Filmschool Abroad?

crzyns

crzyns

Active member
In a few years I'm planning to go to filmschool... still have a few years of ACTUAL school to go.
So, I was thinking, should I stay here, in Australia for filmschool? Or go over to the big USA? (I hear there are some good filmschools in California)

Just wondering, because I'd better start saving NOW!
:dankk2:
 
I would try to go to the Tisch School of arts in New York. It seemed like a very, very good program- the best from all of the film programs I researched.
 
SPZ said:
I would try to go to the Tisch School of arts in New York. It seemed like a very, very good program- the best from all of the film programs I researched.
Click to expand...

Okay... thank you.. I will check it out.

I really just don't think that we have the facilities, people or the interest here in Australia, that the USA does... from what I hear anyway.
 
Hey,

Just remember that film school isn't the only option. When I was in early high school I thought film school was the only way to go, but then I realized that it's not a piece of paper that gets you places. You will spend a lot of money (Up to $50,000+ easily) from Australia to one of the U.S film schools for even a year sometimes. Being around 100 wannabe Tarrantino's for that much money isn't really my cup of tea.

Not saying film school isn't a good option for some people - I'm sure you learn a lot and meet interesting people and whatnot, but all this can be achieved from writing, reading and most importantly making a lot of films. If you start now and make lots of films in high school you will have more under your belt than most people do when they finish film school.

You might be better off doing a film programme in Australia and just spending all that saved up money making damn good films with people you want - instead of having to be the P.A on someone elses movie in your film class and paying a lot of money for that.

Especially since you're from Australia. Those international fees are a *****!

At the end of the day it's your choice - but I recommend at least looking into just doing university/course in Australia and learning all the technical stuff by yourself, which can be done as many working directors in hollywood have shown us. :) When you get out of film school, you will have a massive debt (or just be completely out of money altogether) and you really won't be much better off. But if you dedicate your life to filmmaking from now - by the time you're ready for film school you could spend that money making a killer series of shorts and perhaps a feature - something that if done really well, will get you noticed more than your piece of paper from a U.S film school.

Chris
 
Chris, yeah thanks... GREATLY appreciated! Thanks for taking the time to write that.

And Noel, nah I'm on the Sunshine Coat.
 
I would avoid NYU personally. It is based on documentary work. And I've heard a lot of horror stories.

A private college as is costs 40 - 60k a year anyways? I don't know why people always have that excuse for a reason not to go.

Go to a liberal arts school with a film program. It will help you a lot more to have a degree in something.
 
paul thomas anderson left NYU after turning in a piece of David Mamet's writing as his own and getting a C+.

"I did it as a gag, knowing I was going to leave anyway. I just wanted to see how it would play out. It was just one more indication. If you leave soon enough, you can collect the tuition you’ve already paid. So I got the money and made a short film."

the short (Coffee & Cigarettes) screened at Sundance, and helped get him into the Sundance Lab.
 
Come to the Gold Coast. Go to Bond save some $. Then, there are crews from 0 budget to large budget working weekly here. Join in the fun. And if you have any talent, its picked up on pretty quickly. Though, talent alone isnt enough, you need a personality conducive to working with others. If you have an attitude here, you quickly alienate yourself. Been here four months now and seen it happen a number of times.
 
One of the advantages of a film degree, for example, is the doors it opens to you for teaching. Teaching is probably the best job you can have if you want to pursue independent filmmaking- auteur filmmaking- in a place outside of Hollywood. Were I live, there's no such thing as a filmmaking economy. The only way I have to make money- and I'm ver, very lucky here- is to work in the publicity/ TVC field. This is all fine and dandy, but the thing is it consumes your time and creativity working for others.

I actually have a film degree, and it was taken in Portugal (!), a country, as you know, with great film tradition (sarcasm). What I gained from that 5 year course was in "opening"up my perception not only on film, but in arts in general. My course had 3 years of joint classes with the students of Graphic design, Arts and music departments, which mean it was a constant flow of creativity and networking from different fields and talents. I learned much IN THEORY, not as much in therms of the actual practical craft of filmmaking- this, I learned doing shorts, working as assistant in some Portuguese Soaps as well as the ocasional feature.

But it was invaluable how it helped me to develop the way I "think"and "see" film. That film degree basically compilled years of experience from the lives of the teachers and the supplied books and its creators in 5 years- experiences that they had to learn and gatter throughout their lives. You can say you waste your time in film school, but I believe that those 5 years gave me at least the head start of not having the trouble of going trough the worries and barriers I was thought about...

Of course, this is not ESSENTIAL. It is about your own maturity/talent/vision. I was quite imature back when I entered the program. I still am, obviously :) but I believe it helped me very much to achieve what I have achieved right now.

Well, I don't know how this helps, but, there you go...

PS- The advantage of going to a film school abroad from were you are is also to know different cultures, different methods of working and, of course, networking. New York, for example, is a city of culture, with fantastic museums, broadway and many things happening. The same could be said about California and many productions that happen there- It could be an Ideal place to learn hands-on from veteran professionals and international, big productions. But, from what I heard about California, is a town of "temptation"if you know what I mean, a place where everyone is trying to make it in films. This means you could easily be "distracted" from your goals. If you keep your head straight, however,you should be fine.

You know, I believe its actually HARDER to make it as a filmmaker in the USA then in Australia. There, you can make a difference. In the USA, you're living up to Scorcese, Coppola, Spielberg, Fincher, Kubrick,etc. etc. etc...

PPS- Of course, one of my favourite directors is an Aussie- Bazz Lurhmann- so there's obviously great talent coming from Australia!
 
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