There was a similar question that received a little attention before (actually I am sure the same thing has come up dozens of times, but I know about this one):

http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7296

You should know there are people that are pretty adamant in both directions. The answer probably falls in the middle for most people.

http://mitchmclachlan.blogspot.com/

A degree in film won't help you at all. Some people say film school is worthless because
so many people working in film never went to film school.

It's not worthless to the people who went to film school and enjoyed it. But even with a
degree in hand you are going to be asked, "What have you done?"

Landing a job as anything other than a PA takes skill and experience. If you want a job
as a gaffer so you can support yourself you need to be an excellent gaffer. You get that
way by working your way up - not by having a degree from a film school where you may
have worked as a gaffer on one or two student films. That goes for every single position
on a movie set.

Just in my personal circle of friends I know 5 people with degrees from film schools
(including USC, NYU and Columbia) who don't work full time in the business at all
and 10 without degrees who do.

Not scientific at all. But that tells me something. I've directed several features - never
once was I asked by the producer to see a degree. But each time I was asked to show
them my reel and for the contact info of the other producers I had worked for.

What good job would you like to land so you can support yourself in the future?

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

so essentially, film school can help you gain the skills and experince, but YOU actually have to make some work to be noticed by anyone. that degree will get you nowhere.

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com

I'd have to disagree on that one,a film degree isn't entirely useless.

There are a lot more people in the new days of film making, so getting in will be a little harder. For example, if your just starting out with one of your first jobs, your competing against 20 other people who want the same one, you hand in your reel, just like everyone else, and it's good, just as good as 5 other reels, but then you throw a film degree at them. That's going to make you stick out of the crowd.

So I wouldn't say that a degree is useless, it can defiantly help you these days.

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That's not my experience, Henry. In fact, I've personally seen exactly the opposite happen.

These days so many people are coming out of college with their film degree that they don't
stand out. People who have worked in the business for those four years are the ones standing
out, these days.

Department heads know that four years working on low budget sets gives a person more
actual experience than four years in classes. And they all know that many times a person
can get a degree without getting much actual experience - if they are good STUDENTS they
can finish college - that doesn't mean they are experienced or have any skills. I have seen
your scenario - I've been one of the 20 and I've hired people. And I've seen resumes with a
film school degree get pushed aside in favor of the person who worked for those four years.

And if you are exclusively discussing getting a job as a director the reality is a reel or a
degree won't really come into play. Directors are usually hired based on past performance
- degree or not. It's an unrealistic scenario - 20 people competing for a directing job like
competing for any other job.

I'm not saying a film degree will hurt - even thought I've seen it happen - I'm saying that
working in the business for four years will offer more opportunities than being in school
for four years.

But there is no, one path to breaking in. If going for a degree is what a person wants,
then there is no reason not to go for it. But these days a film degree is fairly useless.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

A film degree does NOT make anyone "stand out" from the crowd. The professional film industry runs almost entirely on word-of-mouth. Whether you get a "job" or not depends on who you know and who knows you and what you can do. NO ONE will ask if you have a film degree. What matters is what you can do. The weird High School dropout kid down the street has just as much chance of being a successful Director as the USC grad who spent thousands of dollars to get a film degree.

Filmschool CAN give help, but the degree itself doesn't matter at all.

What Filmschool can offer is access to equipment...but, if you're ready to dump thousands of dollars into filmschool, then you have money to invest into paying qualified crew who have the skills and experience to help YOU create a quality product. And with a quality product, the aspiring Director has a better chance of becoming a CAREER Director. If you want to give money to a filmschool instead, then you'll leave four years later with piles of debt, a couple of short films, and a lot of hope.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com

what advice can you give to someone looking to go into post production?

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com

No matter where you get your education, whether it is on the street or in the classroom, three things matter most in your movie making career. One is your ability to sell (yourself and your projects). The second is your ability to make friends. And the third is your ability to show up on time and do a great job.

