Advice on film schools, proper universities, OJT, etc.

[Jon Thomasberg]

My 18 yr old daughter will be graduating high school this year and is interested in pursuing directing, producing and acting. What are your suggestions on where she should consider attending/what the best course of pursuit should be given the current job environment and what others look for in a newbie fresh out of film school/college from your vantage point. Thanks for your input in advance.

 

[Michael Tiemann]

My 18 yr old daughter will be graduating high school this year and is interested in pursuing directing, producing and acting. What are your suggestions on where she should consider attending/what the best course of pursuit should be given the current job environment and what others look for in a newbie fresh out of film school/college from your vantage point. Thanks for your input in advance.

I am a Trustee of UNC School of the Arts, which is based in Winston-Salem NC. The film school, ranked #14 by Hollywood Reporter, has an accomplished faculty, good facilities, and a growing alumni network.

One of the great things about UNCSA is that it is a university of conservatories, which means that film school students can work with the music school (writing/performing original scores), drama (first-rate acting talent), design and production (great sets, costumes, wig, and makeup). This coming year they are working on a major collaboration to remake The Red Shoes with the School of Dance.

The collaborations between the schools are fantastic, but that doesn't mean that film students cannot also act, play music, do sets and props, etc. Its just that the school is brimming with creative talent and genius, so its not just a film school by itself.

Since this is REDUSER.net, I'll mention that they do about half their films on RED cameras that belong to the school.

 

[Chris Luker]

I would say the best value in education is from a school that has the equipment, staff, and experience to give a good, hands-on experience.
I teach at a local college and we just completed an $85 million rebuild grant that made our program one of the best in the west... Red cameras and all
Also, a state 2 year college like ours is a lot cheaper than a 4 year institution - like buy-a-Red-with-the-savings cheaper, and we focus on the skills and experience needed to get a job in the industry (a lot of students are working before they graduate!).

I would also tell her to get on set as much as possible right now. Find small productions and volunteer. It really does boil down to people you know. The more people you know in the industry, the more job opportunities there will be (if you are a hard worker).

 

[Hal Long]

Given the cost of tuition, private schools are pretty insane these days. USC, Loyola, UCLA are all in the $50k+/yr range. I went to USC for my MFA and it was great (class of 2000), but I have many friends still buried in debt from SC. I went through a similar experience with my daughter. She did a year at LMU in their Entrepreneurship school (rack tuition = $61K, we got it down to $38k with grants). It was a great school but after a year we all decided she'd be better off at a good in-state state school with much lower fees and little to no student debt on graduation. Especially for someone in the arts, graduating close to debt free should be a major consideration. So, she traded LMU for U of H in Waikiki and the total tuition dropped to under $10k/yr. Not too shabby.

In LA, I now work with people from colleges and film programs all over the country. It didn't used to be that way but there are great programs in most states. I say find the best one that fits your financial goals, work hard and often and then go to a film hub ready and willing to work her way up from the bottom!

I grew up in NOVA and know several people out here who had a great experience in drama at JMU in VA.

That said, if money's not an issue, there are a ton of prestigious schools out there.

 

[Akin A]

Instead of $50K film school tuition, I'd spend $50K on gear and hang out on forums/blogs/youtube/vimeo all day/night, learning.
Pretty much what I did.