What's the Point?

By Rebecca Green

Last month Ben Odell wrote a piece for Open Gardens titled Do We Still Need Film Schools? which makes for a good jumping off point for me to share with all of you that I recently accepted a job as the Discipline Head of Producing at the prestigious AFI Conservatory. It’s a role perfectly suited for me to expand on the skills I’ve been building over the course of my career in producing, teaching, mentoring, and future-thinking for the next generation. I’ve only been in the position for a little over two months, but I feel I am in the right place at this specific moment in my professional journey and at this specific moment in the industry.

Odell’s Open Garden’s piece is thoughtful, though obvious, and can mostly be summed up in the first sentence of the "Primary Responsibilities" job description for my new position: “Drive curriculum innovation based on current industry practices and emerging trends.” This is part of the job I’m most excited about and I agree with Odell's take on this matter. It is essential for film schools to not only meet the industry where it is, but to stay ahead of the game, adapt, and reinvent, which can be a challenge for big institutions when the media landscape changes so quickly.

Where my views differ from Odell is that I don’t believe film schools need to be chasing the creator economy to stay relevant. As the piece points out, there are many “alternatives for creators to sharpen their skills” such as Creator Camp, Content Academy, Creator Now and more, which fill this need. Odell goes on to say, “A friend recently suggested another core requirement — every student (together or separately) should launch their own channel.” While I said in my job interview that no student should graduate film school without understanding how to monetize YouTube, I don’t believe you need to launch your own channel to learn how the platform works or innovative ways to connect with audiences. And the last thing the world needs is more YouTube channels. His friend’s comment reminds me of when Facebook was the cool kid on the block and someone declared it necessary for every filmmaker to have at least 10,000 followers in order to be successful.

What Odell’s piece doesn’t touch on is why film schools matter outside of being a cog in the wheel of the capitalistic media landscape. I have yet to meet a film school student who is attending school to become a “creator” (there’s more to write on the definition of the word that I’ll save for another time). Artists choose to formally study their craft, whether it's film, dance, music, sculpture, photography or any other form, to master self-expression and learn how to interpret the world around them in interesting and unique ways. Artists are looking for their purpose in the world and to help open people’s eyes to new ways of thinking and feeling. To articulate this better than I can is EGOT winner Viola Davis who was given an Honorary Degree at the 2025 AFI commencement ceremony I attended just a few weeks into the new job. In her acceptance speech (which you can watch here) she said this:

“The purpose of the art is the same thing as the purpose of the artist, and that is, you are creating stories so people do not feel alone, that they not only just feel a connection with other people, but with themselves.”

And she ended with…

“You have the power to come home to that one thing that made you want to do this, to be healers, to be alchemists, to buck the system, to see life just a little bit different, and therefore, you don't just leave something for people, you leave something in them. Because your purpose is not what you do, it's what happens to people when you do what you do.”

This is what it’s about for those who attend art school, for the storytellers, for the creatives of the world. Whatever the medium is you are trying to master, the work comes from your soul. Do film schools also have to prepare students for the real world and present opportunities to make a living? Of course. Do we have to introduce them to new ways of storytelling and give them the tools to grow in the exploration of their art and stay ahead of the curve? Absolutely. But we can’t lose sight of the purpose of the arts, especially in this moment when being your authentic self is under attack.

This year many of my friends have asked me, “What’s the point?” We’re at an inflection in the industry (and the world) that feels impossible to overcome and many are wondering if they should keep going. Corporate consolidation, strikes, layoffs, fires, and now censorship are doing all they can to keep us down. But if we look at one of our own Hollywood creations from 1989, John Keating of Dead Poets Society played by the great Robin Williams, he would say to us, “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." My friends, you are the point. You are the ones breathing light into the world. Your stories bring people joy and demonstrate empathy. You make us laugh and cry and jump out of our seats. You create ways to escape and take us to places we’ve never been. And along the way, you have built an undeniable community of artists who respect, value, and care for one another.

A few days after the AFI commencement ceremony, I attended the memorial service for Jason Constantine who died of brain cancer at the young age of 55 and left his wife, three sons, and this world too soon. I was one of the lucky ones who had the good fortune of working with Jason at Lionsgate in the acquisitions department early in my career. Jason loved movies more than most and he met every moment with enthusiasm. Even though I worked with Jason so long ago in the early 2000s, he was always one of the first to send me a note of congratulations when one of my films premiered at a festival. Something Jason’s wife Kristin said in her eulogy really spoke to me that I feel is worth sharing. She said that Jason believed in living your life by “eulogy virtues, not resume virtues.” That while he was certainly proud of the box office numbers of the franchises he helped build like the SAW and JOHN WICK movies, what mattered was the people behind the films. And not just the people in the industry, but his family and friends who supported him even if they totally didn’t understand his job (something we all can relate to.) This was evident in the large crowd at Jason’s memorial whose hearts were full of sadness from losing their brother, but also filled with joy from being blessed with the time they did have together.

As I was about to start teaching a film class at the University of Michigan last year, I saw a quote on Instagram by Kelly Pollack, who was the Executive Director at the Center of Creative Arts in St. Louis, that really stuck with me. It said: “The true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create more professional dancers or artists. It’s to create more complete human beings who are critical thinkers, who have curious minds, who can lead productive lives.” These are the eulogy virtues Kristin spoke of and when people ask me, “What’s the point?” I think of this quote. As an arts educator, I feel very lucky to have the focus of my days be about helping others find their voice and articulate their point of view. Whether that results in a box office hit, a podcast, a low-budget indie film, or a short form video on YouTube, that isn’t what’s important. The world needs more compassion and empathy and people who push the boundaries of thought and art is a vessel to make that possible. I love producing and I’m so proud of the films I’ve made, but I’m just as proud of the work you don’t see, the parts of my life that aren’t highlighted in box office numbers or at film festivals. Because as Jason’s wife Kristen pointed out, life is more than just a press release.

Odell ends with, “Film school has always been a “maybe.” It asks for time and money, and the return was never guaranteed.” But to that I would argue nothing in life is guaranteed. To Odell John Keating would say, “We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”

Carpe Diem.

(For those who are wondering… I am able to continue to run Dear Producer and produce while in this new position. I have been a little behind on posting - not only did I start this new big job, but I also moved back to Los Angeles from Detroit so have had my hands full. But I am starting to settle into the rhythm of the job and my new apartment so will be able to get back into it all soon. Thanks for your patience.)