Moving to California or NYC/ Film school?

salils

salils

Well-known member
I'm a senior in high school and I'm planning on applying to the top undergrad film schools (NYU, USC, UCLA, etc) to hopefully transfer to my sophomore year in college. Anyways I've been stuck in this Chicago suburb all my life with not much film/video production going on around me. I've considered not going to film school and moving to California or NYC to start working on some productions as a PA or somehow make a no budget feature film; but my parents say I have to get a degree so I might as well study something of interest to me.
I could go to the community college here for a year or go to Columbia College Chicago (easy to get into, but very few film jobs in Chicago is what I'm hearing from grads there) which seems to have kind of mixed reviews. I'm also considering going to an easy to get into film school for a year in NYC or California that has a late deadline and then hopefully transfer to NYU/USC/UCLA/etc sophomore year. Is there any real advantage I would gain by coming to California or NYC at this point? I'm most interested in Directing and Cinematography. I've never been to either city...
Any advice? Any schools people recommend? :dankk2:
 
Really its by personal preference. I went to LA. For the weather and to be directly in Hollywood. I went to NYFA which is a joke of a school!!! however I got to play on the Hollywood back lots and see how real film were being made. Also I choose LA for the weather, I would be able to shoot in just about any time of the year without running into low climate which is a drag for cast and crew members. LA and NYC are in high regaurds to the film industry, but everyone will hold their own opinon on which is 'better'. I think they are both great (best) places to go for this industry (even though orlando is starting to grow with Full Sail and other schools) its just your personal preference as to place. My vote is L.A
 
I'm not so much torn about the LA vs NYC thing, but rather, would I really gain any opportunities being a student in LA or NYC for a year in a not so hot film school? (as opposed to going to a film school like Columbia Chicago or just community college to get gen eds done for cheap) I heard about this school Columbia Hollywood, but like no one has heard of it that I've asked so it kinda scares me.
 
Anyone? What's it really like in LA or NYC for someone just starting out (professionally starting out, making short films for 5-6 years).
 
you are picking that hardest markets in the hardest field to get into.
Don't let that stop ya tho. You were either made to do this or ya were not. You will begin working for free and you will atke the first paying gig pffered... most likely still less than minimum wage. Eat it like candy cuz you will be getting paid to learn more than you ever learned while paying good money at a school.
You will climb ladders and salary-climb for years and years. Every addition to your family will mean leaving a job and getting hired on elsewhere at a higher level because you will always live week to week.
Enjoy the ride to the top, man.
 
grinner said:
you are picking that hardest markets in the hardest field to get into.
Don't let that stop ya tho. You were either made to do this or ya were not. You will begin working for free and you will atke the first paying gig pffered... most likely still less than minimum wage. Eat it like candy cuz you will be getting paid to learn more than you ever learned while paying good money at a school.
You will climb ladders and salary-climb for years and years. Every addition to your family will mean leaving a job and getting hired on elsewhere at a higher level because you will always live week to week.
Enjoy the ride to the top, man.
Click to expand...

Yeah I've realized it's a ridiculously competitive field for a couple years, but I still love it. :happy:

I'm wondering if there would be more possibilities for working on movies out in LA or NYC even if it's for free on an indie film. Most of the gigs out here in Chicago and suburbs area are like events and weddings and stuff where they want you to have an HVX package and work for a day for like $100. I've never really gotten that many replies back for jobs in general the few that I have gotten replies from were just people looking to leech off me and use my equipment for free. (DVX100B, tripod, shotgun, etc) I don't mind working for free on creative projects (ie: not 99% of event videography), but I mean it's difficult to trust a stranger with bringing $5k of equipment and work for free unless it's some sort of amazing script...in which case they could probably get funding.

The only two places I ever got highered are event videography companies. One of them, the guy never called back or had any work; the other guy I work for regularly during the summer -- the work can be awfully boring after the first 1 or 2 shoots but I still find it better than flipping burgers.
 
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I don't think you are turning over enough stones, man. Chicago is a thriving market, especially in the advertising arena. There are gigs galore downtown and you can't find em at home, a bigger market may be tough.
Think about surfin mandy.com for an out of town gig in a smaller market. Becoming a big fish in a small pond may help yu tackle that bigger pond.
 
grinner said:
I don't think you are turning over enough stones, man. Chicago is a thriving market, especially in the advertising arena. There are gigs galore downtown and you can't find em at home, a bigger market may be tough.
Think about surfin mandy.com for an out of town gig in a smaller market. Becoming a big fish in a small pond may help yu tackle that bigger pond.
Click to expand...

