Where should I go to school?

[totallymorgan]

I'm trying to decide where to go to college. Right now it's between School of Visual Arts in NYC, CalArts in Valencia, and Columbia College Chicago. I'm going to major in film/video but what I really want to do is comedy. I know all of those locations have Second City, UCB, Groundlings, iO, etc. somewhere near the school, so i'm planning on taking classes on the weekends. Where would be the best location for me to be? I know Columbia offers a comedy studies program at The Second City. But I don't want to go there unless they have a really great film/video dept. Same with the other schools. Thanks in advance, Morgan

 

[tkdx2]

I'd say CalArts..but thats just my take.
did you apply as a grad student? you had to send in a portfolio right?

 

[totallymorgan]

I'm just graduating from High School, so undergraduate. But yes, I had to send in a portfolio

 

[grinner]

A degree wont do much for ya in this industry. Your reel will.
That said, I designed the film and video programs at Piedmont College in NC to send folks out with a reel and a gig after two years. You'll get an Applied Sciences degree though my program but more than that, your final is your demo reel and it will be very marketable.
Each graduate is given a list of regional employers hip to the program. It's not a film school.. it's a jr college with the best video program that I know of.

 

[totallymorgan]

A degree wont do much for ya in this industry. Your reel will.
That said, I designed the film and video programs at Piedmont College in NC to send folks out with a reel and a gig after two years. You'll get an Applied Sciences degree though my program but more than that, your final is your demo reel and it will be very marketable.
Each graduate is given a list of regional employers hip to the program. It's not a film school.. it's a jr college with the best video program that I know of.

Well I am however, very "pro-the idea of film school" and i've pretty much made up my mind to get a degree. I mean, the reel is important, but good luck getting anyone to look at your work without them first saying "where did this person go to school?" Not that the degree is everything, but i'm sure a lot of studios, industry professionals, etc. try to save a lot of time by weeding out people who have no professional training.

 

[Steve Laramie]

well the idea of a reel is it shows your training. Nobody cares how well you know how to follow the made up rules of film as long as what your doing looks good. However NYU is the place to go. I have a couple of friends who went there and have success.

 

[Kholi]

Well I am however, very "pro-the idea of film school" and i've pretty much made up my mind to get a degree. I mean, the reel is important, but good luck getting anyone to look at your work without them first saying "where did this person go to school?" Not that the degree is everything, but i'm sure a lot of studios, industry professionals, etc. try to save a lot of time by weeding out people who have no professional training.

You really think that's how it works, huh?

 

[taormina]

Well I am however, very "pro-the idea of film school" and i've pretty much made up my mind to get a degree. I mean, the reel is important, but good luck getting anyone to look at your work without them first saying "where did this person go to school?" Not that the degree is everything, but i'm sure a lot of studios, industry professionals, etc. try to save a lot of time by weeding out people who have no professional training.

Put the crack pipe down, man.

Sorry, that was a little harsh, but I've got to break it to you - Hollywood is no respecter of degrees. It's the last place in the world where someone who graduated at NYU film school magna cum laude can get beat out by someone who has never set foot in a classroom but has an amazing reel. People are looking for talent, not education.

Went to film school? Good for you. Didn't go? No worries.

 

[RockmanX3]

I got a degree in Liberal Arts and decided to become an editor instead of a teacher.

A degree does look kinda nice on paper, but I put it near the bottom of my resume.

 

[Nathyn]

I know Columbia offers a comedy studies program at The Second City. But I don't want to go there unless they have a really great film/video dept. Same with the other schools. Thanks in advance, Morgan

Dude, you'd be crazy not to put foot to butt out here. You have to come to the triple C. Columbia is freaking awesome. I graduated from there. The whole school is a big studio to itself but you have to be smart about how to make it work. Learn to navigate between the Film, Video and Theater departments. The theater department will be your ace in the hole when it comes to casting an locations. I had to learn this back in the day. They also have a directing stage no one really knows about unless you're in film classes. I didn't even know the building existed. It's a few years old.

The editing bays are sweet, you can bring your own hard drive. Get smart about it. Buy a camera right now. Use that sucker to shoot while you're in school. Use all their freakin' equipment. Get your money's worth. As an alum I've been back there filmming. I'm certainly getting my money out. I can't use the equipment anymore (been more than ten years now LOL) but I'm welcome on the premises and allowed access to locations. Go to the theater building during spring break and set up your greenscreen in the big classes. You'll love that. That's what I'll be doing this year for some shots.

