Somehow in between shooting eight movies this year, the multi-tasking movie star has become something of a full-time student. Since graduating from the University of California in 2009, he's gotten his masters from New York's Columbia university and is now working on his PhD at Yale, not to mention working on a double PhD in creative writing and literature at the University of Houston
Now, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor has a new string to add to his bow, FOXNews.com reports: teaching a film class at New York University. "It's a production class, so my students will all collaborate and work together," Franco told FOX News. "By the end of the class, [they will] make a feature film that we will distribute, so I kind of see that as a way to give deserving students an opportunity to actually make something and give them the opportunities that I was given."
In the class, Franco will instruct a dozen students on how to transfer their own poetry to film. But Franco insists that people don't need to attend New York University in order to create art. "I'm always supportive of people that go out and make things on their own," explained Franco. "I spent many years as an actor auditioning and trying to get parts in big movies and being rejected - and yes, in a sense that's maybe one thing you have to go through if you want to do a certain type of movie - but you can also go out and do your own thing."
Franco said the accessibility of modern technology makes it easier than ever for aspiring filmmakers to create their own projects. "If people can go and do that and not have to depend on other types of gatekeepers to do what they love, I think they definitely should," he said.
Now, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor has a new string to add to his bow, FOXNews.com reports: teaching a film class at New York University. "It's a production class, so my students will all collaborate and work together," Franco told FOX News. "By the end of the class, [they will] make a feature film that we will distribute, so I kind of see that as a way to give deserving students an opportunity to actually make something and give them the opportunities that I was given."
In the class, Franco will instruct a dozen students on how to transfer their own poetry to film. But Franco insists that people don't need to attend New York University in order to create art. "I'm always supportive of people that go out and make things on their own," explained Franco. "I spent many years as an actor auditioning and trying to get parts in big movies and being rejected - and yes, in a sense that's maybe one thing you have to go through if you want to do a certain type of movie - but you can also go out and do your own thing."
Franco said the accessibility of modern technology makes it easier than ever for aspiring filmmakers to create their own projects. "If people can go and do that and not have to depend on other types of gatekeepers to do what they love, I think they definitely should," he said.
