Film School vs Online Tutorials?

DoodleNotes

DoodleNotes

I'm a newbie filmmaker and been starting creating short sketches and short films recently. I really wanted to study film since high school but film school is really far away from home and is very expensive. Then I discovered this guys on Youtube who gives filmmaking tutorials (freddiew, Film Riot, Corridor Digital) and I learned a lot from them. And I'm also planning to follow their steps as a Youtube Partner. Now, what is the difference between studying on a film school and studying at home through online tutorials and how will it affect your future as a filmmaker?
 
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This is a bit of a subjective question, there are quite a few variables. Things to take into consideration:

Film school offers coaching, and I believe this is the absolutely largest asset you will receive. You can learn most of what they teach in film school through online sources and books, but you won't have the constant coaching pushing you in the right direction. Another thing to remember is not everything on the internet is correct.

Through online and book tutorials, you'll learn the basics: Exposure, framing, rule of thirds, lighting, camera movements, equipment and DIY equipment, camera options, special effects, graphics, composition, color correction, etc.

I find these things more sparse and really do require some guidance and/or experience and practice: Lighting, proper mic booming, when/why to frame a certain way, when/why to use certain camera movements, what color correction is best for your film, avoiding poor choices such as jump cuts, etc.

I am fortunate enough to have a film school trained person in my group, and he has pointed out some of my huge mistakes that I didn't even think were mistakes. These things may have never been pointed out if it weren't for him. You can post up your videos for review and critique, but depending on the viewer, you may not get the information you really need to improve.

Summed up, film school is a great asset, but if you're the type that can learn things on your own very well, I wouldn't call it necessary. You have to remember that most don't ever make it as far as they want in the film industry, so if you do choose the schooling route, keep in mind it might never pay off. The term "starving artist" exists for a reason.


I encourage anyone who wants to make an attempt to make it on YouTube to go ahead, but keep in mind there is around 1,000,000 videos uploaded daily (based on my calculations derived from postings about the amount of footage uploaded to YouTube daily). Attaining viewership against the odds of 1,000,000 videos per day makes it nearly impossible to be noticed, even if your content is good. You need to know how to market your work (either through free means, or paying money for it to happen).
 
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Yes. I actually thought of what you said but they are actually all hypotheses of mine since I don't really have someone around to talk to about this (that's why I joined the forum site). The guys I'm subscribed to on Youtube are actually showing mistakes about almost everything in filmmaking and it's also based in their experiences in filmmaking which is also evident from their products that they share on Youtube. They actually give tips from the basics to the more advanced lessons about filmmaking. So I kinda trust them. haha! Anyways! Thanks for the quick reply. I really wanna hear what other filmmakers say about this. The Youtube Partner thing is actually a leap of Faith for me. And is just an excuse for me to create films everyday. What matters is I get to make films and be good at it someday. Haha!
 
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Youtube has interviews with Spielberg,Scorsese,Orson Welles,Roger Deakins etc. etc. If I wanted to learn film,I would watch those and rewatch. If you want to make videos for youtube you don't need to go to filmschool.

There is a huge difference between film and videography. Doesn't mean that one is better than the other though
 
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dude dont go. I went to a "film school" because I was interested in taking their game design course. Before they would let me take that course I had to take their intro course which was $20 000 and they pretty much taught you the basics of everything their school had to offer.

So thats how I kind of got into film. I didnt take any other courses after that.

The teachers cant teach you talent. You have to be able to tell if your work looks like shit and ask yourself "could this be done any better".

I guarantee the online youtube videos will sink into your brain way harder than a teacher standing infront of a class for 2 hours will. Its seriously so boring listening to a guy talk for 2 hours compared to an edited clip that gets straight to the point with examples in real time.
 
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Film school is a chance to get an idea of how to manage money, and work on a set with good gear and a nice crew. You get to hear advice from professionals and make connections.

Before the internet got big and the rise of digital technology, I would say film school is the way to go. But now with such tools and educational content available to us, film school being necessary is questionable.

There are ups and downs to both, but if you do go to film school - research and study up on it. There are TERRIBLE film schools. Once you look past the great marketing and awesome advertisements, you find nothing.

There are things in film school you will not learn making a film, and there are things in making a film you will not learn in film school.