Another thing to know about. If you're doing an action film, check out the Staged Combat department. Everything is there, you just need to figure out. I bet you could come out of there with a feature easy. Considering the film and video departments have generally united (for obvious reasons), you can kick butt there without trying too hard. Take the lights out over the weekend and shoot stuff. Their original dorm has a ton of slick locations too. Get a friend or crew member who lives in the dorms, you won't regret it. Know how to play Columbia and it'll be worth every penny. Kick ass!

Put the crack pipe down, man.

Sorry, that was a little harsh, but I've got to break it to you - Hollywood is no respecter of degrees.

While this may be true I think you should go. You'll love working with the equipment and learning from pros. You can see it in their work. I would also say look into Flashpoint Academy, but if you ask me, Columbia is the way to go. I may even re-enroll one day, take some more classes. You'll be shocked how it all comes full circle. I'll be working with someone I partnered with in my first year. She's coming out here to act in my film. (She moved to LA). And the school kind of forces you to learn to work independently.

-Nate

 

[Jon Starr]

Well I am however, very "pro-the idea of film school" and i've pretty much made up my mind to get a degree. I mean, the reel is important, but good luck getting anyone to look at your work without them first saying "where did this person go to school?" Not that the degree is everything, but i'm sure a lot of studios, industry professionals, etc. try to save a lot of time by weeding out people who have no professional training.

That's only an assumption on your part. I've HEARD from industry proffesionals that your degree means nothing. In fact, sometimes it brands you as a "student filmmaker", which isn't seen as a good thing in this industry. It perceives you as someone that "thinks" they know everything when they don't. That's because this is an industry where you only REALLY learn by working on set.

And I'm a film student. However I've worked many times on many sets, and I've seen how it works, and I can't compare my education on set to my education in school.

That being said, it's still worth going to school, you meet a lot of like minded people, do what you like, you make contacts (which is by far the MOST important thing in the industry) and you get access to equipment, studios, etc... But DONT think that your degree will help you. Even my teachers say that they're helping you build a portfolio, not get a degree.

 

[totallymorgan]

I must reiterate that I was in no way shape or form saying that the only way to make it is to have a degree. Obviously that's not true. However, there are success stories on both sides, people who did go to film school, and people who didn't.

Obviously if your reel sucks, it doesn't matter where you went. But what i'm assuming (possibly incorrectly), is that if it came down between hiring a new young director, and it was between two people, one who was professionally trained with how to work in the film industry, and has a great reel, and someone who wasn't, but has a great reel, Who do you think they'd pick?

I'm not saying having a degree is everything, but it seriously can't hurt your chances. Especially if this is what I want to do anyway.

 

[grinner]

Well I am however, very "pro-the idea of film school" and i've pretty much made up my mind to get a degree. I mean, the reel is important, but good luck getting anyone to look at your work without them first saying "where did this person go to school?" Not that the degree is everything, but i'm sure a lot of studios, industry professionals, etc. try to save a lot of time by weeding out people who have no professional training.

In all my years of hiring and firing, school is not a topic that has ever come up.
Time is valuable. I need to know what they can do for me, not who they use to hang out with.
Their reel and an interview lets me know that. Their reel is what gets them the interview.

Plus, in all honesty, I see film schools as a great handicap as most learn more of what not to dos that how to dos. Being an art, these are restrictions. One last thing to look at is confidence and somebody who grabs some gear and makes something is far more impressive to me than ex-students venturing out for gigs. Go-getters get the gigs. Be first in line and be the happiest one to be there.

 

[taormina]

Obviously if your reel sucks, it doesn't matter where you went. But what i'm assuming (possibly incorrectly), is that if it came down between hiring a new young director, and it was between two people, one who was professionally trained with how to work in the film industry, and has a great reel, and someone who wasn't, but has a great reel, Who do you think they'd pick?

Well I think you've stated my point exactly: However well intentioned your post was, (and for the record I do wish I had gone to film school), it shows a naivete....

No one is hiring directors. No one. I'm a "new young director". You have to go make your movies. No one will ever call you or look at your resume. I don't even have a resume. People get to where they are in this business by sheer motivation, connections, and actually making films, not sitting in job interviews.