Hi Everyone,
I am at the beginning stages of becoming a filmmaker and am wondering, is there a difference between going to a film school as opposed to taking filmmaking courses at a local community college? Thanks.
Film school is about two things (a) Learning to use the equipment (b) Networking.
You can learn to use the equipment at a community college or working on a low-budget film set. Networking is what you make of it. For some it could be a huge advantage, for others its worthless. Your Networking potential is lessened at a community college or film set.
It depends upon you. The bulk of folks on this board seem to lean against film school and for finding an independent film and working for free if you have to. Do a search, this has been discussed numberous times.
RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA
RJSchwarz
Go guerilla.
Wenis.
That is all.
That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough! I'm going to clown college!
That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough! I'm going to clown college!
Im 4 months into researching schools. After numerous talks with various institutions Ive come to a strong conclusion. Colleges, Universities, etc... are most often cheaper than film schools, but they will make you bend over backwards and take every class in the book to get your pretty piece of paper that doesnt qualify to wipe the ass of your next employer. Universities dont care if you want to be a writer, actor, or director, they will make the writers take acting courses and the directors take writing courses. And if you plan on transferring credits (which they will make you do if you have them), then plan on doing a bunch of gen eds over again because no school accepts all of another schools credits (they lose money that way!)
Film schools on the other hand hold more weight depending on their reputation in the industry and most often are only a (intensive) year in length. Some assume your a rich moron and want you to pay $30K+ for it, others are more affordable but questionable in the way they organize their curriculum. A few i stumbled across customize their cirriculum based on what you want to be, and those are the ones to look for. Dont get caught up in reputation though, its all about skill, experience, and networking.
The trick to the search is the ask the right questions, heres a list of the ones i asked:
1.What cameras and film/medium do you use?
2.How old is your equipment?
3.When do you allow students access to equipment, computers, etc....?
4.Are there ever problems with supply versus demand in regards to extra curricular usage of the equipment?
5.What software and computer platforms do you use?
6.How are the rights to student projects handled by the school? Does the student retain them after graduation?
7.How long is your film program and how intensive is it?
8.Does your program put creative control in the hands of the student?
9.What percentage would you give to theory versus hands-on education, (IE 50/50, 70/30)?
10.What is the cost of tuition for an international student (USA) per year?
11.What is the job success rate for film graduates?
12.Do you allow for students to take any classes they wish from the course catalogue (provided prerequisites have been met) even if those courses dont apply to the degree?
Out of 12 schools i contacted i instantly weeded out 5 of them that wouldnt answer my questions because they claimed they didnt have the time or some other lame excuse (these are the ones to avoid, they are bureaucracies and bureaucracies dont give a shit about their customer) . Once youve weeded out the bureaucracies and the schools that dont fit your criteria, your usually left with a few options to choose from, but dont stress over which one to choose as they are all more or less the same.
All in all, never forget schools are businesses and they exist solely to take your money. Once they have it they have you by the balls, so be careful to whom you hand them to.