Keep in mind: the money you could spend on film school could go towards making a feature.

It truly depends on how much money you have and your current level of experience. I lean towards making a film being the best film school, but everyone is different. Everyone has their way of learning.
 
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ChimpPhobiaFilms said:
Film school is a chance to get an idea of how to manage money, and work on a set with good gear and a nice crew. You get to hear advice from professionals and make connections.

Before the internet got big and the rise of digital technology, I would say film school is the way to go. But now with such tools and educational content available to us, film school being necessary is questionable.

There are ups and downs to both, but if you do go to film school - research and study up on it. There are TERRIBLE film schools. Once you look past the great marketing and awesome advertisements, you find nothing.

There are things in film school you will not learn making a film, and there are things in making a film you will not learn in film school.

Keep in mind: the money you could spend on film school could go towards making a feature.

It truly depends on how much money you have and your current level of experience. I lean towards making a film being the best film school, but everyone is different. Everyone has their way of learning.
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I actually am a guy who learns from doing it as well. I've been so bugged about the film school thing since I only know one film school here in the Philippines. Thanks to Freddie. He said in one of his videos that it's not an excuse whether or not you go to film school to go out there and film. Been overflowing of ideas for a film since then.
 
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baoliun said:
Youtube has interviews with Spielberg,Scorsese,Orson Welles,Roger Deakins etc. etc. If I wanted to learn film,I would watch those and rewatch. If you want to make videos for youtube you don't need to go to filmschool.

There is a huge difference between film and videography. Doesn't mean that one is better than the other though
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I actually watched those interviews and it inspired me so much. :)
 
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Film school pads the pockets at the expense of the gullible. If there weren't gullible people, there would be very few film schools, guaranteed.

Nothing beats a few good books and your own (low-cost used) camera to learn basic filmmaking techniques. Volunteering to PA on someone else's project helps quite a bit. I can't speak for all the tutorals, but you pay though the nose for something you can find in a few short paragraphs in a good book.

As you become more experienced, you'll have a better idea of where you want to go money wise. But straddling your life with a film school debt is a downer -- especially since the vast majority of graduates don't become "professional filmmakers" -- some get lucky enough to work in the industry, but they work on other people's films. The rest teach history in high school.

Good luck.
 
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Online tutorials can't give you experience, and they can't give you the connections.

Film school can, though you don't need to go to film school to get such things.

In my opinion, you can talk about beam angles, and footcandled at certain distances and T stops and exposure until you're blue in the face, but it doesn't really mean much until you actually go out and shoot something and see the effect for yourself.
 
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A great tool for young screenwriters

I have often wondered the same question. And I'm not sure there's a definite answer as to what way works best. I will say, however, that using these blueprints/beat sheets was a great way for me to learn and understand how movies really work while developing my own projects.

If you're looking to really understand movies. I suggest this:
http://www.movieblueprints.com/

Along with the staple screenwriting books, i.e. Story by Robert McKee, Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, etc.
 
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MVBP said:
I have often wondered the same question. And I'm not sure there's a definite answer as to what way works best. I will say, however, that using these blueprints/beat sheets was a great way for me to learn and understand how movies really work while developing my own projects.

If you're looking to really understand movies. I suggest this:
http://www.movieblueprints.com/

Along with the staple screenwriting books, i.e. Story by Robert McKee, Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, etc.
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:rolleyes:
 
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Hey! Thanks for that! I'll check it out! Actually after hearing a lot of answers from this thread I also figured that there's no definite answer since every person has different ways of learning. :)

Just like what ChimpPhobiaFilms said. Everyone has different ways of learning.
 
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There are many different ways to learn. A very large percentage of film schools are diploma mills. The ones that are truly worth the money are extremely competitive and quite pricey as well.

Even those who manage to get into those excellent, expensive film schools are deluding themselves to one degree or another. They believe that once they get out of film school they can immediately begin making "Hollywood" films and make millions. There are, of course, the one-in-a-billion exceptions, but most experience a very rude awakening. The competition for jobs is ruthless; there are probably 500 candidates for every job. And the competition for funds to "make your own film" is even worse.

