CHUD.com Community › Forums › ARTS & LITERATURE › Budding Filmmakers › Where Are the Film School Students?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Where Are the Film School Students?

post #1 of 15
3/19/03 at 11:17pm
Thread Starter 
After reading the thread about whether you "need" to go to film school or not i just wanted to get a head count and location of the chewers out there in film school or about to attend film school. I'm attending the Academy of Arts in San Francisco this fall.

Not the firt route i wanted to take. Like many people have advised i just wanted to invest any money i had saved up for college into a film and equipment. However easier said than done, my familys basically making me go to school, or drop any fundings. So i decided to give in and just do film school since its the only thing i've ever wanted, i mean i just wanna create something that not only i can appreciate but i can share with everyone else. Not to mention as someone who is into just about everything (seriously i get hooked on certain things i just have to learn about it, gives great expirience, writing material.) its perfect. Not that i come from a rich family that will be able to pay for all my school or anything, but a little help is better than no help, hell scraping all this tip money as a bartender is hard enough.

Anyways, just a little background info on how i ended up gooing with film school. I would love to hear from any Chewers in or going to film school, especially if you going to the same school i am. Even if your not and just live in the area it would be cool to meet some other movie enthusiasts.
Reply
post #2 of 15
3/20/03 at 12:09am
I am currently taking filmmaking classes at my local community college. But because of the stupid state budget cuts the college will no longer offer a filmmaking class after this semester. This reall sucks because our teacher's, Jay Rosenblatt, second job is being the head teacher in Stanford's film department. That's right, Stanford.

So after this semester I'll just go to the communty college again trying to get enough credits to transfer to USC. If I can't get into USC then I'll try SF State. In the mean time a couple of friends and I will try and get a filmmaking club started so that we can use the cameras the college has available.
Reply
post #3 of 15
3/20/03 at 2:23am
Mr. Rathbandu and I both go to NYU. Other may too, but they're not as vocal (and they should be).

Except he is in cinema studies (I believe) and I am in Film and Television production. The difference? 6th floor versus the 9th floor, or whatever.

Anyways, we've still never met but he's cool nonetheless...

And getting back onto topic, I was thinking the other day about taking my $41,000.00 a year here, leaving, and then just making something, anything and then attempting to go the film festival route. While I do believe learning something film related at film school is necessary and the contacts you make help you establish some sort of minor base which to fall back upon, I've had "the doubt" recently. Maybe it'll pass, maybe it won't...
Reply
post #4 of 15
3/20/03 at 8:10pm
I go to the University of Oklahoma. Film Studies. The Film making school in the arts college are arty snobs and I want no part of it. There is no reason to go here if you want to make movies unless you want to meet people. Everyone here talks big but no one here does anything.

But I do have contacts I have met here that are invaluable, including the producer of the Godfather, the talent scout for Benderspinct Management (The Ring, American Pie) and the producer for Igby Goes Down. That's cool, I guess.

Only reason I am still in school is because I am delaying paying back financial aid.
Reply
post #5 of 15
3/25/03 at 11:39pm
i was briefly enrolled in the Film Production major at Cal State Long Beach. film school in general is not worth it. the idea of having a 'plan B' however is the most important. the odds of you making your money back on a student film are so low, its not worth the time, effort, and money. if you have no choice but to go to school, take art classes, take english classes, take history classes. that's the stuff that will inspire you. i said this before in another forum, the closer you are to everything you want to do, the more of a chance you have at doing what you want and making a living doing it.

nothing happens overnight.
Reply
post #6 of 15
3/26/03 at 2:27am
I'm 31 and just starting school. Instead of college after high school I joined the military and wound up in Desert Storm. Since then I had gotten comfortable being married and working a blue collar job and shutting off my creative side. Now I'm divorced and realize I've wasted so much potential by getting the idea in my head that in order to do something you have to be that one in a million person that gets that break in life and gets something handed to you on a silver platter. Since the odds are one in a million I might as well just start planning for my retirement. What the hell happened to me? A woman!!! They're evil!!!

Anyway, I'm enrolled in a community college where I'll be getting my Associates in Arts by taking all the English, script & play writing courses they offer as well as stage acting. I don't want to act but I'm just curious about what it feels like.

After that I'll see where I'm at and look into a university to get a Bachelors in Film.

