<p>I feel like the unpleasant truth is being avoided. The girl in this article - the one that went in to debt at NYU - did not just go into debt for filmmaking (a poor major in todays economy, especially at a place like NYU), but for creative writing - a terrible major in todays economy, especially at NYU. </p>
<p>I don’t know too much about theater, so I’ll keep my mouth shut on that one. But screenwriting? And filmmaking? These are both very, very, very poor choices today. The statistics of graduating students with jobs are misleading - many of them could be working in fast food. The reason I feel so sorry for this girl is because the message “college solves all” was probably hammered into her mind from a young age, so much so that she didn’t even think to consider how opting out of college or taking a gap year to pursue her craft could be the smart choice. </p>
<p>Film school today is, largely, obsolete - and for several reasons. Forty years ago when George Lucas went to USC, 35mm film was the only medium available to film with. 35mm cameras are very expensive, heavy, and difficult to maintain/operate, and a reel of 35mm film lasting more than a few minutes of rolling time could (and still does) cost thousands of dollars. Film is also easy to damage. Because of this, 35mm film was exclusively available to the very, very rich, or those in film school. If you wanted to practice real filmmaking, you had to go to film school! There was no choice. Digital camcorders for beginners did not exist. There was no such thing as kindle or nook books on filmmaking, nor were there easy to browse sites like amazon to pick the best instructional guides. Social media didn’t exist, so networking with other young people with similar interests was impossible unless you lived in a film school environment. Lastly, YouTube and the internet did not exist, so online tutorials for cinematography or critique websites and message boards for screenwriting were nonexistent. THESE were the days film school was “worth it”. This was the time the mystical, magical film school myth arose. This was the time when the pool of incoming filmmakers was significantly smaller, almost exclusively limited to prestigious college grads, and therefore kids being turned out of NYU and USC did go straight into the industry. This was the time that film school = fame and fortune. </p>
<p>Today, the film industry has expanded. Anyone, absolutely anyone, with a camera can shoot a film. With the advent of digital technology, online rental, and social media websites, you can make a decent, even great quality film for only a few thousand dollars. In essence, you could squeeze out two “Blair witch projects” or four “el mariachi’s” with one years tuition at NYU or USC. </p>
<p>Not to mention that the days film students went straight into the industry are (for the most part) dead and gone. The competition is too steep. Most, if not all, incoming directors will start out in the independent bracket, not the studio bracket, period. Budding screenwriters have a better chance, because selling your work to a studio is easier than convincing a studio to let you direct a major motion picture. Writer/director hybrids (or producer/writer hybrids) are the best off, because they can use leverage with an outstanding script to wiggle their way into a directors chair, assuming they’re talented enough to beat all the odds. The independent film industry today is beginning to sink, and only the economically savvy young people will be able to navigate it. This is a very intriguing (albeit a little sobering) article highlighting these new challenges. Even if it may seem disheartening on the surface, I think it’s information is invaluable: <a href=“http://www.salon.com/2014/02/22/americas_next_wal_mart_the_indie_film_industry/”>http://www.salon.com/2014/02/22/americas_next_wal_mart_the_indie_film_industry/</a></p>
<p>To make it in this kind of environment, you can’t shackle yourself with mounds of debt. I think students should be encouraged to give themselves a brief window where they are completely free of debt and responsibility where they can pursue their dreams full force, 110%, no breaks for classrooms or lectures. Just pure, raw ambition, working from morning till night on getting scripts written or short films made, and eventually forming connections. They need a fair shot to fly. Significant debt kills dreams. Significant debt limits a young persons ability to take risks, particularly in a naturally risky field. </p>
<p>And a final note. While many parents can’t possibly imagine their wonderful son or daughter isn’t “cut out” for the film industry (their usually kind, wonderful personalities and aptitude in traditional high school may make it impossible to doubt their skill level), both parents and their children need to realize and embrace a hard fact: success as a filmmaker or writer is dependent on talent. There are writers out there who sit down and write an Oscar winning screenplay their first try (Diablo Cody anyone?) and there are writers who buy every how-to book and take every writing seminar they can, and they still aren’t good enough. The innate, raw talent isn’t there. This inborn talent can be honed, it can be strengthened, but usually, the kind of talent it takes to really, truly “make it” as a filmmaker or screenwriter (not maintain a lower, but passable, wage) can’t be created from nothing.</p>
<p>I’m not saying any of this to discourage. I just believe parents and students owe it to themselves to test the waters before committing to a school like NYU. You don’t go to NYU right out of the gate to see if this is something for you. You don’t go to NYU to find out if you have talent. There are many, many cheaper ways to find this frightening, but absolutely necessary, information out - post a short clip on YouTube, submit a screenplay to a contest, post part of it online for critique, try to query with it, heck, even get some professional coverage ($200-$600, but far cheaper than some other options). If a kid isn’t really cut out for filmmaking or screenwriting - for whatever reason - they owe it to themselves to get a sense of that BEFORE they dump thousands of dollars into a degree they may not be able to use. I think these kids need to develop a firm, solid backup plan if things don’t work out long in advance. There’s a difference between pessimism and hopelessness, and realism. On the contrary, I think putting large sums of money into film school on the assumption things will either work out for you as a filmmaker or screenwriter - or you’re screwed - can be far more crushing and debilitating than proceeding with the knowledge that you have the power, and there ARE other options lined up for you if things don’t seem to be working.</p>
<p>It’s so much easier to pursue a field like this with confidence and courage if you have a strong safety net below you and a firm assurance of your skill beforehand. Trust me. I just don’t think sending a kid off to a very, very expensive school and waiting to see what happens is the most calculated choice. Yes, there are many, many ways to defeat debt and succeed in spite of everything (it’s ridiculous to say all hope is lost if you’ve already graduated), but it’s always better to prevent these difficulties in advance. </p>
<p>Well, that’s what I pulled from the original article. </p>