I enjoy at least two Miley Cyrus songs, so I suppose I’m out. I was going to tell you your movie will probably be shitty, anyway.
Shotzi, why do you even bother?
There’s another thread, but I don’t feel like looking further.
I have never been to filmschool but i think it may depend on what kind of films you want to make. It has been said that to make a film with a miniscule budget you could learn everything in about 30 days. If you want to make glossy big budget films their may be a lot of value in the advanced equipment and techniques you would be exposed to in filmschool. But why would you want to do that?
Because I enjoy some of her music. The one that goes, “my best friend Leslie says ’she’s just being Miley’” and that new one about moving to LA and moving my hips like yeah. Why don’t you bother, KJ?
Well, one’s taste in music isn’t necessarily a gauge of anything. For example, I once read an interview with Sarah Chang, considered one of the greatest violinists, in which she said that her favorite non-classical musicians were the band Poison—yes, the one with Brett Michaels. Of course, this was some 10 years ago when Sarah Chang was in her teens, but still…
SHOTZI just an example. But really this is not the place for you to defend Miley Cyrus. I don’t care. A real conversation would be nice. Have you been to filmschool or not? do you have any actual imput to this discussion? If the answer is “no” than thank you for so aplty illustrating why I don’t take your “shitty” opinion very seriously. @ MIKE, yes I’ve run into that situation with the professors at the college I currently attend- Most things I can and have already read in books. It’s like going to school to be an English major and the instructor is teaching you the ABC’s. Rather frustrating. Even Glossy big budget equipment can be learned by what proffessionals say on how to video and blogs (CML) and in books and so forth. But still Going to film school is where most film makers make their most reliable and enduring network. And I should be fun going to school with a concentration of people who all love film and film making.
but then again their would be SHOTZI in the back of the class chewing bubble gum, making lame jokes and blasting unsophisticated and technically unchallenging music with highly repetitive patterns and “embarassingly uninteresting and predictable” lyrics.accidental post…
I forgot about the networking thing. There is some potential value in that.
Thanks Glemaud. That pretty much wraps it up. Since there was an entire. thread. already.
RH Marcellin – I’ve said this a million times on other threads so I will just give you the bullet points and be as succinct as possible.
- I was originally a theater major that switched to film when I was in junior college. I eventually transferred to a school in Southern California (I won’t say which one) to go into a film production program. I got my BA and the experience changed my life. Yes, you can learn outside of school. But the opportunities are far greater when you are surrounded by people who are interested in doing what you are interested in. School gives you the place where you can fail. As a filmmaker, you need to be able to experiment. You need to be able to screw up. You need to fail. You need to make a terrible film. Because that’s how you learn. School provides the support and safe environment for this to happen. If you’re just a dude shooting films, you’ll probably be a lot more cautious and wary of failing.
-Equipment. I stand by my statement that every filmmaker should learn how to shoot on film. If you didn’t go to film school, what is the likelihood that you would have the opportunity to shoot on film, practice on film? Probably slim. I love film, I am an admitted film snob, all of my films have been shot on negative, but I will still say that learning the craft of loading, etc. is an important part of the process.
-In addition to experimenting, film school gives you the chance to test the waters and try other areas besides directing – writing, editing, cinematography, sound, etc. You may think you want to be a director but then go to film school and learn that you love another craft more. And even if it doesn’t, it gives you some experience doing other things which will make you a better director.
-A lot of people I went to film school with went in thinking they wanted to be filmmakers. Through the course of program, they realized they directing wasn’t for them. It’s one thing for you and your buddies to spend a Saturday afternoon playing with your mom’s camcorder – shooting a short film with 30 people on set that YOU have to direct is something else. A lot of people I know realized they couldn’t handle it or they didn’t enjoy it. But they learned that in film school, which I think is better than wasting years of your life shooting films only to learn you hate it.
-The number one benefit of film school for me was the people. I’ve been out of school for two years now and I can still easily round up 20-30 people if I needed a crew. The support that you receive, the comradarie, it’s unequaled. These people will be friends for the rest of my life. The experiences we shared on set is wholly unique.
