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Camera vs. Film School

J

Jeremiah Kuehne

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You all seem like some opinionated people, and I'm in need of an opinion. How do you all feel about spending the money on film school, or would you think a better investment would be getting a decent camera and using sites like RU to learn the trade?

The reason I ask is because I'm a 16 year old who has always aspired to be a movie producer/director/cinematographer. What is your take on this, and what do you have your degree in if you have one?

Also, I'm not a slacker..I'm a 4.0 student who opted for college courses rather than staying in high school.
 
If daddy is paying - stay in school for as long as possible. A bit rough on the other side
 
Josh Beadle said:
If daddy is paying - stay in school for as long as possible. A bit rough on the other side
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If I'm paying..? I don't want to sit in school and grow soft. ;) Not only would I have to pay tuition, I would also be paying valuable moments of life that I can't get back.
 
I completely quit school when i was 14-15ish. I did have the worst grades and thought (still think) it (the school, or more, lessons at school) was completely unnecessary. Wether that was the best or worst decision of my life still has to be seen :). School gives (somewhat) stability, more chance of finding a decent job, maybe.
But a lot, lot in this industry can be done without school. Mostly i miss the interaction with other people, i think. On film school you'll meet people with same interests, who want to help you, give you other views, have great ideas. You just don't meet many of such people when you are so young outside of school. Because they are - obviously - in school!

Do what you feel. But please be a little careful along the way.
 
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I have a School of Arts Degree in Sound and Image (Specialty Cinema and TV) in a prestigious european university. A 5 year (!) course where I went from everything to learning philosophy, art design, symbolism, sound design, script writting, history of art, post production, production...Well, you name it. Did this made me a better filmmaker, or a better filmmaker if I spent those 5 years shooting my films the Robert Rodriguez way? Well, that's a very hard question to answer. One thing I have to say: Film School, or my University degree, didn't prepare me for the marketplace. What it did was to make me learn how to "Think". Learning all those theory and overal perception of art and film made me more "literate". However, the practical stuff i learned, specially in the Production part like camera operation, lighting, editing, etc. I was very poorly tutored. Maybe you guys have better film schools in the States, more practical ones. I have an University degree, it might help if in the future I need to get a job into teaching. But cinematography, camera operation, editing, directing I learned the "hard way": internships as scriptwriter and assistant director, independent film production, working as director in a tv station, and then, well, tvc director in a publicity oriented bureau. All this was through sweat and tears. No one looked at my School curriculum a single time. They were interested in my video portfolio the most.

However, I have to say that learning how to "think" in a more " artistic" way and perceive the arts world (and our world, in a sense) in a different way was probably the biggest gain i got from University. Was it worth it? To me, yes.
 
Jeremiah Kuehne said:
If I'm paying..?
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Easy: Find the very best Pro that will talk to you and intern for them. Then shoot/edit your ass off in your spare time while networking within the industry like a madman. You might drop Joseph Hutson a PM. He's seems to have it wired @20
 
Josh Beadle said:
Easy: Find the very best Pro that will talk to you and intern for them. Then shoot/edit your ass off in your spare time while networking within the industry like a madman. You might drop Joseph Hutson a PM. He's seems to have it wired @20
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My idea is to make a feature in the next couple years with a relatively low budget (under $100k), connect with a non-profit organization that will support us, use local appeal to draw an audience (I'm in the Midwest USA where filmography is sparse), at best make a couple grand and gain experience, at worse sell the equipment, pay back the investors, and still have the experience.
 
Im in the same boat, but im 21. I will have 20 grand saved for next summer. Either i invest it, or i spend it on film school. or i buy myself a pile of gear and fund some projects. 20 grand would be pointless to drop on a scarlet if its all i have considering my lacking in other equipment areas.

its a real tough decision, maybe even i save for a few more years and put a down payment on a house.

My main issue right now is i have not had the time or energy to spend any of my free time workin on projects. My job is a short term contract which is long hours but the pay is awesome, i then have a secondary job shooting guitar lessons. (doesnt count towards projects because its very repetitive) I guess i will see next summer when my contract is up which direction I will want to head.

Ive heard from a friend there is a fellow in my church that works in a sound studio. - I should really ask him if i can apprentice. I truly think an apprenticeship will be far more worth your time than school. But i still dont know. Lots to think about

To the OP - i truly think there should not be a choice between buying a camera and going to school. It would be silly to spend a enough money on a camera, it could send you to school. I would say buy yourself a dslr, get started. you could pick up a nice kit for 3 grand. You could then afford school as well.

