Can Film School get you places these days?

It certainly can't hurt if you have the time and money. Is it worth getting 50-100,000 dollars in debt for? Not unless it's one of the top schools. I'm not sure where you're residing, but it might make more sense just to move to an area with more and better quality jobs.
 
The biggest thing I have found about film schools is the networking. Having a cert or degree from one will open some doors that may have been closed before, but these days its more about what you can do, rather than where you have been. A great reel will get you a job faster than a piece of paper hanging on the wall.

Yes, film school will teach you about the "tools". So will experience. But with anything, how you use those tools is purely experience-based. One way is way more expensive but has structure. They other takes a lot longer and you have to have the self-discipline to always be learning in order to stay ahead of the curve (which you have to do either way).

So, you have to make your own decision on this. You will find there are 2 primary schools of thought, yes- film school, no- get real world experience. Neither way is wrong. It's just about how YOU want to go about getting the knowledge. Do you need a more structured learning environment? Or are you a more "free-thinker" with the discipline to learn on your own?
 
In your instance EDV I think finding work at other companies would be more advantageous than going to film school. Along with income it can give you a chance to see how other, more successful places are run and you could use that knowledge to start your own business again in the future if you wanted to. Being involved in video production, or anything really, for just a few years isn't very long at all. When people move into a major market like LA or NY it can easily take a couple of years of non stop clawing just to secure a toe hold in the industry.
 
Some of the top working directors in the biz today and past directors have went to film school. So in my opinion it is well worth it. Not to say there haven't been succesful directors who didn't go to film school but do the math and you'll see the majority did go, so it must mean something.
 
Many job offers today are contingent on having a BA or MFA under your belt. Granted, I think real-world experience is more important, but companies use it was a filtering device...unfortunately.
 
It depends on the type of job. If you are looking to get something like an in-house position at a big company then they'll most likely want a college degree of some sort. If you are looking to get a gig at a post facility on or a show/movie then the odds are slim about them caring about your formal education.
 
I agree that a great reel can carry more weight than a piece of paper. I am working on mine as well.
Anyway, here's the Film School I like:

http://ifss.edu.au/

Seems pretty top-notch compared to some of the other ones I've seen.
Let me know what you think.
 
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