Where most filmmakers - formally educated or self taught - make their error is that a script and a camera do not a film make. There are all of the other crafts that 99% of indie filmmakers ignore - wardrobe, H/MU, set design/dressing, production sound, etc. - and the practical aspects such as logistics, finance and other forms of management, not to mention all of the after-the-film-is-done work of festivals and marketing. From prepro through marketing filmmaking is about the myriad of details. (Of course, I'm totally ignoring the other aspects like talent, people skills and luck.)

For me personally I side-stepped into audio post from music engineering, so I had the technical knowledge, but had to learn a new mind set. I did a lot of reading, I asked a few questions and started doing shorts for free. No, they weren't great, but they were better than what the filmmaker would have done themselves because I had the room, the gear and the ear. And as I ran into problems, both technically and creatively, I would ask questions of my su-peer-iors. And as I gained knowledge and experience I managed to get a few freelance gigs at established facilities with established professionals. And at those studios I got to watch the pros in action and, as long as I wasn't interrupting anything, I was able to ask questions. I also attended (and still do) seminars, workshops, symposiums, etc.

All this knowledge builds upon itself. But there was no way I was going to sound design (insert huge budget film name here) a month or a year after I decided to get into audio post production. In fact, I couldn't do it now as I have never worked on a nine-digit budget film; there's still A LOT I have to learn. But this is the attitude of most indie filmmakers; "I'll write a script, buy a camera, get a few actors, and my first feature film will make me gazillions!!!!"

My advice is to work on as many film sets as you can. Read/review as many scripts as you can. Watch as many films as you can, especially low/no/mini/micro budget indie films. Make your own films. After a year or two you may know the questions to ask. At that point maybe it might be worth investigating film school; at least you have learned what you need to learn.


BTW, I just realized you are in the Philippines; I hope you and yours came through the typhoon okay. My thoughts and prayers go out to you all. GOD BLESS!!!!!!!
 
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Hey! Thanks for the advice. I actually plan on doing all that film stuff in 1 year on my own and see what happens. I really need to learn more so making a feature would not be good for me now. I need to study more about film especially on the parts after production (marketing, etc.) I'm also taking into account the equipments I need like what you mentioned. I still got a lot of things to learn and I am both nervous and excited. It has always been mt dream after all. haha!

And finally, Thanks for the concern! Luckily (for me and my family) the storm hit only the northern and middle part of the Philippines and we barely feel it here in Gensan. But it still not cool to just sit here while my fellow countrymen are suffering. :( Can't really do much for them but pray.
 
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DoodleNotes said:
I'm also taking into account the equipments I need like what you mentioned.
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99.9999% of folks ignore me, but if you don't use it every day you shouldn't buy it, you should rent it. I do audio post, so I own the computer and lots of relevant software, speakers, mics, mic pres and other external gear, video monitors, etc. and have two rooms built for the purpose. I only go into the field a couple of times a year, so DO NOT own a field recorder/mixer, I rent them when I need them and build the cost into my fee structure. (Full disclosure; I do have a very cheap field recorder - an 10+ year old Sony MiniDisc unit that sounds almost passable.)

So, IMHO, unless you are shooting every week, you should rent what you need. In fact, what you should do is find up-and-coming DPs, PSM/Boom-ops, etc. who already have the gear and put all of your funds into the project. They usually have better equipment than what you could buy, the folks who own it know how to use it much better than you do, and usually have many more of the relevant accessories such as lenses, mic selection, etc. Always remember that if you own it the gear is not in your hands but the hands of whomever you ask to run it. Okay, you have a decent prosumer audio kit - recorder, mic, boom and the like - but it is being run my whichever PA happens to show up on the day of your shoot. How much does s/he know about booming and gain-staging? Much less than you do, and you really don't know much.
 
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You're right! Especially for my case who only calls up friends to help and they're not filmmakers too. Will be keeping that in mind! I'm actually planning on buying just two or three things: A decent camera, A computer that could handle extreme vfx and a microphone that could record good audio. Having those things in hand is a good way to start right?
 
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a microphone that could record good audio
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Alcove, not to worry, I got this.

"Sound is HALF of the experience."​

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If you are thinking about working your way into making high quality short films or features, you hire people who are good at their craft (audio, VFX, etc), and rent gear.
 
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