For those looking to create exciting visual works, film schools can provide the basic education, training and specialized skills needed for filmmaking and video production. Film students learn how to produce radio and television news, studio programs, documentaries, sporting events, music videos, and especially feature films. The training will include classroom lectures and hands-on coaching to develop an understanding of the various media production processes.

Film schools offer a broad array of classes and specialties for students looking into occupations in the media and film production industry. They can prepare students for careers in animation, broadcasting, television production, and filmmaking with educational courses in media arts.

Film Schools can help students develop a sense of which role they might choose to pursue: production, performing artist or support. The industries of film, television, video, and radio generate literally thousands of jobs, both behind the camera and in view. Vocational, technical, and trade schools often provide courses in visual communications and media communications, as well as computer animation, writing, casting, acting, directing, and producing. They also provide courses in the technical aspects of filmmaking for positions such as gaffer, key grip, editor, and many others.

All skills for the film industry can be gained in film school for entry-level employment in the more than 250,000 jobs in the filmmaking industry. With the right education and background, a film production job may be found just about anywhere, but especially in California, New York, and Vancouver.

If you would like to learn more about Film Schools [http://www.schoolsgalore.com/categories/3/film_schools.html] and related programs of study such as Film and Photography, you can find more in-depth information and resources on our website.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2007 – All rights reserved by SchoolsGalore.com, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc.

With the advent of digital equipment the scope of film & video production has widened. The usual Hollywood styled film production is no longer the only route to a career for film graduates. There are a multitude of opportunities in audio and visual applications throughout business, government and the entertainment industry. That means OPPORTUNITY for the keenest graduates to produce their own film & video projects, or to land the most interesting positions with leading film & video production companies.

Financing has been a dirty word for years in the film industry. The ‘Blue Suits’ and the cold heart of the banker are synonymous with the enemy of the creative. However, in this new era of opportunity you need to be both the ‘Blue Suit’ and the creative.

How do you find a way to learn about film financing, film budgeting, etc.? First let’s look at Film Studies programs.

There are so many Film Study programs available now that I find it confusing, and I’ve worked in the film industry for over 20 years. The Universities are taking a Liberal Arts degree approach to their curriculums, and the Colleges/Schools are primarily taking a hands-on technical approach. In either case, it is unarguable that Film Studies is big business. The following excerpt from The New York Times Company, published
March 6, 2005©, made it clear to me how big a business Film Studies really is:

“Some 600 colleges and universities in the United States offer programs in film studies or related subjects, a number that has grown steadily over the years…. At the University of Southern California, whose School of Cinema-Television is the nation’s oldest film school (established in 1929), fully half of the university’s 16,500 undergraduate students take at least one cinema/ television class.”

Which College, School or University will best prepare the graduate for a career in film & video? If a student has invested 2 to 4 years of their lives in this degree, how can they turn it into a worthwhile career?

Let’s see what the Universities say about their own programs, and the kind of results they expect – that is, what the Graduate will be capable of when entering the work force. This promotional letter, posted on one University’s web site, says it all:

“A major in Film Studies is not an occupational or professional degree. A sound program of studies in this discipline, however, should qualify a student for a variety of vocational possibilities. Obviously an individual will need to employ his or her knowledge about film in either a creative or a practical capacity and, in either case, exercise the judgment and initiative that a rigorous pursuit of a major in Film Studies should develop.”

The use of ’should’ twice in three sentences tells the story – it’s up to you, Bud!

Film Studies programs (at any level) either don’t address, or don’t address strongly enough, the major force behind all film and video production – the MONEY! If the word money is brought up at all, it’s only a handshake and a nod. Most undergraduate programs have very little mention of Film Budgeting, and such things as Cost Reports and Business Plans are treated as foreign topics entirely. The Masters programs are only slightly better.

The reason for the void of information on such things as Film Budgets, Cost Reports, etc. in the academic sector originates from the big Hollywood production machine. The perpetual negotiations with the three big guilds (SAG, DGA and WGA), as well as with the IATSE & Teamster crew unions has forced the producing studios to be extremely confidential.

That era of total confidentiality isn’t over, nevertheless there is a huge demand to know more about film financing, film budgeting, etc. The new crop of Independent Film & Video makers want to make their own projects, find their own financing and do their own film budgeting and reporting of production costs. It is even increasingly possible for producers to distribute their own projects over the internet.

