Film School – Choosing the Right One For You
If you are considering applying to film school, the following checklist of things to look for may be helpful. Often it is not possible to travel to every film school you apply to, so comparing a school’s bulletin against this checklist will help.
The bulletin is a booklet (or book, in some cases) that breaks down the classes and resources offered by the school. It is updated and issued to students every academic year. Bulletins are typically be mailed to prospective students upon request, but many film schools have them online.
If you are applying to a large university, request the bulletin of the school that the film program is located in. For example, the film school at NYU is located in Tisch School of the Arts (TSOA), so you would request TSOA’s bulletin. Actually, there are three film programs at NYU, located in TSOA, the School of Journalism, and The School of Professional Studies. From this you can see why it’s important to request the correct school bulletin.
Again, a lot of this can be found online. Just keep in mind that the larger schools can be a maze of interconnected websites. To save time, you might try The Film School Reporter’s US and international film school directories (link below).
Perhaps better than reviewing the film school’s bulletin is calling them directly with your questions. We don’t recommend calling admissions. They are too far removed from actual film instruction and production, so their answers will be too general. The same goes for advisers and counselors.
What we recommend is that you call a member of the film faculty or production staff. They are in the best position to give you an inside look at the film school. Go through the points below with them. You’ll find that they are not out to “sell” the school and their answers will be surprisingly blunt.
Here is the checklist:
Equipment
What type of production and post-production equipment does the film school have? How often is it upgraded? This second question is most important. You don’t want to learn filmmaking on outdated gear. This can be determined by researching the school’s camera models online. Look carefully at the digital video cameras. Are they high definition (HD) or standard definition (SD). Standard definition equipment is fast becoming obsolete.
If they teach film in addition to video, is it 16mm, Super 16, or 35mm? 35mm is a big plus because Hollywood is reluctant to give up this format. On the other hand, 16mm and Super 16 have little value except as a stepping stone to 35mm.
Film Faculty
Are there any award winners? Check their credentials in the bulletin, and then crosscheck them online against the Internet Movie Data Base. You’ll be surprised by what you find.
Filmmaking Courses
Do they cover the areas that you want to specialize in (e.g., narrative, documentary, experimental, TV production, etc.). If you want to make documentary films but the school specializes in narrative production, you don’t want to discover this on the first day of class!
Ties to the Industry
What are the film school’s ties to the industry? Do they have successful (i.e., famous) guest speakers, faculty, or advisers?
Student Films
Are the school’s student films available for your review? Some schools issue them on DVD, while others put them online. Take a look-see. It will give you an idea of the type of filmmaking the school fosters, as well as its caliber. Are there award winning films in the archives? Successful alumni?
Student Exchange Programs
This is not for everyone, but it might be important to you if you have a desire to experience international technologies and film education.
Career Opportunities
Does the school have a student internship program or job placement program for graduates? There are two points not mentioned above that you should consider, both revolving around money. First, if the school you are considering is out of town, you must factor in the cost of living in a dorm or apartment during the course of your studies.
Second, you must consider the cost of making student films. Unlike, other academic programs, which only require books and supplies, film courses require that you make movies, which can be quite expensive. Some schools offer “allotments” to help defray the cost of production, but it is usually only a fraction of the actual expense. So, in addition to tuition, add on the cost of housing and making student films.
We hope this guide is helpful in researching the right film school for you.
-Antonio Fox
Visit Film School Juice! http://www.FilmSchoolJuice.com, dedicated to the art and craft of filmmaking for beginners and film students.
Here are links to the film school directories mentioned above: Best International Film Schools Directory and Best US Film Schools Directory.
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