Alright, alright, alright 101

Matthew McConaughey joins University of Texas faculty

There we go.

 

That's what I love about these college girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age.

 

Honestly, I'm more embarassed for UT than for McConaughey. He's basically teaching what you can learn on a 25 minute DVD "bonus feature."

 

You're embarrassed for UT? McConaughey is an Oscar winning actor who has produced film and TV (including True Detective).

I was a film major. My professors had never worked in the business and most hadn't really seen many films.

McConaughey could show up stoned to the gills and I would learn more from him about film in one day than I did in all of my classes combined.

 

That's the thing. He could do a lot more than "how a movie is made". Maybe craft the course to frame "make a movie" into a larger "succeed in life" kind of thing. Getting In The Door. Avoid bad scripts. Avoid working with people you don't want to work with. Hire good people around you. When you really believe in something - go all in and put it all on the line. That sort of thing. Also figure he'll help with fundraising.

 

Shit, Rust should be a guest speaker in a religion class or philosophy.

 

Is that want you want in a professor of film and TV? Is that what students learn at USC? (Sincere question)

My belief is that an academic institution should provide more than career advice. There is some basic level of art and technical skill that has to be taught before the student jumps into how to survive Hollywood. McConaughey can provide that.

 

I'm sure that UT provides way more than that. If I was in McConaughey's class, that's the kind of stuff I would want to hear. I don't want him to tell me how to operate a camera or frame a shot. In Austin, there are thousands of people who could tell me that. I want to hear front-line stories from McConaughey.

 

So it's just storytelling? How many of the students will ever be in the situation in which McConaughey's advice would be beneficial?

 

I find the latter a little hard to believe.

 

Mmmmm. That's the sweet spot.

 

Who is the biggest celebrity alum from your alma mater and what class would they teach?

For UGA:
Professor Ryan Seacrest, Putting Up with the Kardashians 101