Which country?
I thought they’d all have film programmes.
Sean: are you looking for a film studies program or a film production program?
What are your grades like? If they are decent, then I would strongly recommend taking a look at Bard in New York. Very forward thinking college, not too big, incredible selection of majors including separate film production and film studies programs, on a lovely campus full of drugged out weirdos. It doesn’t get much better than that. I almost went there myself.
You definitely don’t need to go to USC, NYU, UCLA, BC, FSU, Columbia, Northwestern or any other reputable film school to make a career though, nor do you even need a degree in film necessarily. Just pick a place that will inspire you to do your best work. However if you are looking for a school with a stronger presence of film enthusiasts to collaborate with, you can’t be picky, they’re hard to find. I would also suggest looking for a school that has an artistic reputation even if it doesn’t have a film program, and looking into whether or not it has a film club. Film clubs are great because most schools have them and the kids who are there actually want to be there out of their love for film. I’m not a film major but am a member of the film, photography and creative writing clubs (and chess. lame, eh?) and am very pleased with them.
P.S. Even though it’s not a liberal arts school, I went to visit a friend at RISD a while ago who is in the film program, and lets just say they know how to get down out there in Providence.
@ Rog: Do you know anybody who goes to Bard for film? I really wanted to go there once, their film classes seemed to be top boss material.
Roger: Do you know anything about Vassar?
@Angelo – Wrote on your wall.
@Robley – Fantastic school in terms of academics. It has earned a reputation for having an abundance of female, gay and transgendered students. If you’re either a real big ladies man, or gay / transgendered, it is probably a pretty cool place.
It’s pretty questionable as to what a film school actually contributes. I think being successful in film is like any other artistic endeavor your talent either appeals to others or it doesn’t. On the other hand I know USC churns out directors who go on to become successful tv and commercial film directors as well as doing advertisements. So, film school is probably good at shaping you into a mold but for success it’s 100% you either got it or you don’t.
I went to NYU in the early 1990s and the only directors of note in the time I was there have been Eli Rioth, who graduated before me and Kyle Newman, director of “Fanboys,” who graduated two years after me. I think Liubei is right in that it’s really down to talent, dealing with a lot of rejection and having the mindstate to believe in yourself. Besides, I did Cineme Studies and I was a film critic for six years- my adventures have been put on this forum in one form or another. But I noticed that the academic side of film students were a lot more in-depth in their thought and understanding of cinema, whereas the film production people had very little knowledge of cinema history. They thought that film started with “Star Wars,” even at NYU!
It’s important to have a sense of history with regard to cinema, as it informs your thinking and creative choices, as does a lot of life experience. I got most of my film knowledge from being curious and self-educated about the art form I love and I’m passionate about. I think doing a film degree adds something of value to that, but there are limits.
As the non-practical side of film in university is inter-disciplinary, as it can’t stand on its own too feet much in academia, much of your thinking is informed via the traditional humanities subjects.
I can’t say I regretting my time at NYU; for a 20-year-old Brit it was blast, but there maybe cheaper alternatives, including not doing a degree in the subject at all. My only advice would be to read as many university film departments’ as possible and make your choice from there.
Sean Walker Hutton
anyone know any?