Film School Graduates Face Tough Times.

This really goes without saying, considering how bad the job market is even for sure-bet type degrees.

Actually, I think there's a lot of opportunities right now for film school grads if they're willing to look at new media rather than narrative film, at least as a way to supplement their income while they work on that first screenplay, short or small feature. Video's never been as in-demand as it is right now, although the flooding of the market and glut of people willing to work for little to no pay makes things a little trickier. Still, it's probably in a better position than a lot of other, more formerly bankable fields.
 
Interesting..... I knew that there were a lot of film and RTF major out there, but I had no idea the numbers were that high. I suspect that things will change in many unexpected ways fairly soon - TV stations in several large markets will begin broadcasting directly to mobile devices this fall, they already realize that traditional content is not going to work very well there. Dish Networks has bought the smoldering crater that was Blockbuster, rumor has it that they might try to use the brand recognition for some new production in the burgeoning web TV market. Google, of course, is spending insanely on WebTV right now. A lot of talented, out-of-work people, an exploding new market, a lower-than-ever cost of entry, no clearly recognized revenue streams....I really believe that somebody is going to make a breakthrough here soon. I wish it could be me, of course, but I'm utterly clueless about the future right now. I'm trying to get something going, but I'm still clueless..... :-(
 
Honestly, this has been and always will be the case. Our industry (I'm going to just lump everyone together under the banner of "the entertainment industry") can be a very tough nut to crack. I'll bet most people on this site have stories they could tell about how they got their start.....
 
If people went to film school expecting a sure job at the end it's really on them. People shouldn't expect that from any school, but I've always taken issue with the students who believe this is a reliable thing to do. I'm not knocking people who choose to go to film school, but realistic expectations are important to have. The last generation or two has been raised in a very media-centric world, where every fifth high schooler you talk to is a budding filmmaker.
 
Here is the IndieWire response to that article.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/fi...the_indie_film_community_about_mondays_nyt_a/

Yeah, I have a 17 year old that is wanting to go to film school. I have him convinced that he has to know the business inside and out. He acts, is a comedian and now wants to have a film/media education. He has an inside track and plenty of opportunities that I hope to guide him through. It is tough, but I've been doing it all my life.
 
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Take heart Zx.

The number one determiner of success in this industry is not talent and it's not connections. It's persistence. Just being too stupid to know when to quit will eventually get you to the top. Attrition from those who give up will open doors for you.
 
Even with the truths evident in this article, I really wouldn't discourage a young person, who had the means to complete a university level film program, from taking that route. I would, rather, encourage them to make sure that they understand the nature of the business they are striving to enter, and advise them that what they make of their education and their efforts after they graduate are going to mean more than just getting a film degree. I think that it also might be advantageous for a person anticipating getting a film degree to also look at getting some education in a minor, or two that may serve them well. A degree in film, with a minor in business administration, and dual minor in creative writing, would be one choice that I would recommend. That would probably make for a five year degree path, but would, IMHO, well serve a budding filmmaker.
 
At least in NYC market, landing any type of job in video/film industry is near impossible. It's taken me about 4 years longer then I thought to start making money doing video/film production and post, and at that, its not a full time job. I also see a great contrast between CUNY film school grads and, for instance, NYU film school grads, who seem to have a much easier time diving straight into paid work. There's certainly a bias here.

That said, the best thing i did for myself is invest in equipment and learn everything hands on, on my own time, instead of having to rely on the crap my school would give out, and for that matter, almost never make available.
 
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> It's taken me about 4 years longer then I thought to start making money

It's always taken about 5 years after graduation to start earning a living no matter which film school you go to (and that's back before the housing burst)

> There's certainly a bias here.

I saw that bias on the west coast with USC. Upon graduation I was continually working under recent USC grads that were both less experienced and less talented than myself (IMHO) but that trend has since faded away as I've worked. Patience and persistence.
 
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