The Los Angeles Film School

ki8

ki8

Active member
Has anyone gone to this film school, and if so, is it worht the 36,000 tuition fee for a 1 yr program. Any comment will help. Thank You.
 
When that school first started up I use to work there and the students didn't really seem to like it all that much. But of course maybe things have changed over there. Personally I think you should take that $36K, it will turn out to be less when you do this, buy an HVX if you are trying to shoot your own stuff. Spend a couple months or so getting really familar with it, write a short or even take your favorite scenes from some film. Then try and re-create them. Also it helps if you work on other peoples short or feature film projects. Plus you can read up on what you want to learn at the school without having to go there. I just hate seeing people spend that type of money on a film school when there are plenty of other ways to learn what you want to learn.
 
Drew599 said:
When that school first started up I use to work there and the students didn't really seem to like it all that much. But of course maybe things have changed over there. Personally I think you should take that $36K, it will turn out to be less when you do this, buy an HVX if you are trying to shoot your own stuff. Spend a couple months or so getting really familar with it, write a short or even take your favorite scenes from some film. Then try and re-create them. Also it helps if you work on other peoples short or feature film projects. Plus you can read up on what you want to learn at the school without having to go there. I just hate seeing people spend that type of money on a film school when there are plenty of other ways to learn what you want to learn.
Click to expand...

I totally agree! There's no better learning than doing it yourself!

...And it's cheaper!

36K for tuition!...:zombie_smiley: :eek:
 
$36k is a lot of moula.

Spend $2500 on the 4-week workshop at NY Film Academy in Los Angeles. You'll get a hands-on crash course in filmmaking, shooting at Universal Studios. Then take the remaining $33,500 and start your business. Geez, with that much money you could buy everything you need to start (camera, tripod, editing station, lighting, assorted rigs, etc.) and have plenty left.

And whenever you have questions, return to DVXUser. It will become your online film school.
 
Hard to say

Hard to say

I took a tour and it was amazing. And they promise you a job when you graduate. Has anyone gone there?
 
I'm going to a community college to get a degree that says "look I'm a film maker" but I've learned more from DVXuser. My college also has job placement with news stations etc. 3,500 for two years.
 
ki8 said:
I took a tour and it was amazing. And they promise you a job when you graduate. Has anyone gone there?
Click to expand...



If they promise you a job, then their lying to you from the start.

Every Film school used to claim that, until they found out 1 out of 5 people actually went somewhere after graduation, so now the claim is off.

I'm been getting mail from them forever now, I just throw it in my closet, I'd rather take the Indie way out.
 
LAFS used to have a great feature development program. In fact, a good friend of mine, Cathy Randall got her first major feature film based in part on some of the work she did at LAFS.

Cathy shot the feature development project with my daughter titled "Hey, Hey, Its Esther Blueburger" back in the summer of 2002. Now they begin principal photography next week in Australia. The film has a lot of heavy weight Australian talent involved and is gonna make a great movie.

Cathy got a full ride to LAFS after interning at Scot Free Productions and getting a 6 million dollar film out of it, ain't too bad! I know a few others that have gone on to great things from LAFS, so despite the high costs, don't discount it.

1158348128.jpg
 
I go to Full Sail and it is incredible...We have some of the best equipment, classes, stages and teachers in the country. Im getting experience here that you usually dont get till your working in the industry.
 
What you get out of film school is likely directly a result of the effort you put in. The fact that LAFS is in LA, ain't too bad of either. In the end, the contacts that you make, might end up being as or more important than what you are taught.

Teachers should be CURRENTLY working industry people. I would look to their credentials and CURRENT status in the industry before making any decisions.
 
There is no replacement for nor school for 'real experience'. I got a BA in "radio & tv comunications" in the late 80's. (radio & tv communications? how freakin' dated is that?!!!)

I worked as chief videographer for a large PBS station for 7+ years after graduating - plus film/video freelance work in the Orlando, FL area. *Everything* I learned was on the job. *Every* gig I got was from people I met in the field / on jobs.

After working in high-tech for the past 10+ years, I'm now back in video production. I'm currently writing, shooting and producing a low-budget training video. The editor I'm working with is in his early 20's, fresh out of film school. He's a good kid and all, but it's clear that he doesn't have experience.

