Cover Me Babe (1970)

Tony Hall is a student filmmaker. He is hypercritical about everything including his own work, even his own award winning experimental film, with most of his classmates recognizing that he is probably the most talented among them despite many of them not understanding his work. As with most student filmmakers, he relies on his friends - fellow classmates - in front of and behind the camera, those classmates including his current girlfriend, actress Melisse. Tony's arrogant my way or the highway places him at odds with some, especially one of the school's professors, Will Ames, who nonetheless does his job in providing the support that Tony may need to do his schoolwork and promote the work of the school's talent. Will does try to warn Melisse about the dangers of dating Tony, she and Will who used to date themselves. Tony's attitude also places him in the dichotomy of wanting that support but not wanting any of the strings that may go along with it. While Tony potentially may get some work at a studio through word of mouth of his film and on recommendation by Will, Tony embarks on a new project that is more process oriented than structured as he plans to cobble together disconnected footage he finds interesting. In that process, he begins to use what are largely considered unethical practices of filming real life situations without consent, and manipulating real life for his own purposes. The question then becomes if it gets to the point where, despite his talent, he may alienate all those around him upon who he still needs to rely.