-Meet people who can help you once you’ve graduated. The networking aspect is completely real and once you graduate, these friends can help you land jobs. You will meet people who know people who know people. It really is a snowball effect, even if you don’t try to meet people!
-Having a degree will help you get a good paying job so you can afford to shoot films. I make damn good money so that I can afford to spend $7k on a short film in my spare time. As well, having a degree has given me the flexibility to move up in my job and gave me the opportunity that I now have, which is working at a studio. Obviously you don’t need a degree to be a filmmaker and the job that I have is not related to directing per se. But eventually I hope that it will put me in a place where I have the opportunity.
Those are just a couple of things off the top of my head. Obviously to each his own there have been plenty of successful filmmakers make it without going to school. But for me, it’s changed my life and only solidified my interest in being a director. You get out of it what you want and that’s about as succinct as I can put it.
Thanks Fredo for the perspective. Much appreciated.
I agree with Fredo. :-) i was study in filmschool too. and i got nmuch experience there.
Now, that was something i was desperately in need of… Thanks a lot Fredo, there are more good sides to going to film school than i thought. You have just convinced me even more of going to a film school!
I started at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to pursue a degree in dramatic writing. However, I quickly reevaluated my options after getting a better grasp of what needs to be done in order to be a filmmaker. I decided it made much more sense to attend a city / state school and study whatever the hell I wanted, while taking advantage of their film department to hone in on my skills. I find it far more practical to spend 5000 dollars a year on school as opposed to over 40,000, being that film making relies just as much on financial freedom as it does on knowledge of the art itself. My plan is to try taking out a moderate loan following my graduation and put it towards an independent feature, while most film students from colleges such as NYU and BU will in all probability already be in debt. It’s risky, but then again so is anything worth doing. I’d suggest looking into your state school’s film, writing or photography programs. All of them teach vital skills that can spark a career in film making.
Another thing about having a degree is that it gives you opportunities for work should your film career not take off as you had hoped.
I say – go to school (it’s a great experience and a lot of fun), but go somewhere commonsensical. We’re currently looking at an economic landscape whose availability for success favors those who are willing to be completely self-made. As you said, if you have the talent it’s already in you. Hopefully you’ll end up making something good, the contemporary film industry needs all the help it can get.
Good luck!
P.S. Fredo gave some killer advice.
We’re currently looking at an economic landscape whose availability for success favors those who are willing to be completely self-made.
You mean fewer kids graduating and eagerly hopping right into the position of corporate tools? Wow. I hope a great many more of your generation quickly comes round to your understanding.
i’m actually moving to Austin to become a resident and try to attend the film school at the University of Texas in Austin within the next couple years. i’m certain i’ll have to attend the community college there to up my general ed. credits, but i’m super determined to make it happen. anyone attend this program??
and i second Roger Hayn – Fredo gave some enlightening advice!
Reginald Healer Marcellin
(I’ve Posted this separately in this Garage forum because those of us here are more likely film makers than just film viewers)
I feel (emphasis of feel) that if you are either a decent/good/great film maker, that it is already in you. I realize the ambiguousness of this statement and understand that at the moment I have no empirical way of justifying this, nevertheless I have that feeling. Some people need film school and some do not. I am currently at the point where I have to decide whether to simply start making films (investing college money into my production) or whether to go to film school. I’ve been to many film schools sites and the student and faculty show reels are embarrasingly uninteresting and predictable. This worries me. This is a relatively short story, only it takes to long to tell, so here’s my point: Anyone who has been or currently is in a film school of any kind please state where you go, the pro’s and con’s, your favorite classical composer and your favorite modern musician. The information is greatly appreciated and I am sure anyone other than Just myself will appreciate it as well.
NOTE: the ‘favorites’ query is merely part of my system to gauge you and your individual tastes. It is bias but anyone who tells me “film schools suck man” and their favorite musician is Miley Cyrus, I will not be taking their opinion seriously.