jeremy18458
New member
IS film school worth going to with the prces so high. I dont want to be in debt for the rest of my life and finding a job in the film industry is very hard and risky. im just saying i hope i will make a living .
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FILM SCHOOL
- Thread starter jeremy18458
- Start date
jimkellydurgin
New member
Jeremy - Unfortunately tens of thousands of aspiring hopefuls run into six figure dept and will never repay the school loans by working in the film industry. It is not so hard to pass the courses at most film schools but it is painfully easy to fail to get a job, any job, including production assistant- gofer-runner.
Film schools are great for academia and theory and some hands on practice.
Some of the grads do reach a career in the biz because they do learn something about film. But it is a fairly small percntage of them.
For film school grads with their degrees, it is recommended they attend a vocational trade film school in order to upgrade into an ability to gain employment. Filmmakers need professionals with quality job skills in virtually every category of film work. That's why they pay such good money.
Check out cinemaartstech.com for some of the stepping stones to success.
Film schools are great for academia and theory and some hands on practice.
Some of the grads do reach a career in the biz because they do learn something about film. But it is a fairly small percntage of them.
For film school grads with their degrees, it is recommended they attend a vocational trade film school in order to upgrade into an ability to gain employment. Filmmakers need professionals with quality job skills in virtually every category of film work. That's why they pay such good money.
Check out cinemaartstech.com for some of the stepping stones to success.
minnesota and film?
minnesota and film?
i go to school at minnesota state university: moorhead which is basically unknown as being a film school. we offer classes in 16MM where you can make a film and the school is inexpensive. if it is what you want to do and you have the drive- come here and learn more about films, new and old, and get a chance to learn the craft with some GREAT professors and make films, isn't that what it is all about?
I am so confident with my skills i have learned here that i am moving to LA to start in the industry and pray for the best.
all the best,
kt
minnesota and film?
i go to school at minnesota state university: moorhead which is basically unknown as being a film school. we offer classes in 16MM where you can make a film and the school is inexpensive. if it is what you want to do and you have the drive- come here and learn more about films, new and old, and get a chance to learn the craft with some GREAT professors and make films, isn't that what it is all about?
I am so confident with my skills i have learned here that i am moving to LA to start in the industry and pray for the best.
all the best,
kt
jimkellydurgin
New member
Kate - Learning something about film at film school can be helpful in learning some of the basic requirements for motion pictures. Dramatic theatrical feature films and episodic television films are made in a vastly different manner than docs. Yes, both use the same if not quite similar equipment but the styles of filming for each differ in almost every single way. It seems that the skills for each category of film work is accomplished on dramatic films in a much, much different way.
When you do arrive in Los Angeles, look us up, sit in a free session to see what it is about, and learn far more than what was taught at your school.
The vast majority of film school degreed grads fail to make a living in film. According to a recent story in the Valley Daily News, about 254 awards were given at the Sundance Film Festival over a period of years. Over 150 of these directors never made more than one more picture! My numbers may be off but they are close and quite representative of the results of "Award Winning" films. The failure rate is phenomeneal.
Holywood by-ways are litered with thousands of aspiring hopefuls of recent grads and grads of a long time ago. Some are still trying to get in ten or fifteen years later. I have personally talked to about eight thousand of them over a four plus year period of time as they paid for and attended seminars on how to enter the business as a lowly paid or no-pay position of Production Assistant. Many did enter the biz, but it usually takes many years to rise into decent pay and then into the good pay with that approach.
Once again, check us out at cinemaartstech.com and let us know if you think some of our professionals can teach you something about film. Look at some recent results of the Script Supervisor training. Job skills are critical for employment. Contrary to popular belief, there is a shortage of skilled workers in town. jim kd
When you do arrive in Los Angeles, look us up, sit in a free session to see what it is about, and learn far more than what was taught at your school.
The vast majority of film school degreed grads fail to make a living in film. According to a recent story in the Valley Daily News, about 254 awards were given at the Sundance Film Festival over a period of years. Over 150 of these directors never made more than one more picture! My numbers may be off but they are close and quite representative of the results of "Award Winning" films. The failure rate is phenomeneal.
Holywood by-ways are litered with thousands of aspiring hopefuls of recent grads and grads of a long time ago. Some are still trying to get in ten or fifteen years later. I have personally talked to about eight thousand of them over a four plus year period of time as they paid for and attended seminars on how to enter the business as a lowly paid or no-pay position of Production Assistant. Many did enter the biz, but it usually takes many years to rise into decent pay and then into the good pay with that approach.
Once again, check us out at cinemaartstech.com and let us know if you think some of our professionals can teach you something about film. Look at some recent results of the Script Supervisor training. Job skills are critical for employment. Contrary to popular belief, there is a shortage of skilled workers in town. jim kd
Film school is just an expensive way to make contacts. Every person I speak with that went to film school (not even necesarily graduated) said the only thing they learned in film school is how to make and use contacts.
I did one year of film school. One of my friends graduated from the same university in five years of film school. I recently got a job on a low-budget ($3M) feature. Because of my contact from film school. Learning about composition, how to write a mediocre screenplay, and self-taught editing - none of these came into play on this job.
In fact, one of my good friends worked as a production accountant for years. She was very good friends with a big name director who recently passed away. I asked her about film school. Her reply?
"When we would hire kids to come work for a movie, as interns, production assistants, anything like that, we'd take all of the applicants from film school and put them in a pile. They were the bottom of the barrel. Studios want you to do things their way, not the film school way. And they don't want to take the time to un-teach and re-teach you how to do things properly."
