Choosing the Film School to Fit Your Needs
The term “film school” can be labeled on several types of schools. They all teach filmmaking in some capacity but are unique in the ways they do this. Independent film schools are different than university film degree programs even though both teach film related material and skills.
They all teach varieties of the same thing but the methods, techniques, costs, program lengths and even material covered will be different each place thus it is best to explore all your choices and then choose the one that best suits your needs.
University Film Schools
You do your normal education as well as film classes for your major over the course of four years.
Good Points
– Scholarships are available for academics, talent and sports.
- The teachers are pros who know the business and teach part time so they can bring in other pros to teach you as well.
– Plus these programs get first dibs on the prized high profile internships and jobs giving their students an advantage.
– There is tons of equipment available at all times for students to use and learn on.
The Down Side
– The work you do during school may not be yours to own under some school policies.
– General education classes will pull your concentration from your filmmaking studies.
College Film School
Schools that aren’t as large as the universities however still offer film degrees.
Good Points
– The admission process is less competitive so you can get in easier.
– Fewer students give you a more personalized education.
The Down Side
– There is less equipment and access to industry professionals and such because of the smaller size.
Shortened Filmmaking Study Programs
– Filmmaking condensed into around a one year time span.
The Up Side
– You get to start working in the business sooner because the program is shorter.
– The schools take place in real working conditions so you get to see and sometimes work on actual lots and locations where you never know what may happen.
Bad Points
– You won’t be able to work while going through the program because it is all intensive and full time.
- They tend to be very costly with lots of extra expenses.
Alternative Film Programs
Lots of people take weekend crash courses or other filmmaking programs from outside parties.
You’ll get the basics but not much more because real filmmaking takes a long time to learn.
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