<p>AppleBeam, To be frank, there’s no right or wrong way to get there, but there is an advantage of attending a strong film program. There are many schools out there that offer film production and screenwriting, but keep in mind that getting connected to the right people will give you an edge and how you sell it. It’s important to have passion, meaning endurance, hard work and long hours, not to give up, and the desire to get connected because you can’t do it alone.</p>
<p>The pros and cons of BFA vs. MFA in film. The advantage of a BFA program is you’ll be able to get started earlier in your career after you’ve graduated compared to wait until after an MFA program to get started. A BFA generally takes 4 years to complete while an MFA will take another 2 years to complete which will take a total of 6 years to complete. However, because MFA students are more schooled than BFA students, they’re usually have had more experience in film or other subject matters. Either way, you will find students both experienced and non in the grad programs in film. Those that don’t have any experience in film will be on track with some of the BFA students when it comes to knowledge and experience as a filmmaker. On the other hand, there are BFA students who have worked in the film industry or have intern experiences will probably have more filmmaking experience than some MFA students. </p>
<p>To give you another perspective, here’s an MFA student’s view from another site, “What is different is that most MFA students have gotten their BFA degrees in business, communications, law, political science, etc, etc, etc, etc. The BFA film students have none of that under their belt, they’re just working to get their degree in film. A BFA film degree is completely different than a BFA at regular schools.”</p>
<p>So my advice is whether you chose an undergrad program in film or a grad program in film, find a strong one that can support and connect you to the industry. Generally, the history or the success stories of their students will give you a hint of how strong their programs are. For example, here’s one from Chapman University. An excellent reputation from their recent grads and their success stories in the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.</p>
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