It's not so much about your tecnical knowledge or capabilities, rather it's about working with people.....difficult people....creative people.....'client' people.....etc. This is what they don't teach you in school.

My too sense......
 
But how about LAF as opposed to like NYU film school, aka tisch school of the arts (assuming you get in of course). I mean its a 4 year course, at 17.5k per year of basic costs methinks, while LAF is only a 1 year course. Whats the difference?

Also, regarding the film school argument, if you try to go fend for yourself, you'd probably not have access to some of the great gear that film schools can provide, like hi level film and hi def rigs. not to mention you'll be surrounding yourself with talent - talent you might not find if you rough it out in the real world. Not to mention, the biggest argument for going to film school to me is the contacts. Your classmate might just be the next George Lucas or Steven Spielberg, and supposing they get big it might just be your ticket into the industry as well. I'd also assume that film schools would set you off with some industry contacts and how to get things done, which you might not find yourself with otherwise.

Lastly, where i come from, companies are pretty anal about degrees - even in creative fields like film and video. They generally don't hire unless you have a degree of some sort. Heck i once saw an ad in the papers for production assistants requiring a related degree (imagine someone going to university to learn how to become a pa), and a cameraman requiring a degree in...Electrical engineering. Damn i see the relation there.

The way i see it, my philosophy would be to go to film school, and try to make it in the American film industry/advertising/avenues of creative output. Failing to do so i'll return to Singapore and dominate the industry there (so goes my great life plan). Anyone have any sentiments?
 
I lectured at the 2006 NAB show in Vegas and I always challenge people to save their money on filmmaking or editing classes and instead learn storytelling...films are stories told in pictures...if you do not understand the concept of story telling and you merely learn the technical, you might be able to do great trailers, teasers, music videos, but you will not make a great feature that will keep people engaged for around 2 hours (except maybe yourself)...If you are in Hollywood, enrol at Stella Aler where you can do 2 years worth of the classes you will need to understanding actors, script analysis and directing for less than half of that ammount...Spend the rest on the technical if you like...there are great programs through VASST and other training websites that will give you more than enough information...and as stated by someone else, this forum is a huge source of information...I run the theaters at the Adler and am there after 5:30pm Mon thru thurs...I would be happy to introduce you to the acadey staff or show you around if you like...learn the craft of story telling!!! You will not regret it. One final note...Sidney Lumet was recently interviewd on TCM...don't know if you caught it...when asked how he became a director he explained that when TV first strated, the head of CBS went to Broadway looking for directors and writers...They wanted the best and believed that they could always teach the technical later...

Stan Harrington
http://www.igfdb.com/page.php?6
 
I'm not sure, but I assume, Derek, that your question is directed at me...yes, of course, film school is a great environment, and yes, some of the people you come into contact with are amazing. My message is that storytelling is the core of a film and with the amazing explosion of filmmaking tools being made available to the public at prices that we can all afford, people are getting entirely seduced by the technical part of the process...USC and AFI are two amazing schools that are world famous and I know that USC has a class now in their film program that Eugene Lazarev moderates, geared towards the actor and how to direct him...Great idea. Any and all quality training is better than no training...But storytelling is not given enough emphasis and my personal feeling is that this is where the process starts and ends. I not saying that film school is bad. I am trying to encourage starting with the story. My apologies if I sounded like I was slamming the film schools...it is not that...I am reaching out to the artist to appeal to them to consider the story first and foremost. Again, this is my personal feeling that I share with the forium. My opinion is also influenced by the state of the industry...film and stage...they wonder why Box Offices and Broadway are struggling...well, all they do now is regurgitate old films or sitcoms to re-make, we see the same old classics and musicals on Broadway (except with TV stars) that we've been seeing for the last 50 years, and we have movie sequels up the wazoo...There are exceptions but, generally speaking, my belief is that the industry has gone awayfrom looking or the great writers and have been swept up in the same seduction of the tech side and special effects...TIME Magazine had a great article on how this has happenned and how it has taken the art away from the performing artist and become a study on special effects...If I can locate it, I'll post which issue...


Best Stan Harrington
http://www.igfdb.com/page.php?6
 
If you can combine film school and a seperate obsessive routine to filmmaking; you'll take quantam leaps.

Do not rely simply on your curriculum. Be involved in your filmmaking outside of your school hours as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top