The gear is not what makes your film stand out, its the operator.
 
Jeremiah Kuehne said:
My idea is to make a feature in the next couple years with a relatively low budget (under $100k), connect with a non-profit organization that will support us, use local appeal to draw an audience (I'm in the Midwest USA where filmography is sparse), at best make a couple grand and gain experience, at worse sell the equipment, pay back the investors, and still have the experience.
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Contact Joseph Hutson, he is just ahead of you on the path to fame, glory and riches:

http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?63477-Joseph-Hutson-quot-CHECKMATE-quot-Los-Angeles
 
I went to film school (i went with my G.I. bill so money wasn't the problem) the one thing i can say about it is you don't really learn the art but you learn the technical side which is a good start you need to know your craft so you can focus on the art of it all its hard spending time trying to figure out technical issues when you start out and it was nice having the schools equipment to screw up with as I learned film school won't make you a great director,cinematographer,editor or anything really but it will teach you the basics everything else comes with experience
 
I think I've actually learned a TON of the basics just from the internet and this website. 5 hours a day at LEAST researching equipment and technique really does help.
 
research always helps a ton but nothing beats having the thing (any piece of equipment) in your hand. Film school was the best choice for me because i had no money for my own equipment and very limited contacts (but a free ride in school from my military service) so it was the best place for me to get hands on experience. If you have other avenues to get real experience id take them. Film school helped me but every person is different and the ultimate choice is always up to you. Research the schools and any other avenue you can find and see what fits best for you.
 
Join the military, go on two or three deployments and save the money for camera. make contacts in school buy an Epic and Lenses. Now i'm having the time of my life:-P
 
If you know exactly what you want to do with your life, then do it.

If not, go to school. Talk with people. Read. Travel.
 
You have to figure out what you want and whether school is, or is not, the best way to get it. School/college is not just for learning a trade or craft - it can be a time to learn a lot of social skills and have life experience in a "safe" environment. It can give a young person time to grow up and mature. Education can be a base on which you build an entire life of discovery and create a desire for continuous learning that may not have yet hit you when you were younger. And, of course, for some people, it can be an utter waste of time and money. Every person is different. It's great to get input but I might guess that people who know you better are going to give better input than strangers here on REDuser. And, in the end, only you can decide what's best for you. Good luck. :thumbsup:
 
Move to a College town. Get a Scarlet, hang out with College Girls, find some film students to crew for you. Sit in on classes for free, and have the best of all worlds.

If Only I had known this 13 years ago.
 
If I've learned anything about making it in the business and perhaps I haven't since I haven't made it in the business, however, it's that you want to learn how to network with people, hang around with producers, actors, writers.
Go work on other peoples sets, understand what everyone's job is and why they do it eventually it might lead to directing something yourself.
As for getting a camera you may as well buy a 60D an external recorder with a decent shotgun mic and a boom pole because what you really want to learn is powerful story telling, thats something having a red camera won't teach you, you aren't wasting your time shooting 1080p because your first films will suck.
 
Craig W. Bickerstaff said:
Go work on other peoples sets, understand what everyone's job is and why they do it eventually it might lead to directing something yourself.
As for getting a camera you may as well buy a 60D an external recorder with a decent shotgun mic and a boom pole because what you really want to learn is powerful story telling, thats something having a red camera won't teach you, you aren't wasting your time shooting 1080p because your first films will suck.
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You mention powerful story telling as what's most important, so this would mean you need a powerful screenplay. If you have a powerful screenplay and a vivid imagination and knowledge of the setting you want to bring to life, wouldn't it be more valuable to invest in the proper tools to bring that vision to life?
 
Craig's right. Work with people. Learn by watching and participating. Start learning your craft with simpler, cheaper tools.

I grew up using FILM to make my first few shorts. Every mistake was so costly, it was discouraging and hard to get out of debt. A failed short film would take me years to recover from. You're going to make mistakes until you master your craft, and even then...

You don't have to go to school. But I would advise the 18-21 year olds out there NOT to go out and buy an EPIC-X. Start out with a Gh2 or 60D. Maybe even an AF-100 or FS-100 if you have money to burn.

You learn more from other people and experience than you do from tools.
 
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