Oh Film Schools... What to do?

M

MagicMountainMan

Member
Okay so I'm in a pickle, literally. I figured DVX would be a wonderful place to ask a question like this because it's a great community. (So don't let me down... jk, but not really)

Anyways, I got accepted to Chapman, Cal State Long Beach, and Cal State Northridge's film program. My dilemma is that Chapman costs $53,000 (all inclusive) whereas Northridge and Long Beach are more like $25,000 (all inclusive). I've been debating and debating on where to go and I can't seem to decide. I got no financial aid from Chapman surprisingly, and they're freaking expensive. But at the same time their facilities and professors (from what I've seen) obliterate anything that either Cal State offers. My parents have graciously told me that they would pay up to $20,000 a year for me to go to college, we've been saving a long long time for this day.

However, should I go to Chapman and swim in all of the extra debt or should I go to one of the Cal States and not swim in extra debt? I've wanted to go to Chapman for the past few years but it doesn't seem as attractive now due to the sicker shock. So what would be worth it?

Thank you for any replies, my decision is looming, May 1st is the final day...
 
I am finishing film school at a small school in CA and I was also interested in Chapman however I was transfering which I have heard is very difficult to do and get into their film program. So, I did not have to choose but I can tell you that 33k a year (and actually more than that as there are other costs and that all inclusive cost will only go up) resulting in a MINIMUM of $132,000 just for a bachelors does not sound worth it to me. If you want to work in the industry it is all about networking and although chapman may have some ins that other schools don't have most of it is on you anyways. just my opinion of course.
 
Student debt is a large, oppressive thumb to be under and the motion picture job market isn't get any better. Personally, for a number of reasons, I doubt it'll bounce back. But going to college for what you love is, typically, a once in a lifetime deal. I feel the debt has more potential to hold you back in life, though.
 
1.) I think you mean you're in a pickle ... figuratively (unless, of course, you're physically inside a pickle, in which I revoke my previous statement).

2.) Just to give you a heads up on paying back student loans: I took out $40,000 for a degree, and graduated in 2006. I pay $400 per month on that. I have been paying that for 5 years now, and will be paying it until 2026. Can you imagine 2026? I can't. I'll be 45 years old. It may seem like a lot of money now, but just wait until you see it spread over 20 years. I would suggest the cheaper one.
 
Hawk Teflon said:
1.)2.) Just to give you a heads up on paying back student loans: I took out $40,000 for a degree, and graduated in 2006. I pay $400 per month on that. I have been paying that for 5 years now, and will be paying it until 2026. Can you imagine 2026? I can't. I'll be 45 years old. It may seem like a lot of money now, but just wait until you see it spread over 20 years. I would suggest the cheaper one.
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I'm in the same situation. The gravity of it doesn't hit you properly until after school.
 
I'm going to Chapman, and the awesome part about it is all the toys we have, and not so much the teachers. About 90% of what you learn, you learn on the actual film shoots and not in the class room. Most of the stuff you learn in the actual classes, you can easily learn by yourself by reading a few books. I'm not saying that our teachers aren't good, but I don't think that the teachers are the big advantage of Chapman, it's the "toys", and the fact that there are so many shoots going on that you can work on set almost every weekend.

Where else do you have access to Lustre Suites, a Spirit 4K, Flame etc. and everything from a Panavision G2 35mm with a gear head down to a small miniDV cam. The thing about it is that it all depends what you want to make out of it. There are students that graduate from Chapman that barely came in contact with any of those tools, because they only went to the classes and barely worked on any film sets. On the other hand side, you have students with a pretty good understanding of all the tools and the whole filmmaking process, but those are usually the ones that work non-stop, every weekend in a row. It's not uncommon to be 8-10 weekends (Fri/Sat/Sun) in a row on set (If you want to).

Having said that, I personally wouldn't go in debt that much because it will likely negatively affect most of your future life:
Let's say that you end up having $100'000 of debt. If you have to pay about 8% interest (which is quite common), you have to pay $8000 every year just to not get any more in dept. It's quite likely that you wont really get much paid work for the first year after graduation. That means that you will owe the bank $108000 by the end of the first year. Meaning, you have to pay $720 every month just to not get any further in dept. Unless you can afford to pay at least $2000 a month back to the bank after graduation, I think it's a fairly bad idea to accumulate that much dept.
In my opinion, it's very likely that you will be in debt for the rest of your life, especially if you plan on becoming a director. I don't know anybody that went to film school with the goal of becoming a director that actually makes a decent living. It takes years, and a lot of patience, something you can't afford with that much debt. Most of the "directors" I know are forced to work some low paid job, just to make their payments..... Hope that helps a little bit...
 
My two cents, and they are worth just that... spend that money on equipment. There is nothing they can teach you in film school that you can't learn in the field, on set, or from a book. $20,000 can buy a sweet camera and accessories (I don't even know what I'd do with $53k). BUT, if you ARE going to spend the money on academia, do some research and find out who the professors and advisers are, as well as which companies the schools work with for intern placement. In reality, you are going to pay for a little education, and a LOT for contacts. You want to make sure that, when you get that piece of paper, you have someone to show it to that will open the doors for you to a job that will pay you so you can pay back that student loan...

PS: your parents might be pissed if you take my advice.
PPS: I know EXACTLY what I would do with $53K

Just sayin'.
 
FWIW I would choose the one that will leave you debt free upon graduation. Chapman may be the premiere program of the 3, but I think the most valuable lessons will not be learned from the courses nor the equipment, but the people you meet along the way and the contacts/friends you make. That goes for professors as well....some of the most valuable information will be from moments outside the course vantage point. Accolades and awards are nice but sometimes student/teacher chemistry is far more important. You all know what I mean...when you just "get" someone. That type of relationship can come from any film school/college.
Not having the weight of the extra cost hanging over you is also a big, big plus. You'll feel more free.
 
Say I only had to pay $23k a year instead of $33k, would any of your answers change?

But I'm thinking Chapman is probably out, out of Long Beach, Northridge, or even maybe Fullerton, which one has the best program? For some reason I'm finding out very little about Long Beach and Fullerton...

Thanks for the quick responses everybody! It really does help.
 
How about going to Sattleback community college (has some good ties to Chapman), and after two years u try to transfer.... It's hard, but not impossible. I transfered from SMC myself :)
 
cordvision said:
How about going to Sattleback community college (has some good ties to Chapman), and after two years u try to transfer.... It's hard, but not impossible. I transfered from SMC myself :)
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Well I would, it's just that my parents would rather have me go to my community college that's closer to home and save the room and board expense.

But good option. :)
 
You can either go to a 'gold plated' school that will immediately open doors by helping you get past the front door, or I would venture that studying at a more 'working' school, that also is located where you can also find work (like in the LA area) are going to be much more useful than someplace a long way aways from the actual working pros. I went (a long time ago) to Columbia College in Chicago, which had a lot of wGN working pros on it's staff, along with others, and also was located downtown, so we could easily walk to apply at other jobs. It was very useful. It did nothing to teach me the business of film, or photography, apparently still doesn't, but living in the middle of a very professional city made a huge difference, and it did teach me the skills to be a pro. Today's school costs are so high as to be frightening. Either go to a gold plated school that will be a door opener in itself, or go to a working school where you can really learn the trade, and maybe get grip jobs on the weekends and evenings.
 
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