Yeah, good points. Thanks for the advice grinner. I'll check out mandy.com

If anyone has any additional advice feel free to post. :thumbsup:
 
anyone who says there arent film jobs here isn't looking hard enough. I've been on set every week for the last month. I get calls daily from people wanting crew. Maybe the people you talk to just aren't in demand, but even as a freshmen, I'm getting plenty enough to enable my addiction to camera gear.
 
Yeah I'm going to start looking again...I tried this like a year or two ago idk maybe they didn't want to work with me because I was under 18 or maybe it was just I didn't look the right places...not sure. Hopefully that will help now that my 18th birthday has passed.
Hans Moleman, do you look for gigs on any sites besides mandy.com and craigslist?

EDIT: I just remembered something. I was mainly crazy about doing jobs and stuff around when I was like 15 so yeah my parents were like...no you can't go to Chicago by yourself. I'm in the suburbs...
 
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The school I go to (CCC - Arguably more productive than USC) has indi and student postings around DAILY. The higher up jobs are a little more rare, but for those, I've started to get calls as opposed to make them. but for starter stuff? I could go and get a PA gig on a $20,000 film today if I wanted.
 
So..now that I know there's lots of gigs ahead of me this summer my main question is...will I benefit much by being in/near LA or NYC at this point?
 
if you dig great weather or tall buildings.
you will always benefit by placing yourself in an environment you like.
 
Just flew into Chicago for a layover from Orlando after touring Full Sail. Orlando was 80 degrees and Chicago 12. That would color my decision all by itself.

Was very impressed with the facilities at Full Sail, definitely worth considering (My son's thinking of going there). They also have rolling enrollments so you don't have to start in August or January and I liked how they stressed interaction between the various programs. Worth a call and if it's still 12 degrees I'd suggest a visit. People actually have shapes when you remove all that insulation . . .

Orlando's unfortunately also a city, complete with interstate linear parking facilities and nearly tied with Colorado Springs for the most irritating traffic signals in the country (you could give birth between lights).
 
Salil,

Saying Chicago doesnt have a film community is saying we dont have pizza.

I have gotten enough jobs in the area to do me good. Columbia is a good school. My friend Michael Lynch who PAed films like Die Hard 4 and Street Kings graduated from there.....He told me to hit up LA because most of the film stuff happens there, but idk man. I say you go visit the schools you are looking into so u can see how things work n ****. I am not going to film school as of now...being the little rebel cinematographer that i am and working as a Camera Asst or DP on music videos as i have been doing the past few years.

Hope this helps,
Mike
 
NYC is a great place to get experience. I moved their straight after high school and spent a year working on film sets before starting college. It only takes about a month or two of working for free before you can start getting upwards of $100 a day. But, there is a lot of competition for crew jobs there. And you have to sift through literally hundreds of no-pay offers before finding a legit one. Also, the film industry there (as someone pointed out) is highly seasonal. It's much easier to get a job in the Spring or Summer than in Fall or Winter. But that's perfect for a college student since you won't have that much free time to work on film sets during Fall or Winter either.

Have you thought about Columbia in NYC? Their film program is structured a lot differently than the other schools you mentioned. Columbia College has a rule that it's undergraduate majors cannot serve as professional training. So the film major will give you very little technical training. But with Columbia's emphasis on the core-curriculum and theoretical analysis going there will teach you a lot about narrative structure. If you want to get a good grasp of how to tell a story spend four years reading the best books of all time and watching the best movies of all time while being taught by some of the best teachers in the world. If you want to go into writing or directing that type of experience can be really helpful.

davide
 
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Keep in mind, making a living in NYC is practically impossible. Especially if youre "just a PA".

Some people eek by, but its tough out here.

LA has a bit more work, and is a bit cheaper to survive in. LA is LA. PLus its got nice weather. I am stuck here in NYC. I love it to death. I just cant let it go... despite the **** weather, and horrid prices.

Oh and about seasonal work.....

I only worked about 6 days in march. BAD month. April is looking up though.
 
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