Is Film School Really Worth the Cost?

[BROKEN2005]

Let me start by saying that I’m a big believer in education and constant learning throughout life. I believe that the only way to truly experience the amazing things the world has to offer is by educating yourself as much as humanly possible.

With that said, people who go to film schools to educate themselves about the basics of filmmaking are fools. Now full disclosure, I was one of those fools.

A little about me, I’ve been in the film industry for almost twenty years. I started my filmmaking journey by attending a technical college in Orlando, FL in 1995. My first job in the industry was in the post-production world.

As years went by I learned different crafts and wore different hats; I became a director, writer, producer, editor, colorist, post-production supervisor and visual effect supervisor.

I’ve done pretty much almost every job imaginable in the film business. In my multicolor travels I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous indie filmmakers, with Oscar® and Sundance winners and even a Moose Jaw Film Festival winner, so every kind of filmmaker under the sun.

When I went to film school non-linear editing was just getting off the ground. No AVID, Final Cut or After Effects. No DSLRs. No RED Camera. No Mini-DV cameras. No low cost digital VFX. No YouTube. No DVDs with awesome film commentaries and by the way, the Internet was just getting started.

I wanted to take you down memory lane because at that moment in time there were very few educational options for a person wanting to get into the film industry.

So I ponied up and took out a loan for a specialized Associate Film degree from Full Sail that cost me $21,500. At the same time I took an internship working on the backlot of Universal Studios Orlando.

Click here to listen to the podcast & read the rest: https://www.indiefilmhustle.com/film-school/

 

[SkyCopeland]

Cool article, except it's incredibly outdated experience. You got an Associate Film Degree? Either that's an ancient degree from when the Film Program started, OR you dropped out before getting halfway into the Bachelor's (Which is the only way to get the Associates pre-New Eco)

To get that you had to of dropped out before making even your second major production... duh you learned more on the backlot of Universal Studios Orlando.

By the price though (twenty one thousand), I'll assume you actually did sign up for an Associates and completed it, in like the 80's or 90's most likely. Which means the education you received isn't even close to the education the school provides now.

Also your article says that a four year degree isn't worth the time... you got an Associate's degree? The hell do you know about a four year degree? You spent a year. Full Sail's Associate's is like 10 months... A Bachelor's is 21 months (less than two years!) Shit, you could have a Master's Degree in 32 months at Full Sail! That's still less than four years.

I feel more like your article is click-bate staple let's make money off affiliate ads kind of blog than an actual honest opinion on Film School.

Also fun note... Spielberg was rejected from film school... it's not like he didn't try. Also while in college for a English degree, he interned at Universal in California, which is basically the same education you'd get at a school of industry professionals. Difference is at a film school you spend ALL your time with industry professionals teaching you everything. Not just getting coffee for people and gawking at pretty equipment.

tl;dr - I hate click-bate affiliate ad articles against film schools.