Film Schools

R

Rev_Jeff

Member
I'm considering going back to college, since I only have an associate's in multimedia from ITT. Not anywhere near a film degree... Plus I'm having trouble finding jobs in my area to get more experience. It's probably been about 3 or 4 years since I've worked in the field. It's very difficult to update my portfolio when there aren't many jobs and/or student films to work on.
So I was wondering if I should just enroll in the nearest university, since I'm poor, or if I could find a decent film school for a decent price, even out of state (currently live in Missouri). I was looking at Full Sail and some of the Art Institutes, but they're pretty expensive... I'm not sure they're worth it if I can get the same kind of education through a university and my own research and experience...
Where did all of you go to school, and would you recommend it? Should I even go back, or just move somewhere where there's more jobs and try to get more experience?
 
This is not a job, hence the move to the cafe. You should also do a search for filmschool on dvxuser. There's probably at least thirty threads with this same question.
 
I strongly suspect that any dollar you spend on a formal film school - unless it's one of the schools where the contacts you can make are a primary benefit the schools offers (NYU, UCLA, USC, maybe Northwestern and a couple others) - is a dollar better spent on assembling your own production projects and learning by doing. Or on pursuing focused technical training that can help you land a position in one of the technical production disciplines.

YMMV.
 
Oh, sorry for cluttering up the forum.
But thanks for the advice, guys... I just wish it was as easy to get a loan for a risky production than it is for higher education.
 
When you are looking at schools, don't be enticed by just the equipment. Make sure you can touch cameras the first year - if that's what you want to do. Make sure there are other schools on campus that you can tap into.

At Ithaca, (I have a bunch of issues with the program there) but our network is amazing, and we have one of the best drama departments in the US. That means you have immediate access to great actors, directors, and even lighting and sound designers who are all yearning to get into the film industry to diversify.

We also have one of the best music programs in the US, which means you have recording spaces, composers, full orchestras, etc.

Business school, check. An entire school dedicated to marketing and communications? Check.

It's about diversification as well. It's great if you can use a technocrane, but if you don't the talent in front of the cameras, oops...

Not saying Chapman is bad, just saying there are other things to consider than just equipment.
 
Even though Chapman has quite a bit of nice equipment, their main philosophy is that it is all about the story. You get access to the equipment from the first day on. Depending on your cine teacher, you will start shooting on film in the second or third week, which is pretty cool too. In my cine 1 class we shot film almost every week as part of class exercises/homework.

When you shoot a film, the different departments/majors work together. For example: If you should your "Advanced Production", you will get electrics/grips and 2nd AC's from the cine 1 class, you will get a gaffer and a 1st AC from the cine 2 class. Your editor will be somebody from the editing 2 class, your producer will be somebody that is enrolled in the production management class, etc.


We sometimes cast people from our drama/TV Acting department, but most of the productions just hold castings in LA over the weekend.

Sorry.... sounds a little bit like a Chapman ad, but I still thrilled about the school... There are a few negative aspects too... The computers definitely need to be overhauled, they take forever to boot up and aren't very stable... among other things.

I personally think the most important aspects of a film school are the "networking" and the equipment. When you get out of school, it is important to have built up a good network which will help you to get jobs. The equipment is important because in the real world it will be beneficial to already have training "on high-end equipment"... For example, if you already have a couple 16mm/35mm films under your belt, it will be easier to get a job for a film that is shot on film. If you don't have any film experience, it will be hard to find somebody that is willing to take the risk to let you shoot on film for the first time...
 
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