Film School Confidential: The Insider’s Guide to Film Schools

Thinking about going to film school? Don’t send in that application just yet–first read this book, the definitive guide to film schools around the country. The 26 institutions reviewed are rated according to the quality and accessibility of their equipment, the kind of films their faculty encourage students to make (“industry,” “independent,” “experimental”), and cost. The authors discuss the schools’ programs in detail, advise readers about whether film school is the right choice for them, provide tips about getting into the programs, and describe what to expect once film school begins. Karin Kelly and Tom Edgar’s prose is spirited and their entertaining introductory portrait of the state of American filmmaking will interest anyone who cares about contemporary movies. An informative and amusing glossary closes the volume, which explains why no one should try to lift an ARRI kit by the handle, why “experimental film” is just another word for “cinematic masturbation,” and why no good movie script ever contained the line, “you just don’t get it, do you?”