<p>Yes. The most important thing is to start making films. Or start writing films if that is what you want to do. </p>
<p>And film school is fun. Looking back (I graduated in 1999 from BU Film) - I’d say if there’s a way for you to go to film school without going into too much debt - go for it. Film school is a blast and I’m really glad that I’m actually working in the film industry now because if I wasn’t I don’t know what I’d be able to do for a job. :)</p>
<p>Some people recommend getting a “real degree” in undergrad and then going to study film and this is a good option. Study writing in undergrad then film school. Business then film school? There are many options. But follow your dreams… and do it with as little debt as possible… Your future self will thank you for that. :)</p>
Do not plan on going into debt to attend film school. The way this usually works is that you will not get a “job” upon graduation like other majors do. You will probably need additional support for up to 6 months (or more) while you get a few gigs - free or low-paying. You might work for a week or two then be unemployed again. The work (if you are on a path to making it) will slowly increase, and if you are really good, you will reach a tipping point where people come to you rather than you pursuing them for work. BUT… important BUT, this will all not be possible to slowly ramp up yur career if you have student debt to pay back. You’ll have to get a jb that takes you in a direction away from yoru dreams. Do not go into debt to attend film school.
Thank you so much for this! I’m a sophomore in high school and plan to major in film in college! This is very useful advice and I plan to use this information to help me. Thank you again!
reposting what I wrote on another thread. Basically, go to film school and follow your dreams but tread lightly:
As a film professor for the past 5 years, let me say this. You want to go to a school in which its professors are/were professionals in their craft. I don’t care what the school is or even if their credits were mediocre at best, you want to go to a school where all/most of its faculty made a living solely doing what they’re teaching. Too many schools, mine included, are full of academics who have no real world experience (NOTE: exceptions to this is that if you’re planning to get a PhD in film and want to become an academic but I don’t recommend that to anyone because this is an adjunct nation.)
I say this because my department is full of tenured professors who haven’t done anything remotely creative in years. Or they’re full of part-time professors (me) who struggle to make a living.
Don’t go to a school that has that one quasi-celebrity stopping by for a two-hour guest lecture. Credits means a movie you’ve heard of or know the people in it, not some indie film without distribution. Again, it doesn’t have to be amazing credits either.
I hate to sound so negative here, but as someone who has lived and breathed film school since his early 20’s, I’ve seen so many people not getting what they pay for. For example, my program does not require its students to write a full-length screenplay, make a tv show, or direct a short film. I wanted to make our program more challenging but it’s fallen on deaf ears. I now feel my job, for better or worse, is to simply shuffle these kids through our system and I feel horrible about it, but I have 5 other classes to teach in addition to the ones I teach at the film school.
Aside from what I said above, any school that you can afford without taking massive loans. If you happen to be rich and can get into a school, go for it. But you want professional teachers who made movies with people in it, not PhD after PhD. You want an accredited school whose credits will transfer out to any other school. Avoid schools that advertise a lot.
The problem is that every school you talk to will tell you what you want to hear. They won’t lie (it’s illegal) but their job is to attract students who pay hefty tuition. Do you research (a lot of it) and then get back to writing the script or shooting that movie.
Our son was admitted to a highly regarded program (Ithaca Park School, direct admit to Writing for Film, TV, and Emerging Media), but even with scholarship/grant aid it’s not really feasible financially. He got into a LAC with a film major, and even though it’s a small program two of the professors have won local Emmy awards. The head of the department has written/produced a lot for the Baltimore PBS affiliate. Would these individuals count as professional teachers?