My two cents.
I did one year of film school. One of my friends graduated from the same university in five years of film school. I recently got a job on a low-budget ($3M) feature. Because of my contact from film school. Learning about composition, how to write a mediocre screenplay, and self-taught editing - none of these came into play on this job.
In fact, one of my good friends worked as a production accountant for years. She was very good friends with a big name director who recently passed away. I asked her about film school. Her reply?
"When we would hire kids to come work for a movie, as interns, production assistants, anything like that, we'd take all of the applicants from film school and put them in a pile. They were the bottom of the barrel. Studios want you to do things their way, not the film school way. And they don't want to take the time to un-teach and re-teach you how to do things properly."
My two cents.
In the end it all comes down to how well you can make your own path. If you want to direct then I would suggest spending your time and money on making your own films. Talent is what will get you through, but some times even that is not enough. You have to be able to take action on your own without someone prodding you. 10,000 film grads end up on the street every year. The studios make 200 films a year. Very few if any of those 200 are made by new film grads. Independent filmmaking is the way to go to get noticed. You have to show you can make a film and the only way to do that is to make films. The key to a great film is to start with a great script. Everybody wants that great script...without it you are going nowhere. Learn filmmaking...one way or the other...books or school.
Film Production Technique, Just Shoot It!, and Filmmaker's Handbook are great books.
Spend your money wisely.
Film Production Technique, Just Shoot It!, and Filmmaker's Handbook are great books.
Spend your money wisely.
jimkellydurgin
New member
CWHIT - I do agree that shooting your films is a good practice but only after you learn how to shoot one. Self taught filmmakers, like self-taught attorneys, architects, dentists, etc. do lack professionalism. Anybody can make a movie today. I've met many Writer-Producer-Director types under twelve years old. They do the work and they have the titles.
However, for the serious aspiring hopeful with a desire for professional and commercial success, the best way to learn is with the standard folk-lore hand-me-down system used in films for generations: Professionals hand down how to do it to the rookies in every category of film work.
If you think you can learn from top Hollywood's real-life working filmmakers, check out cinemaartstech.com. It does have the very best, most production experienced working professional group of instructors compared to any other film school in this country! They can provide that folk-lore style of training. And probably at the lowest prices: $5,000.00 for the LineProducer-Production Manager- Production Accountant Course. With this course alone each student could be well qualified to work in a key job in the industry.
Save years of struggling to get a degree, then many more years trying to get into the biz, and then years more of slow vertical rising up into a key job. Skip all of that forementioned sluggish ladder climbing and actually start work in a key job as many success oriented individuals have done in the past and continue to do so today!
Call me for more info at 818-787-8886. jim kd
However, for the serious aspiring hopeful with a desire for professional and commercial success, the best way to learn is with the standard folk-lore hand-me-down system used in films for generations: Professionals hand down how to do it to the rookies in every category of film work.
If you think you can learn from top Hollywood's real-life working filmmakers, check out cinemaartstech.com. It does have the very best, most production experienced working professional group of instructors compared to any other film school in this country! They can provide that folk-lore style of training. And probably at the lowest prices: $5,000.00 for the LineProducer-Production Manager- Production Accountant Course. With this course alone each student could be well qualified to work in a key job in the industry.
Save years of struggling to get a degree, then many more years trying to get into the biz, and then years more of slow vertical rising up into a key job. Skip all of that forementioned sluggish ladder climbing and actually start work in a key job as many success oriented individuals have done in the past and continue to do so today!
Call me for more info at 818-787-8886. jim kd
wow...i just want make movies but some of you guys are raining down on my parade........is it really that hard to find a good job in film....i love movies and i
LOVE music, what i actually want to do is get into a band and hit it big but i want film to help back me up... i have lots of voacl talent and i know i can do it but the question is always how...but if i fail i want to fall back on my film
LOVE music, what i actually want to do is get into a band and hit it big but i want film to help back me up... i have lots of voacl talent and i know i can do it but the question is always how...but if i fail i want to fall back on my film
jimkellydurgin
New member
FAT JACK - Is it tough to get into the biz? Is it ever! Many estimates are that ninety-five percent of film school grads do not make a living in films.
I have actually talked to over eight thousand hopefuls, all wanting to get into films and thirty to forty percent of them had degrees in film and could not even get a job working for free as a lowly Production Assistant. This was in a series of seminars conducted at Paramount Warner Bros. and Universal Studios.
On the other hand, most of my trainees not only get into film, they work in a key job, making lots of money.
Call me and let me inform you how you might succeed in the biz, if you are serious. Jim - 818-787-8886.
I have actually talked to over eight thousand hopefuls, all wanting to get into films and thirty to forty percent of them had degrees in film and could not even get a job working for free as a lowly Production Assistant. This was in a series of seminars conducted at Paramount Warner Bros. and Universal Studios.
On the other hand, most of my trainees not only get into film, they work in a key job, making lots of money.
Call me and let me inform you how you might succeed in the biz, if you are serious. Jim - 818-787-8886.
E
element80
Guest
Kees Van Oostrum (director and cinematographer) is at my school all this week, and he was telling us the other day in calss that it's not so much what you elarn in film school, as it is who you meet. the truth is, you do learn a lot more actually working on shoots than you do in classrooms, but as everyone knows, part of the business is who you know. If you get a good group of students working on eachother's productions, and one of them makes it big after graduation, odds are they will bring you up with them. Kees was telling us that he still talks with a lot of people he graduated from AFI with.
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