Film School vs No Film School

Hello yet again guys! I have another question.

I've been confused lately as to whether I should go to Film School or not. There are many Pros as there are Cons: Equipment (Pro) Connections (Pro) Money/Debt (Con) Employment (Con)

Now,I really do want to be a filmmaker. It's the ol' cliched heart-given speech again,ain't it? Oh no,I'm that guy,aren't I? It is a passion of mine,a passion I will develop into making short films and applying to film schools. A passion that's been with me for awhile,only recently taking toll on.

I've been left dead-spirited however,upon countless readings of unemployment,film schools being a joke...etc. Now,quite honestly,I'm scared. I'm scared what my parents might think of me. They've always had the highest hopes in me. Always predict great things for me in the future. I just don't want to disappoint them.

Another idea has come to mind after being scared shitless... Going to university and studying a really good subject that will give me something to land back on if the whole film dream does not work out. Maybe doing it all part-time. Question is,will I even have time to pursue film as a hobby if I'm in Uni? Probably not.

Other subjects that semi interest me are: Humanities,Psychology,Sociology and Neuroscience..all of which require Graduate school which will take away my film dream.


I know this is not a "Help me with every problem I have" forum,but,I've met some really great people on here. Any advice anyone? Have any of you been in my shoes before? Help.
 
What have you done so far?

The reason I ask is there are many people who are passionate about the thought of making films, but when it comes down to the crunch, they're not prepared for the soul destroying hard work and abnormally long hours that goes into it.

Before you decide, I suggest that you make a few short films with cheap/no equipment and see if it's really your passion and whether you have some talent in the area of visual storytelling.
 
i'm not sure psychology or sociology will land you any better of a job than film school.. for psych you pretty much need a ph.d to have job security and even then it's so damn EASY I think it's a joke.

I minored in psych, for one of my senior level classes I showed up for the exam review and it turned out it was the actual test. I didn't know because I wasn't going to the class, and I hadn't studied anything. Yet I still got a B on the test... what a joke. If that were a math or science class I would have failed spectacularly.

Some majors are easier than others.. you could do a business major, and that is pretty easy. You still have time to focus on other stuff (most of them I knew were partying all the time, thats how i know it's an easy major) and at the same time a business major can help you with film if thats what you do end up doing
 
Film school is great if you have the money. You both learn how to handle gear, cast, and crew, and more importantly - make connections.

Based upon things you have said before, I highly recommend you make some short films. You will gain experience and be more prepared for film school. Most people do not go to film school without knowledge and experience of making a film, they are usually very interested and active in their craft.

So if you have knowledge, experience, and interest in filmmaking, as well as money for it, I'd go right in. If you do not have much money and experience, I highly advise you to go out, make some shorts, PA on sets, and maybe earn some money filming events.

Best of luck! :cool:
 
Business management will benefit you as a filmmaker - both are all about organization and budgeting.

Get out there on some film sets, do some of the real donkeywork. As has been said, make some of your own projects. Anyone can write a hackneyed script, point a camera at a couple of their friends and call themselves a filmmaker. To make something that people (besides your family and friends) will actually watch and enjoy calls for a lot more effort, commitment and talent.

Oh, yeah...

Your project will only look as good as it sounds, because
"Sound is half of the experience."
 
If you don't have what it takes, NO film school can help you. If you do have what it takes, you don't need to go to film school.

Moral: Forget film schools . . . they're a farce to line the pockets of those that run it.
 
Going to film school has three main advantages: you have access to equipment (the school's), you have access to collaborators (your fellow students), and you might (emphasis might) make connections that will serve you well down the road. And the class deadlines force you to work, if you're the slacker type.

The main disadvantage is the cost. In my city, the Vancouver Film School (Kevin Smith is perhaps the most famous non-graduate) costs over $30,000 for a year. If you have $30,000 you can make a feature -- which is a better calling card than any film-school diploma.

So my best advice (worth what you pay) is a borderline no, don't go to film school.
 
Moviemaking is about the discovery within the written word, that which cannot be found when spoken. The main focus should always be to keep looking for what is not visible, to keep striving for the image beyond the words...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If you have $30,000 you can make a feature -- which is a better calling card than any film-school diploma.

So my best advice (worth what you pay) is a borderline no, don't go to film school.

I really love this advice, I never thought of it that way.
One thing I would point out though, I have a friend who went to full sail and now he works as a production assistant on the House of Cards show with kevin spacey. I don't know if independent education would have gotten him that role or not.

So maybe it's different if you want to be a writer/director as opposed to simply working in the industry on someone else's project.
 
Another idea has come to mind after being scared shitless... Going to university and studying a really good subject that will give me something to land back on if the whole film dream does not work out.
If you're not independently wealthy or at least OK with living in poverty while trying to make it in this business then I would damn sure get a real degree.

Lots of people don't go to any "film school". They just start working. If you do go to a "film school" then don't go for more than 6 months to a year. 4 year film schools should be abolished. Learning about film should not take 4 years. It's only the schools that are in BUSINESS to SELL EDUCATION that want to convince you that you need to go to their school for a long time. Watch "the College Conspiracy" on YouTube, although it's about college in general -- not film school specifically. I also think a lot of these art related schools (film, music, fashion, etc) are lying about how many of their graduates are finding jobs afterwards. There's a zillion people who want these cushy jobs and few openings.
 
I would've loved to have gone to film school. Not for the teaching or contacts but being able to spend 10 hours per day for 3 years getting better at creating short films and music vids. Because I have a day job, I can't do that.

This year I shot one short film, a small number of (bad) music videos, a dance sequence and helped out as a lighting technician here and there while working full time (plus the usual family stuff). With 3 clear years I could've shot a ton of shorts and a load of music vids etc...

It's just the time to make mistakes, learn etc... 3 years of wonderful time. That's pretty good.

That being said, I know one guy who went to film school and only shot one, complete short. Unsurprisingly, he's now working in a bar...
 
Last edited:
Going to film school sets you up in a better place to find financing for your feature film, and gives you friends and contacts who you can call upon to work on the feature who will give you a good looking, saleable film.

I'd rather have an awesome-looking, well written and polished short as my calling card than a really average $30k feature I cobbled together with no real clue as to what I was doing.

But, to each their own - for some film school is awesome, for others it's awful, and for others it's in-between.
 
Before I shot my first feature film, I spent 6 months reading many, many articles on the internet. If you are smart, you can work out how to use this information. Read multiple articles about the same subject to help you decide what is best for you. Watch instructional videos.

Then make a feature film with no budget and a bunch of people who have barely acted before, and a crew who have never made a film before. (I actually had 68 people involved in my film in one way or another).

I'm telling you, it was the best learning experience I could have hoped for. I just time locked my film and am about to start some ADR. 19 minutes of my film has terrible audio and that was all my fault. Should have used deadcats, should have bought a boom with a blimp and a deadcat.

In the end, I will have a film that I can show here in town and people will like it. Some of it works really, really well and some of it is ok'ish. Very good editing has really helped!

You don't need film school necessarily, but you still need to put some hours in learning from somewhere.
 
Jax Rox, you said, "Going to film school sets you up in a better place to find financing for your feature film". How so? You're still an untested commodity on the market.

You'll leave film school with numerous projects completed (if you didn't just waste your time). If you can't have a demo reel (although not suggested you use school projects for those), not to mention a degree that certifies you've been trained on high end equipment, that can get you a better chance at finding funding than some random person with absolutely no training or experience with film equipment... you failed at utilizing film school.

Also, good job reviving this thread.
 
Back
Top