Believe me, the film school graduate who has a thorough understanding of their Film Studies program, AND understands the basic processes of Film Budgeting, Cost Reporting and Business Plans, is light-years ahead of the pack. A film studies graduate who can help prepare a financing package (that is, help to prepare a Film Budget and a simple Business Plan) would absolutely blow away any Independent Film & Video Production company. Can you imagine an Independent Producer who wouldn’t LOVE to have help with preparing and presenting a financing package?

I used to assume that the film students had a lack of interest in Film Budgeting and Costs (of any kind). Not anymore. I recently did a survey of film students at a respected film school. Here are the results of the survey:

Over 80% of the students said they felt it was important to know more about budgeting and how it affected their careers as filmmakers.

Film & Video production is one of the biggest industries in THE WORLD (next to weapon manufacturing, of course). The wide spread use of digital medium has created a new opportunity. That opportunity, although less expensive than the Hollywood style film productions we’ve grown used to, is still costly and requires financing. How do you get that financing? Where do you start?

Answer: You start with the basics of Film Budgeting, Cost Reporting and very simple Business Plans. If you can calculate a focal point, or learn how to operate a video camera, a Film Budget is a piece of cake.

Based on my experience over the past 20 years in the film industry, I can confidently say:

1. Graduates from Film Study programs who know the basics of film & video production money (Budgeting, Cost Reporting and Business Plans) will find they can take on more responsibility in their film & video projects, and

2. as a result will have more successful careers than their peers who haven’t learned to prepare Film Budgets, who don’t understand any production’s Cost Report and who never saw a simple Business Plan.

So how does a film student get familiar with Budgets, Cost Reports and a simple Business Plan? I’ve been a Production Auditor for 20 years and I’ve NEVER shown a crewmember a Final Budget or a Weekly Cost Report (the universally standard financial report card issued to the Financiers and Producers every week) in that entire time. They are considered sacrosanct by Studio Executives, Producers and Financiers everywhere.

Well, I’m about to tease you with some relevant articles that will open the door enough to let you walk through. They’re written for the complete novice, so be patient if you’ve already been exposed to budgets and cost reports.

Written by John Gaskin – With 20 years experience in the Film Industry as a Production Auditor, John has managed over 40 major films all over the world. John has worked with some of the industries top professionals including academy award winning producer Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Walter Salles, etc. John is the author of several articles as well as a book,”Walk The Talk”. See more “About the Author” at http://www.talkfilm.biz.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Gaskin

School rankings often list top film schools based on criteria such as industry reputation and connections and student experiences. This means a large part of the school’s prestige comes from who graduated from that school and whether the school has a strong relationship with the film industry.

Other film rankings are usually based on user submissions. This means anyone with an opinion can vote. Although looking at these rankings might help you get a vague idea of which schools have reputations, the informality of these rankings should let you know that it’s better to find out for yourself rather than trusting the opinions of strangers.

Consider this: even if a magic equation existed that could objectively measure film schools in general and make a list based on this equation that would place the “best” film school at the top of the list, the best school might still not be the right school for you. Do some research and ranking of your own to find out which schools to consider. Try to consider the following when narrowing down your film schools to a choice few:

Are you going to focus solely on directing? While some students at film school focus exclusively on directing, some film schools require course work in other areas of filmmaking such as acting, writing, editing, and producing. Either approach may be right for you, depending on what you prefer. If you want to be a director and you have no interest in exploring other fields, the former might suit you best. If you want a more well-rounded experience, the latter might fit your needs. Additionally, if you want to take another major apart from film altogether, you may want to examine whether the school’s other programs are reputable as well.

Is your number one priority to get a film started while at school? Although you may get plenty of filmmaking experience at school, you might not make a film while you’re there. Competition to direct a film is very stiff at some schools. Other schools require students to complete a full film or video production before graduation.

Are there any famous names at your school? Although you should not choose your school based on famous names, there are certain advantages to attending a school that has turned out famous graduates in the past. These famous names usually support these schools, and consequently the schools enjoy stellar equipment, strong reputation, and Hollywood connections. These schools typically have a big tuition bill. Other less famous schools can still provide you with a solid film education to launch you into the movie business.

Written By J. Edwards

Copyright 2007 Synthetic Rhyme, LLC. All Rights Reserved. http://www.iezine.com

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