I have alot of catching up to do but I'm motivated and older and wiser too!
Reply
post #7 of 15
3/26/03 at 2:53am
Thread Starter 
Wow Floyd, you have no idea how close i came to living your life. I joined the marines last year, but left boot camp due to illness. I would have been in this war now. Kinda glad i didnt go now.
Reply
post #8 of 15
3/26/03 at 12:30pm
I don't regret it for a minute. I'm proud to have served my country and the experiences I got and the things I saw around the world I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. I guess the biggest thing I've learned in hindsight is that no matter your age or where you are in life set a goal and make something happen! Don't ever be afraid of failure because they are learning experiences as much as the successes are. Jesus, I sound like an old man!
Reply
post #9 of 15
3/26/03 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
Yah i know what you mean. Hell leaving was my biggest regret in my 19 years. However, i think it'll lead me to better things. Get on with my attempt at film making a lot earlier in life. Not to mention boot camp itself is a trip, Marines aint no joke, that for sure. Hell i learned so much just going through there and taking mental notes of everything, that i've actually got a story coming out of it. I'm sure you have even more with your life expirience, best thing for writing is to live life. No substitute for it.
Reply
post #10 of 15
3/28/03 at 8:49am
I have a B.A. in Film and work in Distribution. I'm the only person I know in Distribution that has a film degree and I'm not particularly high up in the pecking order so to speak. It's not particularly important in this end of the industry. In fact it's more frustrating than not having one and wishing you were at NYU or USC I'm guessing.

You just become the guy people come to when they can't remember who directed such and such.

Don't use film school to get a career, use film school - or even your own private study through watching, writing or reading as much as you possibly can - to better yourself in the passion that drives you and then use that drive to pursue your career. It'll be much more rewarding.
Reply
post #11 of 15
3/28/03 at 12:47pm
I went 2 semesters as a film major at Columbia College in Chicago. I'm now taking courses at community college to get Gen Eds out of the way, and I will be transferring to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the Fall. I changed my major to History, and I will minor in Film Studies. I never regarded Columbia as a *real* school, and in a way I regret ever going there, because I learned hardly anything and wound up $10,000 in debt. So I will get a real degree from a cheap-o state school, and then perhaps go to grad school for Film Studies. I wouldn't recommend Columbia College to anyone. I seriously learned more on my own time, just watching films and reading books about film than I did after 2 semesters there.

My boyfriend does have a film degree from Columbia..and he feels it is totally worthless. He isn't working in the industry in any way. He is currently looking at grad schools.
Reply
post #12 of 15
3/28/03 at 4:05pm
Does the film school make the man/woman/director or does the man/woman/director make the film school?
Reply
post #13 of 15
4/2/03 at 1:15am
I don.t want to sound too pessimistic but, a " film degree" won't necessarily lead you to anything worthwile and important for this type of career.

If you people really wan't to "advance" and achieve something. You need to organise yourselves first.
The only real good thing about film school is that you get to meet people who share similar passions and ambitions.
Personally, Once I'm going back to europe,I'm planning to co-produce my project with 5 or even 8 other friends. And later on, eventually create our very own film production house.

You need to Impose yourselves. And once you do, If your film really has a huge potential. and if you are persistent,patient,capable and willing to make some sacrifices.Your efforts will be rewarded. And never forget that your first film (or short film) is the most decisive and important one. If you're fucking things up with your first film. You'll lose all credibility.Though the chances are thin
..you might also meet some important people in film schools. Never miss an opportunity to befriend and share your ideas with them (connections are always a good thing).. etc....

Internship is also very beneficent.

HA-4 OUT!

----------------------------------

Drink recipe of the moment.
THUG PASSION
- 3 part(s) Alize
-1 part(s) Hennessey

Pour Alize over ice. Top with Hennessey .
----------------------------------

fav single of the moment
Not an addict
by K's Choice
Reply
post #14 of 15
4/3/03 at 11:40am
Yeah, a film degree may mean next to nothing in the real world, but the technical stuff you learn there...different equipment, editing, etc....is priceless.

Unless you have the resolve to just teach yourself by reading books and just getting out there and doing it...then you could save about $40,000 in college debts.

But most of the classes they force you to take (film related) are total bullshit.
Reply
post #15 of 15
4/3/03 at 12:05pm
I go to one of the premiere Film Arts schools in the country, but I'm not "in film school." I study Film as an Art Form instead of the hands on stuff.

I guess the only bit of advice I could offer you is this:

1. If you want to make Films, go to NYU.

2. If you want to make Movies, go to USC. In retrospect I should have tried much harder to get into there rather than NYU.

3. Never hire a dancer for anything besides dance. I know that has nothing to do with the topic at hand, but I always say it as it's a running joke. Remind me to explain it sometime.

I, for one, am excited at the number of filmmakers in this forum. I think that the passion you guys and gals have cannot be replicated, not in a million years, and it's that same sort of passion in which magic is then born.

Godspeed.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Budding Filmmakers
CHUD.com Community › Forums › ARTS & LITERATURE › Budding Filmmakers › Where Are the Film School Students?