Film School Advice?

K

Kifaye

Hello! I'm new to IndieTalk and I need a bit of advice.

I'm currently a college senior with a major in Theatre with an emphasis in film production. The film emphasis is fairly new at my school and I still feel like I have a lot to learn before I actually go out and try to make it as a film director. So, I'm considering going to film school.

However, several people have told me that film school is a waste of time and that I could learn a lot of techniques simply by reading a few books. Still, I really believe that the only way to really get better as something is by doing it.

So, is film school worth it? What should I look for when I'm choosing film programs?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. :)
 
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Do you have the cash in hand for film school or are you taking out massive loans? I'd suggest learn by doing, as in get on indie film sets. If the only way you can make that happen is by making your own films, then do that. Film degrees don't help you get jobs in film. The main thing film school is good for is getting you hands on time on set, which you can also get elsewhere.
 
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I'm in the film school at San Francisco's Academy of Art right now and I can only speak about this school in particular. Film school will just give you the resources and expertise of experienced people to help you work on your projects. It's not as theory based as it used to be. You have to do film projects and submit them within rigorous deadlines. You direct a short your first semester. You direct a short, a music video and a documentary your second semester. You edit full episodes of re-run TV shows. You produce a thesis film from idea to completion. You have to learn everything (editing, cinematography, production design, film financing, film distribution, marketing, film budgeting) in the first two years, even if you're majoring in just directing. You work with people who have directed films and you have thousands of actors and actresses at the school's acting department who will work on your films for free. You get access to just about any camera upto the Red One.

Now, you could do all of that without film school too. And the portfolio/reel/specs you build in film school are worth much more than your degree. And once again, with discipline, you could build that same portfolio/reel/specs without film school, by yourself.

Personally I think you should try a semester if it is financially possible. My school for example, before financial aid one semester's tuition is about $8,000. After aid, you can expect about $6,000. If you don't live near a film school and can't commute, you can get a 4-month lease on a 530sq ft studio apartment, one mile away from the beach (where I live), for $1,600 a month ($6,400 a semester).

So you're looking at $12,400 for an experience. Now keep in mind that this is a PRIVATE school (public schools are obviously MUCH CHEAPER) and the apartment building is in the heart of San Francisco's North Beach. I can't give you definite rates for smaller places in cheaper areas because I don't live there, but from what I know you can get a small studio in SOMA for under $1,200. And the schools shuttles will pretty much take you anywhere in the city, for free. The school's buildings span across the entire city.

In the end it's based on you and how you want to learn. Do you want to build you're experience/portfolio/reel/specs by yourself with all the freedom you'd ever want and no one telling you how to do it or when to turn it in or judging your work. Or would you rather work under people who have done it already and know more than you and can teach you what they've learned by doing it and take their crap and judgements for four years?
 
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Another thought, related to drc's last point. Everyone learns differently. Some people learn better on their own at their own pace. Others learn better in a structured, school environment. Some people do better with experimentation, some people learn better though the wisdom of others. There is no one "best" answer...there's only the best answer for YOU.

So, how do you learn? If you learn better on your own, going out and doing might be a better idea. But film school isn't a waste of time for everyone!
 
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SinEater said:
Do you have the cash in hand for film school or are you taking out massive loans
Click to expand...

The question is: Why all these things have to cost so much?

The question is (really): Why all these things have to be concerned with money anyway?

We all know the American film history. And we all know when and why The American (Independent then) film industry was taken over by the banks (or financial institutions)...
 
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I remain unimpressed with the final product of many film schools, ie. their thesis films.
The overwhelming majority of these suck, all things considered.

If these are any reflection of their overly expensive educations I'd take a pass on it.
Take your theatrical degree and pursue filmmaking as a hobby until you can make some pretty cool stuff on your own, courtesy of the DIY University.

FWIW, Eli Roth had some fairly sensible remarks regarding film school in his director's commentary for CABIN FEVER.
 
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@ ray
True...
With the best art (film making) a degree doesn't count...
But when you go to a film school, you meet people and you get the discipline to live with FILM on a daily basis...
 
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kinglis said:
The question is: Why all these things have to cost so much?
Click to expand...

Because people are willing to pay for a shortcut to their dreams. It is part of the mindset that you can have anything if you throw enough money at it. The problem is that there are far more dreamers than there are dream jobs to be had.

It used to be, and in a few rare instances still is, that you apprenticed with experienced filmmakers (and many other professions) and slowly worked your way up the system.
 
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kinglis said:
What if money didn't exist?
Click to expand...
Then we'd be back to the vastly more inefficient barter system.

Money is portable, storage-able labor.
It's like a battery or a stick of wood stores energy.

The reason everything costs so much is A: everyone has increased labor costs through too much education for which we feel we should be compensated for, and B: there's too much fiat cash (still!) floating around allowing the inverse of "economies of scale" to occur = inflation.

Decrease advanced/post basic education and labor costs come down.
Decrease "spare cash" and inflation comes down.
Increase public education on how basic economics works? LOL! Good luck!

This is why politicians serve platitudes.
The educational and comprehensive gap is just too deep to fill with headline news sound bites.
People would rather learn more about Princess Kate's preganacy or Kim Kardashian's troubled sex life.

Excuse me while I go vomit...


G'nite!
 
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