<p>@madbean </p>
<p>You make several valid points. But the simple fact remains: student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt, with over 1 trillion dollars owed. No one gets hit harder than film students, who have virtually no way of paying off these loans unless they make very, very good money right out the gate (which is also quite rare). Here is an article I found of a young man sharing the darker experiences he had at USC, specifically focusing on the loans he owed upon graduating: <a href=“Film school and drowning in student loan debt...”>Film school and drowning in student loan debt...;
<p>As you can see, for many students, film school comes with its own set of costs. Filmmaking is an incredibly risky career. You need to be able to pour your heart and soul into it for a good couple of years. You need to be able to take risks, borrow money, and put your heart on the line. It’s a game of full measures, not half measures. If you give filmmaking only 50% while holding down another job, someone out there with the same talent level will be expending 110% of their energy. Who do you think will win? Debt is (literally) a ball and chain. It becomes very, very difficult for a young filmmaker to succeed when they have the pressure of debt crushing them down. Few can survive that kind of stress. It’s all about responsibility: it’s the same reason why so few people succeed at filmmaking if they start out when they have young children or a spouse to support. Your chance of success grows exponentially with the fewer ties you have and the less baggage you carry. Debt is a dream killer</p>
<p>I’d like to address a few other misconceptions. You say that at a school like USC, you’ll be working alongside passionate students. This is absolutely true, but here’s the catch: they don’t know much more than you. They too are incredibly naïve. Most film students don’t even touch a camera until late n the curriculum. A young filmmaker is bound to learn more by spending one week on an independent film set as a PA, working with professional adults who know their craft, as opposed to bungling around with other students. And while you could spend 60k a year to go to a school like USC to meet students who MAY or may not become famous, rich, connected filmmakers and producers, if you start out in the industry right away, that kind of money can be put towards a good 5-10 years of comfortable living in Los Angeles, all while you meet individuals who actually work in the industry, rather than individuals who simply aspire to work in it.</p>
<p>Following on the topic of working in the industry vs. aspiring to work in it, you may also notice that at all of these film schools, a majority of the teachers have very few credits to their names (and if they have any, they tend to never be in a directorial role, or at least only for a small, small independent film that never made it past internet distribution). The reason being is simple: while teachers at USC may love the craft of filmmaking (or be skilled at filmmaking) this is incredibly different than being a successful filmmaker. To succeed in the business of filmmaking, you need to learn from those who have done just that. Many teachers at these films schools may love film, but they simply didn’t have the skills, knowledge, or time to succeed within the actual industry. If they did, surely they would be out creating films and screenplays. So many students are disillusioned into thinking the only thing they need is talent, when in reality, they need financial know how and an understanding of how the business works. Many kids are seduced by show business, without realizing only 10% of that is actually show and the other 90% is business. This is the unglamorous, boring part of it all film schools choose to mask with intriguing, fancy advertisements and expensive facilities (facilities that don’t even come close to representing the work environment of most film school grads, who will find themselves cut out of the sound stages and editing rooms after four years).</p>
<p>What this argument really comes down to is experts versus professionals. There’s an article I love, posted by a woman who works as a professional author, debunking the popular myths about writing and college. <a href=“Do Writers Need College To Write? – Holly Lisle: Writer”>http://hollylisle.com/experts-professionals-and-college/</a> In it, she explains the difference between an “expert” and a “professional”, and why you should seek a creative education outside of a formal university. Even if you don’t agree with what she says, it’s an interesting read.</p>
<p>You are correct in saying that it all depends on how you use your time. Some kids need a kick in the rear to make films. If they were all on their own, without anyone holding their hand, they wouldn’t have the courage or the discipline to learn and work independently… but, is this really such a bad thing? Surely if you need the validation of a school, you’re partially bound for failure from the get go. Surely if you need that kick in the rear, you won’t ever be cut out to do things on your own. I suppose the point I was initially trying to make is that film school is a padded environment separate from the actual film industry, and creates padded writers and filmmakers. At the end of the day, everything boils down to skill. A completed feature film to show off will always look better to a prospective producer/studio executive than a film school degree. If two screenplays pass the desk of a studio head, one good and written by a USC grad, the other amazing and written by a high school dropout, the dropout will always win. I repeat. The. Dropout. Will. Always. Win. This is nonnegotiable (I’m sticking to my guns on that). At the end of the day, when you graduate film school, you’ll be in the same boat as everyone else. Jobs will not come to you; you need to go to them. The internship flow is a bit of a myth. Unlike other professions where you simply need to train new recruits on the job, an industry like the film industry doesn’t have the time or the money to reward individuals who don’t possess natural, raw talent. Remember, you can graduate from USC film school and still be the worst filmmaker on the planet. I understand that young filmmakers need support, but even a film class or club would offer some like minded friends for a fraction of the price. I’ve simply never agreed with the philosophy of spending tens of thousands of dollars for friendships.</p>
<p>That’s all I had to say. Everyone’s got a few bad films in them before they can direct/write something great. Some people never even get to that point. The choice is what environment you’ll find that out in. The only caution I was trying to spread is that $30,000 - $60,000 a year in tuition may not seem like a large sum of money to a fresh high school student, but when they graduate and need to find funding for their first indie feature (money doesn’t fall from the sky) it’ll seem like the jackpot.</p>
<p>Once again, good luck to anyone making this decision. </p>