Who here HASN'T been to film school?

brianluce said:
I don't think this question can be discussed enough. I vote it the single most important question on this board. People ransom their future to go the film school. People forsake a solid education or a truly employable degree like nursing to pursue a dream of Hollywood. I hope the subject never gets stickied so it can keep popping up for newer members.
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I wouldn't call taking film education a "randsom of ones future".

Its the same as any artist. Would taking a Course of Fine arts make you an Artist? Or is it "Essential" for you to take an Arts course to become an Artist?

Its a viable route, one that brings many benefits. Lets not forget, if this Degree is taken in a prestigious University, Like the Tisch New York University, etc. your success or failure reflects on these institutions reputations. Bad reputation, fewer students. Generaly, if you Come out with a degree from these places, at least you have a much bigger possibility of employment in the Academic world.

But this takes time. These are not one year or several months workshops, but full attendance courses that go for years. I think those are worth it. Those so called 1 year courses, for example, like New Yourk Film Acadamy, are probably good to help you learn how to make a film in a practical sense.

What this means is that there are different courses and different approaches to learn about film. I myself went for the Artistic, 5 year academic approach for film and tv with a Fine Arts nod. For the practical, Guerrila and professional way of working on Broadcast and Film, I learned with internships, some arranged by my University with big companies, and by my own guerrila shooting and perserverance. I have no regrets at all for taking that course.
 
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People *do* ransom their futures, in the form of huge debt, to attend college, so concern over the earning potential one can realistically hope for post-graduation is certainly valid.

A school's name only gets you so far...by which I mean, not necessarily very far. I have worked with USC grads who - years later - are still PAs or low-end admin, like Art Department Coordinators (sorry guys, not my fault you have sh*tty representation). I have likewise worked with basically self-taught people whose formal degrees aren't even in media-related fields, who are above-the-line and very successful, at it.

What you make of your experience - academic, professional, or some combination - is much more important to where you wind up, than where you choose to accumulate it.
 
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SPZ said:
I wouldn't call taking film education a "randsom of ones future".

snipped.
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Props to you and anyone else to make that committment to film school. I'm just saying some people are considering going $200-300,000 in the hole to finance 4-5years of film school. That can be an anchor around your neck for your whole life.
 
Unless the price of school has more than doubled since I was there, $200-300k is a gross exaggeration. USC is one of the most expensive schools in the country and that ran about $32,000 per year (with housing). Not an insignificant chunk of change, but hardly $300,000.
 
Perhaps you hit the higher figure after factoring in textbooks and expenses associated with student production work over the course of the program.

I don't know how much of the budgets of their own student projects USC undergrads fund, but that can get expensive, very quickly...
 
Well, the way I see it. School only helps so much.

I go to Ithaca. 42K a year. But I have a lot of aid and scholarships. Costs me less to go to IC than to a public school.

Basically, you need to really know how to network and take the opportunities they offer. I've been able to talk to a few producers who have spoken. One of which told me to send my work to him as soon as it's done. Where do you think Perchance is going? Out to the producer of the SAW Franchise.

I get to work with equipment I normally wouldn't. Some stuff I've been taught. But I learn by experience. Every production I've done, I've gone all out at our rental place. My first film I took out 20k worth of gear. My 6th show I took out 75k worth of gear - basically free.

I've met a lot of friends, had some good times, and networked like crazy. The first Internship I held with the CW I landed from an email that went through the list-serve. Along with my first real PA position with A&E. I never would have been able to land that without school. Never would have met those people.

To each his own. I am taking full advantage of Ithaca. I work for ICTV and on numerous films. I produce many, AD more, and I am ACing a 30pager for a senior thesis film.

That is on top of shooting my own stuff and directing.
 
hey, does being logged on DVXuser.com way too much every day count?
Jarred, maybe you should start giving out certificates... logged 1000 hs. in the Audio section? Ok, take this test and if you pass you get this certificate... lol

:thumbsup:
 
no film school here. i have a bachelor's in comp sci and minor in math. they dont help with filmmaking.

watching movies/dvds and getting off my ass and spending hours behind a lens is how i learn. practice, practice, practice.
 
