Need some advice

Steve Laramie

Steve Laramie

Veteran
I have been accepted to a couple pretty great film programs except they are not in NYC or LA... In fact they are far from LA and NYC and as far as Im concerned the industry. I was number crunching last night and It got me thinking. For the tuition alone for one year at one of these schools it would be the same as 2 years living expenses and tuition at Los Angeles Community College. Do you guys think I would be wasting a traditional college opportunity by going right to Los Angeles and living off of college money while trying to network and taking as few classes as needed to keep my college money?

I have very few LA contacts being from Philly so It would be intimidating at first Im sure. But then again I would have to do it anyway after a 4 year school in a different area.

Let me know your thoughts.

thanks
 
You know, M Night Shamalyan is shooting his new Wil Smith thing in Philly and presumably will need local crew...

...it's tough to say. Strictly in terms of my professional knowledge base, four years of undergrad school contributed little to nothing and I could have lived very well indeed in LA on the same money, and started my career four years earlier. On the other hand, I got a lot out of college, wouldn't have wanted to miss out on my minors (Medieval/Renaissance European History, Structural Geology) and don't feel like in general terms the time was at all wasted...
 
I don't think going to a traditional college experience is a waste at all, but when going for a film degree, as you stated most of your learning is going to be outside of classes. Sure I have learned things in classes and networked with fellow students, some of which I can keep as contacts for the future, I have also gotten plenty of practice filming (since it had a due date, I couldn't be lazy which could have been a problem perhaps) But in reality when it comes to getting a job, your skills and abilities will speak louder then where you went to college for most jobs. I think either way you won't be dissappointed, you can justify either decision.
 
Sad Max said:
. . .wouldn't have wanted to miss out on my minors (Medieval/Renaissance European History, Structural Geology) and don't feel like in general terms the time was at all wasted...
Click to expand...

But of course (in a cheesy French accent). Without a background in something other than film, what will your films be about? Other films?

Ditto for writing fiction, or any other artistic pursuit. You need a grounding in the "orginal" source materiel, not thrice removed.

From the OP sig, I assume the goal is DP. Massive exposure (no pun intended) to things art-like is a must if you don't want to be a derivitive hack. At least not one derived from something that hit the theaters last month. :)

So...working whilegetting a more generalized education is probably more helpful...assuming you can work in the field, not at Burger King.
 
Im sure it would help to have mentioned that I would want to be a DP. I may be interested in Directing down the road but I would want to break in as a DP.
 
Steve, what is the ONE thing you will get in college that you won't get out in the real world, easily get? CONNECTIONS. Those kids you are going to school with will have their own connections and you would be surprised what they are. One gal I knew who was in college stated her mother's best friend worked as costume designer for "Commander" that Russell Crowe film. I was like - dang!

Get involved in clubs, lots of them. In sports. In every freakin' thing you can. Build a network of friends and connections. One average kid in school will become the next internet wonder and guess what? You'll know him/her. College is a huge hive of network possibilities. Stay where you are, go to school, learn and NETWORK!!!

My advice to you. You are in Philly for a good reason. Make good use of your time there.
 
Charli said:
Steve, what is the ONE thing you will get in college that you won't get out in the real world, easily get? CONNECTIONS. Those kids you are going to school with will have their own connections and you would be surprised what they are. One gal I knew who was in college stated her mother's best friend worked as costume designer for "Commander" that Russell Crowe film. I was like - dang!

Get involved in clubs, lots of them. In sports. In every freakin' thing you can. Build a network of friends and connections. One average kid in school will become the next internet wonder and guess what? You'll know him/her. College is a huge hive of network possibilities. Stay where you are, go to school, learn and NETWORK!!!

My advice to you. You are in Philly for a good reason. Make good use of your time there.
Click to expand...

I agree that college is great for networking, but I have to disagree about staying in Philly. The problem being that if you plan on moving to LA after graduation, you'll lose 80% of your contacts. On the other hand, if you go to LA, get involved in a community college with a film program, you'll find yourself surrounded by other filmmakers, 80-90% of whom intend to remain in LA after graduation. You'll get to know these people, and after college they'll likely be the people you think of first when you need a position filled, and vice-versa.

It's entirely your call how you plan to get into film. I'd suggest spending an inane amount of time weighing your options before you decide. But don't let fear of making a mistake keep you from making a move. That's what I've done for the past two years, and it's led to nothing but two years of my life being wasted. So whatever you do, think hard about it, and then do it confidently. If you're good (which, judging from your demo reel, you certainly are), you'll succeed whether you're in Philly, LA or Juneau, Alaska.

Michael
 
I don't think I agree about the networking, either - although admittedly my alma mater (Syracuse U) isn't NYU, USC, or UCLA which are doubtless places with better networking opportunities. All I know is that my useful networking started when I made my first scouting trip to Los Angeles.

Oh, and it's very unlikely that you will "break in as a DP." Although it's perfectly reasonable to aim to break in as a 2nd/3rd Camera Assistant, Camera Dept. PA, or grip.

In the mean time, photography, photography, photography. Although you're probably already doing that.
 
If you want to break in as a DP, make sure you start working with a young director, maybe fellow student, and also make sure that that young director gets some good hollywood contracts and if you are good friends and you have always been his dp, from the first short, you'lll also get those big contracts DPing his features.......this is very unlikely, but I'm sure there is a remote chance....hahaha...That's how a DP I know started, not in LA but here in Spain, and he always has gigs and lives from the craft, he is pretty happy with his life.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I think I found a good middle ground. After doing some research I am leaning towards going to Santa Monica College. They have a program specifically designed for transferring into USC, LMU, UCLA and they brag about being the 1st choice transfer school of those three film schools in LA. I think this will be beneficial in that I will have networking opportunities being a student in LA and if things do not work out in the first two years I will hopefully have the options to transfer to a more elite program.
 
Dude! Haha, I've been considering SMC for a while now. My friend Calix, who lives in LA, told me I should attend SMC last year, but I wasn't sure and took too long to decide. As I'm trying to get myself out west now, it's popped back up as a possibility.

So are you ultimately planning to try and get into USC, LMU or UCLA? In any case, good luck out there. :)
 
Don't waste your time.

Go here.

USC-SCA-logo.png
 
FWIW I'd think less about being in an elite program and more about being the elite in whatever program you're doing. If'n you know what I mean.
 
Start at the right school and don't bother wasting time and energy transferring. It would just be an unnessecary distraction for no advantage.
 
I don't know that I buy the whole "right school" bit anyway, compared to being the 'right student.' I have had PAs work for me who were years-past USC cinema graduates, and I have seen positively crapful USC grad work. I don't doubt that the program is an exceedingly good one but I do doubt that it's magic. If you create stand-out work at SMC (or wherever) and aggressively promote yourself, it will serve you well.

Arms and legs are too useful in day-to-day production work, to sell. Better to part with a kidney.
 
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