How difficult are the film classes at USC?

USCAlum05
Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:41:18 +0000

I wouldn’t characterize the classes as difficult per se, but as with so many other things you get out of it what you put in. The critical studies classes are somewhat like generic college classes in that you attend lectures, write papers, and have blue book (essay) exams, but you also screen films in class and 190 (the intro class) is said to separate the film students from the non-film students, because the serious ones spend all sorts of time in the cinema library learning their craft.

The production and writing classes are difficult in the sense that all of the work is done outside of class and you spend all of your time outside of class working on scripts and shooting films. That is a TON of work - especially if you want to do it well - but there are still people who halfa** it and it shows. Shooting fillms is a TON of work with writing the script, casting it, arranging logistics, editing it, laying in music, and putting together the finished product, but that’s where USC excels in preparing students for the actual reality of Hollywood, because that’s exactly how it is.