Concentrate on mastering these areas and you?ll gain a reputation of being trustworthy. When money is on the line, trust is your number one asset. If nobody trusts you, then you may as well quit today.

Go here: www.filmmakingstuff.com

A degree is a piece of paper. Do good work and get it seen. That is what will get you noticed. Film school is a great place to do good work and make your good work better. Anything else that you do in school is a waste of time.

-----------------
Andrew Gingerich
Exploding Goldfish Films
Check out my blog at http://www.exgfilms.com
and my reel at http://portfolio.exgfilms.com

quote:

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Originally posted by JerseyZombie

So my question to you guys is, what CAN I do with a degree like that?

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You can waste 4 years of your life and lots of money that could've been saved for the making of a movie with a degree like that.

I know I'm being rather cynical, but I'm doing it to make a point. Why use up 4 years and waste so much hard earned cash to stay when you could actually be making something? Tarantino never went to film school, did he? He just took a couple guys to a warehouse and shot "Reservoir Dogs." In fact, wasn't he a video store clerk?

Jean Renoir once said "true art is in the doing of it." So, as you can see, I'd prefer not going to film school at all. Just make a movie for crying out loud! Remember the old Nike slogan. 'Just do it.'

Well I got one question first... have any of you guys saying that film school is worthless been to one???

What I heard is that you make films in film school, a lot of them. You're making it sound like you sit around all day listening to a teacher talk... I'm pretty sure the teachers there also figured out that you learn filmmaking from making films.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Henry701

Well I got one question first... have any of you guys saying that film school is worthless been to one???

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Not me.

I made films - a lot of them - without going to film school. It
was expensive enough making films without the additional cost of
school.

I apologize for giving you the impression I think students sit
around all day listening to teachers talk. That was not my intent.
I have worked on dozens of student films and go to student film
festivals several times a year.

quote:

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I'm pretty sure the teachers there also figured out that you learn filmmaking from making films.

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I think you?re right. I would hope all film teachers know that. My
point isn?t that students sit around all day or that teachers don?t
understand the industry. My point is simply that having a degree
from a film school doesn?t indicate that the student can an has
made movies or can and has been on professional sets to learn
and gain experience.

And finished films - for a director - and lots of on set experience - for
below-the-line jobs - is much more impressive to employers than a degree.

I'm not blind to the fact that some people really need film school and
that some people get a lot out of film school. My experience is that
having that degree is worthless.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

quote:

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Originally posted by Henry701

Well I got one question first... have any of you guys saying that film school is worthless been to one???

What I heard is that you make films in film school, a lot of them. You're making it sound like you sit around all day listening to a teacher talk... I'm pretty sure the teachers there also figured out that you learn filmmaking from making films.

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First, I don't know that anyone is implying that film SCHOOL is worthless. The point is that the DEGREE is not a ticket to a job in the professional industry.

There is plenty you can learn at a quality school with quality instructors. But most schools concentrate more on the "art" and less on the technical and career aspects.

So, if you're only going to filmschool to make lots of films, there is no reason you can't divert your tuition money to your films. Learning "how to" is something you don't need to spend money at a filmschool for. Depending on what specific job it is you want to do, there is no reason you can't volunteer to help others with THEIR movies in order to learn the process. That way, you're learning and they are paying. Then, you take the money you've saved to make your own movies utilizing the lessons you've learned from watching others.

That is just one option. The other is to go to school. If after researching the curriculum, you decide that there is something valuable for you by attending, then by all means, don't let anyone stop you. 🙂

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com

In the UK, there are 10,000 people a year graduate with a degree in film or media studies. And that's not even counting people going to Film Schools. So competition to get a job afterwards is really tough.

Saying that - if I was employing someone, I would much prefer someone who has a film degree background than someone with another degree, so it does boost you to another level in terms of your desirability to a future film employer.

But nothing beats the experience of making films yourself!! And someone who has the passion and talent to make their own films is way ahead of their non-film-making competition.

Alto Films Film-making Workshops - Brighton -Visit: http://www.altofilms.com/workshops.html