Yeah, I went, loved every minute, made great contacts, which got me a job after graduation.

But anyone who thinks FS is essential is just a snob, and you should tell them so! You just need movie expereince. This can be achieved in a huge variety of ways. Make contacts and have fun, the digital age has made filmmaking so much easier and less stressful.
 
dougspice said:
Unless the price of school has more than doubled since I was there, $200-300k is a gross exaggeration. USC is one of the most expensive schools in the country and that ran about $32,000 per year (with housing). Not an insignificant chunk of change, but hardly $300,000.
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Okay I'll bet a cup of coffee my figures aren't far off the mark. Anyone enrolled in a private film school out there have some 2008-09 figures? Mattykins is paying 42k a year with scholarships! I've got a relative at Scripps Women's college (not in a film program though) on scholarship, she's at about 50k per year. And I'll double down and say spending five, not four years in college is not uncommon, not to mention grad school. What *IS* the real cost these days? Anyone?
 
He should speak for himself, but I'm fairly certain Mattykins meant that the cost is 42k, and that he pays far less thanks to scholarships. As mentioned, USC was 32k when I went there, but after grants and scholarships I only paid about 8k per year. I don't know the current costs. One of my partners just finished his MFA at USC this year, I will ask him what that cost when he shows his face.

The cost of productions does drive up the cost, but there's not much way to track that. In any case it varies completely from person to person. Some of my friends made it through school spending only a couple hundred bucks on props and such. Me, I had to have Vietnam War scenes and other craziness, so I spent closer to $2500 overall. I know some grad students spending $10,000 of their own money on their thesis films. But that's their decision (and their money... if I'd had $10,000 to spend I'm sure I would have!), and really nothing to do with the schooling.
 
brianluce said:
Okay I'll bet a cup of coffee my figures aren't far off the mark. Anyone enrolled in a private film school out there have some 2008-09 figures? Mattykins is paying 42k a year with scholarships! I've got a relative at Scripps Women's college (not in a film program though) on scholarship, she's at about 50k per year. And I'll double down and say spending five, not four years in college is not uncommon, not to mention grad school. What *IS* the real cost these days? Anyone?
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42k a year before scholarships. I think I am paying less than 20K a year.
 
no film school here. I personally think its a waste of time. Seems like people only go to film school because there all the sudden interested in video.

The fact all comes down to this, when your looking for work nobodys gonna care about you having a degree. I think people will care more how much experience you have, artistic, and how you handle the camera. Be creative and have a very amazing reel. Or you can do what Gage said get a job as a PA and work your way up. You can't just go to a film school and expect to work in the big movies right off the bat.
 
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And my friend still in school with an internship at New Deal worked on Iron Man and The Dark Knight working on miniatures.
 
Sad Max said:
I dunno. My first project out of school was The Rocketeer.

Although admittedly I was but a lowly model maker.
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Well some can get lucky but most kids attending Film School expecting to work with Big Feature Films doesn't happen that quickly. Unless you are an incredible DOP. If your talented and it really shows then you are doing something right.
 
I hate when people say that an education is a waste of time. That's just ignorant. I don't care that you can do it other ways - all that matters is that most people attending film school are going through a transition phase. Maybe for some of you that is difficult to grasp.

Of course it is to further your education, but it also helps mold you as a person and teaches you valuable life lessons. Its the period of your life when you become a man or a woman.

Education is never a waste, period. Maybe an english degree has limitations with what you can pursue career wise...but I'd prefer to have a conversation with an english major over a gaffer any day. People need to learn to stop being so closed minded and be open to things more. Hell, I didn't go to film school and I'm not saying its a waste of time. Its usually only the people who have gone say its good and the people who haven't, say its a waste.

-Kegan
 
Kegan I apologize didn't mean it like that. I have a few friends that went to Film Schools, and the one guy wound up changing his career because he couldn't find any work when getting a degree.
 
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