glad you two had a similar good experience.
Thanks for the insight, Jett! We really enjoyed his class as well!
The best teacher I ever had
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J Wilson / Production Manager
I took Dov’s class THIRTY (30) years ago when I was working in Los Angeles. It was the best two-day seminar I’ve ever taken. I took his ideas back to Florida, have made two feature films since, using his techniques, and have made numerous short films. I have taught the fundamentals of his class to my college students for the past 25 years. Taking his class may be the best investment in filmmaking I’ve ever made. You learn a lot in two days.
I attended Dov Simens 2-day filmmaking course and was mesmerized by this speaking style, as well as the wealth of knowledge he had about low-budget filmmaking. His work with Roger Gorman was used as examples throughout the two-days which made for a robust and entertaining education. I can’t recommend this highly enough! I followed up on his invitation to call him and I did, after I made my first feature film, and he was delightful. I have since made two features and a full length documentary as well as some shorts, and I did it feeling I had a huge amount of experience I gained in those two days of listening to Dov give me advice that I used everyday on the production.
That’s wonderful! We never took the opportunity to call him after the workshop, but will definitely at some point. He’s fantastic.
If you go, make sure you sit near the stage because he gets vety dramatic and keeps your interst but he won’t repeat his spiel yet he fluctuates from low mumbles to big rants. For hearing impaired, it sucks.
..also make sure you’re young and beautiful. He loves your questions.
There was a couple new thoughts but thats about it..
Overall, arrogant but the price is right… save the trip and buy online.
Totally, the online stuff is definitely worth it.
Cheers,
Michael
Mr Simens, My situation as a writer is most unusual, to say the least. I was in the entertainment business for 40+ years. [Live entertainment nightclub for 20 years – Playboy picked The Attic (NC) as one of the top 100 college bars in the country. Moreover, I spent 20 years in Stand-up Comedy. Wore all eight hats.] I retired in 2014 due to my exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam in 1969. The VA declared me 100% Permanetly Disabled and “suggested” very strongly to retire, turn in my driver’s license, do not possess any firearm, (will really miss my Daisey) and, to work on my bucket list. I’m currently doing just that. I told the VA to put me on their back burner, because my list will take awhile. I have six month to six years to live. I have a book that I would like to turn into a screenplay, “SNAFU – My Vietnam Vacation – 1969” (See website) Much of it is written from the stand point of humor. I currently have a completed screenplay, “4th & 14” – Log Line – (A 14 year old uber-smart girl, with the help of her dead mother, tries to save her Dad’s job, as the most mediocre high school football coach in the country. Six years in a row with six win, six loss, seasons.) This is a female empowerment movie. I wrote it starting in 2010; years before the current status in Hollywood. My wife, Nancy “Uber” Haines, has agreed to help in any way she can. She already has a full plate, becasue two of our grandchildren live with us. We’re pay check to paycheck. My only option at this time is to send it to a college student acquaintance of mine from the mid 1980’s; Sandy Bullock. My main side effects due to PTSD and Agent Orange did a number on my focus, concentration and memory. So, obviously, I need help. I can e-mail my writing credits if needed. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Sorry, about the length of this note. Have a great week.
Hey Tom,
This isn’t Dov’s site. You could possibly get in touch with him over at https://www.webfilmschool.com
Cheers,
Michael
Sorry I never saw this until today (3/17/2020).
Give me a call (818-752-3456) to chat.
I was Nam (68-69)
God Bless
Dov (1Lt, 5th SFG)
Took Dov’s course in 2010. It’s only now that I have completed and finished script after so many rewrites. Sent it to a reader and after sending it for the 3rd time, he says I have a finished script. Preparing Production Budget and Business plan now. Question: are the payment scale for crew and department heads
in your book which I purchased in 2010 still good for 2020? Or have they changed somewhat?
Dec 2019. Raleigh Studios. Great experience. Dov was incredible. The man cuts to the chase. Trims the fat from film making and producing: Filters the needlessness taught at university film schools. Rick Rizzo-G “THE GHOST OF PRIMROSE HODGES”
Definitely, Dov is the man!