PNU Students Struggle with High Costs for Mandatory Film Production Course

“To make a single film as an assignment, we have to even consider taking a leave-of-absence.” Pusan National University (PNU) Student A (Dept. of Art, Culture, and Image, 22), expressed frustration about the financial burden of paying out-of-pocket, amounting to millions of won, to complete a mandatory major class in the Department of Art, Culture, and Image. Although the course is a requirement for graduation, the lack of sufficient financial support from the university forces students to consider options like part-time jobs or loans.

As of November 28th, a comprehensive report by “Channel PNU” says that students in the Department of Art, Culture, and Image at Pusan National University (PNU) are spending an average of two to three million won out of their own pockets to complete the mandatory major class “Film Production Practicum.” Depending on the scale of the film being produced, individual costs can reach as high as seven to ten million won. Rising labor costs and the inherent limitations of student films not being commercializable are cited as primary reasons for the high expenses, while solutions from the university remain nonexistent.

■The financial strain of production extends to student films as well

The main assignment for the Film Production Practicum class is to submit a single complete film. This requires unavoidable expenditures such as hiring actors, renting locations, renting equipment, and paying for labor costs. Labor costs alone—covering items like meal allowances, transportation fees, snacks, and wrap-up dinners for film staff—can quickly exceed two million won. PNU Student A (Dept. of Art, Culture, and Image, 22), remarked, “It’s possible to reduce costs by skimping on labor expenses, but that compromises the welfare of the staff. It’s disheartening for people who dedicate their time to help to not even get a meal.”

To cover these production costs, students turn to various methods such as working part-time jobs or taking out loans. Some even delay enrolling in this class due to the financial burden. PNU Student B (Dept. of Art, Culture, and Image, 21), noted, “Balancing between two to three part-time jobs along with schoolwork is the minimum effort required to cover the costs. I’ve even seen people take a leave-of-absence to save up.” Another student, Yoo Da-Young (Dept. of Art, Culture, and Image, 21), added, “I have seen many students  cancelling the class because of financial difficulties. It’s a significant burden for the students undoubtedly.”

Film industry professionals agree that producing even a student film requires considerable costs due to the basic necessities such as renting equipment and hiring staff, along with purchasing props. Kim Chung-Guk (Researcher, PNU Film Institute), explained, “Even if you cut corners, meal expenses alone exceed a million won. Telling students to lower their ambitions for their work has become a meaningless suggestion.” Hong Jin-Hyuk (Research Professor, Film Institute) added, “The growing trend of applying the logic of standard commercial film contracts to student film projects has led to a culture of labor cost expenditures.”

Additionally, the lack of audience and infrastructure for non-commercial films like student films exacerbates the financial strain. At present, opportunities to screen and distribute student films are largely limited to a handful of small film festivals. In a situation where securing investment is difficult and competition is intense, there is also a growing trend of aspiring to produce films on a scale comparable to commercial films in hopes of gaining recognition. Research Professor Hong explained, “Since there are limited opportunities for student films to be showcased, external funding and support are nearly inaccessible, leaving students to shoulder the financial burden entirely. The intense competition for these limited opportunities further increases production costs.”

■Lonely fight of the students

Faced with exorbitant production costs, students are calling for financial support from the university. Despite being a mandatory class for graduation, there is no university-provided production funding. Student B remarked, “Since it is not a small amount of money for students, dissatisfaction arises among students every year. Some even joke about imposing a cap on production expenses.” Yoo added, “For students who don’t aim for careers in film, this course is especially burdensome. Financial support from the department could help them participate more comfortably.”

In response, the Department of Art, Culture, and Image, along with the College of Arts, currently provides free rental of film equipment for students enrolled in the Film Production Practicum class. They also run extracurricular programs offering scholarships through competitions and introduce external contests. However, these measures fall short of solving the core issue. Due to high competition and complex application procedures, not all students benefit from these initiatives. The administration office of the College of Arts stated, “It’s impossible to allocate university funds directly to students in the form of cash. Instead, we use laboratory and practicum fees to purchase equipment that students can borrow.” The Department of Art, Culture, and Image added, “We are introducing students to external funding opportunities and are doing our best with the resources we have.”

■Need for Systematic Support and Management

Experts argue that costs associated with curriculum activities like film production should not rely on students’ personal finances. Researcher Kim stated, “There should be no mandatory expenses beyond tuition fees for activities tied to the curriculum. The university must take proactive measures and cannot simply act as a provider of equipment while neglecting other responsibilities.”

To alleviate the financial burden, urgent measures to address rising labor costs are needed. Researcher Kim proposed, “The university could create a pool of shared labor resources with nearby institutions or stagger production timelines to spread out demand for resources.” This would involve collaborating with nearby universities to share human resources for film production or forecasting labor needs to manage hiring effectively. Additionally, spreading out the production schedules of film courses and graduation projects throughout the academic year would reduce peak resource demand. He explained, “The university should organize students’ production schedules on an annual basis, taking into account both semesters and vacation periods.”

Expanding opportunities for submissions to reduce competition and increase access to support is also proposed as a solution. Research Professor Hong suggested, “Strengthening partnerships between administrative institutes such as universities, film festivals, and movie theaters to secure more screening and distribution opportunities is the most practical form of support. Creating long-term positions for teaching assistants to handle film festival submissions, as seen at institutions like the Korea National University of Arts, would also be beneficial. Departments should systematically manage and submit student films to festivals.”

Reporter Jung Yoon-Seo

Translated by Thadar-Soe