What standard of short films do you need to enter Film School?

Anyone know how good your short films need to be to be good enough to be accepted at a film school? some examples of films submitted to enter a film school would be good.

Do you need a really good camera, good actors and really good lighting?
 
Anyone know how good your short films need to be to be good enough to be accepted at a film school? some examples of films submitted to enter a film school would be good.

Do you need a really good camera, good actors and really good lighting?
Good story!!!! The other stuff backs it up ;)
 
I think it has more to do with demonstrating your interest in film, more than proficiency in it.

After all, if you already make excellent films what are you doing going to school for it, right?

some examples of films submitted to enter a film school would be good.

There's at least one on the forums. I've forgotten who it was, but they claimed to have gotten into film-school because of it.
 
That's cool, I thought you had have really top quality movies like some of the ones I've seen on this website.

What do you mean interest in film? Do you mean, how much you love movies? so stuff like your favourite directors, favourite films? Or how much you know about film history, like the french new wave, etc?
 
The way I see it is that you just make a short film. Demonstrate your passion and interest through the short film. I would think they wouldn't expect your film to look like Spielberg's or anything.

BTW, I'm in the same boat as you. Have to make a five minute short and/or a 30+ page screenplay. I could just do the screenplay, but I really want to get in this school.

Good luck bud.
 
From what I've seen, most film schools don't expect you to have necessarily made anything. All they want is people with potential. If you can come up with good stories and can demostrate they you love film, you should be fine.
Thats basically what I've been told at my art college.
 
The way I see it is that you just make a short film. Demonstrate your passion and interest through the short film. I would think they wouldn't expect your film to look like Spielberg's or anything.

BTW, I'm in the same boat as you. Have to make a five minute short and/or a 30+ page screenplay. I could just do the screenplay, but I really want to get in this school.

Good luck bud.

I'm not actually applying to a Film School yet, I was just curious.

I've looked at the prices and I'm shocked! :no: I had no idea it would be that much!

I think I might have to take the university route instead.

On another note, do you guys know if a university degree in film and moving image production(or something similar) is good enough to get an entry level job in the film industry?
 
Just like getting into film school - where you don't need
an excellent film to get in - getting an entry level job
doesn't require a degree. An entry level job is just that
- a job for someone with little to no experience at all.
 
I'm not actually applying to a Film School yet, I was just curious.

I've looked at the prices and I'm shocked! :no: I had no idea it would be that much!

I think I might have to take the university route instead.

On another note, do you guys know if a university degree in film and moving image production(or something similar) is good enough to get an entry level job in the film industry?
Thats what I'm aiming for, a BA degree and then maybe an MA.
Plenty of people have done well with far less than that.
 
i went to chapman film school (orange, ca) and when i went, you didn't need any films to get in (just a creative portfolio - prove you are at least creative/artistic in some way), but i hear you need one now. it doesnt have to be brilliant though, just well-thought out - they're gonna care mostly about story and characters - so make them interesting! :) don't worry about the technical stuff just yet - you'll get training for that in school. they just want to see your potential, not how much money you have. though, they will be rather interested in your money if you are accepted. ah, private school. haha something i get to pay for for the rest of my life, but the experience was MORE than worth it!! best of luck!
 
NYU, Columbia, SVA, NYFA, Hunter.

All NYC film schools, no need for a film to get in. Just really good grades and $200,000 for a 4 year tution :)
 
Hey hey,

I'm currently starting my second year of a film and moving image degree in the uk, i've done some entry level work for the bbc already. To get work as a runner (real bottom of the bucket stuff but you can banter with directors if you're lucky) you need no qualifications just a good attitude and phone manner, it's good fun and there's a chance of working your way up.

But i would recommend doing a degree and they will expect you to find entry level work at the same time. If you don't have the grades for the big universities try smaller college's with production studio's, they often run honors degree's that need next to nothing to get into (hell i'm on one) and you finish with a university degree at the end.
 
Yeah, I'm surprised that there are schools requiring such things to be considered for acceptance into a film or media program.

Have to make a five minute short and/or a 30+ page screenplay. I could just do the screenplay, but I really want to get in this school.
This made me chuckle. You make it sound like making the short would be more challenging, or show more ability/potential, than writing a screenplay. Writing a GOOD screenplay really is much harder than most people think.

NYU, Columbia, SVA, NYFA, Hunter.

All NYC film schools, no need for a film to get in. Just really good grades and $200,000 for a 4 year tution :)
Well, Hunter is part of the City University so their tuition is much, much less ($195/credit versus $1200/credit at Columbia).
 
Hunter is real cheap, but their film program sucks. and NYFA is also a bit cheaper, $20,000/year or so. but also, not a good school...
 
I think I originally read this as getting into festivals, not film school.

Some schools require a short film, some don't. You're going there to learn filmmaking... so you may not have one.
 
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