Teaching Beyond the Curriculum

Abstract

View film

In its most powerful form, cinema serves as a tool for change. Often, films challenging or critiquing culture tend to be produced independently, deviating from the dominant Hollywood narrative production model. American film education largely adheres to this structured approach, churning out graduates eager to enter the industry. These newcomers often sacrifice their well-being to meet unrealistic expectations, driven by the fear that employers can easily replace them. This perpetuates a profit-centric culture that prioritizes employers over employees, despite the latter being essential to production. Labor quality depends on skill, motivation, desire, and opportunity, making it a malleable effort. As an educator, I witness students struggling with these pressures. In response, I began integrating wellness into my filmmaking class in spring 2020, aiming to direct students’ focus on individual well-being while making a film collaboratively. This approach nurtures the whole student, fostering creative exchange and mutual acceptance. I propose that this approach could help shift not only student well-being, but the industry towards a well-being-centered standard, adopted by unions and the wider field. Recognizing a laborer’s worth and treating them with dignity changes their approach to work, resulting in a more positive work environment. It also empowers laborers to protect their value as human beings, rather than operating from fear of scarcity and serving the interests of a few.