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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Film School

I'm at NYU and other than getting connections and saying you went to NYU, it's pretty not worth it for the $60K i'm paying a year!
 
Marc Dunham said:
I would look into FSU also if you can. Have a few friends who have been/are in that program or have graduated and its a great program. If you're not too keen on the private schools with huge tuition payments that might be the better route as its a pulbic university so you're not paying private school prices.
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I actually did go to FSU's film school in the 1970s, and it was a trip. In hindsight, I think 90% of what I learned, though, was more about people than the equipment. I was convinced then and now that I already knew more about the technology than they could teach me. I dropped out after a year and went to work in local TV, and learned far more on the job than I could ever have learned in college. The real world is far different than what some college professors presume it to be.

I'm reminded of Jim Cameron's education, where he couldn't get into USC or UCLA, so he went to Fullerton College (essentially a junior college) for a year or two, and spent hundreds of hours driving over to USC's library and reading every single book he could get his hands on about filmmaking. His joke is, he basically had a USC education for a junior college price.

The other reality is that nobody will hire you solely because you went to film school. In fact, I know several recording studios who will automatically dump an intern's resume into the trashcan if it has "Full Sail" on it. They'd rather hire somebody right out of high school who hasn't yet learned any bad habits. The theory is that certain schools seem to train students with a sense of entitlement and a total lack of humility, to the point where they don't understand that starting at the bottom is really on the bottom. I can recall a kid I knew in the 1980s who had a USC Cinema degree trying to get an entry-level job at a post house in LA. He made the mistake of telling the manager, "yes, I'll start in the vault -- but eventually, I plan to direct!" He didn't get that job.

The other sad reality is that there are a lot more applicants than there are jobs. I like to think there's always a place for somebody who's really good at what they do, but luck, timing, and who you know are every bit as important as talent and the ability to work hard.

I would add one more thing you need to know: watch a lot of movies, and know film history. I'm often appalled at encountering people on sets who have never seen Casablanca, have no idea who Orson Welles is, and basically don't care about any movies made before about 1980. You gotta be aware of the enormous history of filmmaking -- what's been done, what hasn't been done, who established certain visual principles, how editing works, the influence of lighting styles by different DPs, etc. -- and be able to apply that to current projects. This stuff has to be in your blood, and has to be the fuel that gives you the passion to succeed.
 
KETCH ROSSi said:
Adam,

once you finish mandatory school in your state, if your parents let you, there might be an other opportunity for you... Becoming one of the first 100 Film School Students at our KETCH ROSSi HUMANiTAS Film School facility in Italy, worth 100k of Scholarship... Of course rules and regulations apply, but again, depending on time frames, it could end up becoming an opportunity for you as well... ;)
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Wow..... I wanna know more.
 
Michael Frymus said:
Wow..... I wanna know more.
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As I said on first reply, any info will begin starting next year, once we finalize things in both USA and Italy, we are still processing legal paper work as what should be were, since it is a US non-Profit that owns the school, we need to see by IRS regulatory status what is that we are obligated to do in the US and what we can do in Italy, once this is finalized then we can start taking applications from International potential students, all info will be posted here: http://www.ketchrossitreeoflife.com under "HUMANiTAS".


But you can count that we'll post both here on Reduser as well as I am more then certain that once we open up the program to assign Scholarships it will be talked all over the net.

What I can add, is that this will be a completely new approach to any current Film Schools, and it will be hands on form day one, and the duration of the entire program will be an intensive ONE YEAR program to graduate, meaning that for 365 Days, all students will leave in Campus, no one will go home for any of the vacations, Christmas included, your family for that year will become the School and every one in it. Here each group, during this year, will complete a series of Shorts, and a Future Film that will get distributed, so each student will leave not only with the know how, but will leave with credits.
 
I always enjoy reading these threads. :-) I suppose the only thing I can say is that George Lucas went to film school and Stanley Kubrick did not. Both made great films. IOW: it isn't necessary, but if it doesn't burden you financially, why not? And if you are going to a film school, go to Ketch Rossi's!
 
Karim D. Ghantous said:
I always enjoy reading these threads. :-) I suppose the only thing I can say is that George Lucas went to film school and Stanley Kubrick did not. Both made great films. IOW: it isn't necessary, but if it doesn't burden you financially, why not? And if you are going to a film school, go to Ketch Rossi's!
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Thanks for the vote of confidence Karim, what I can say for sure, is that once the entirety of the info is fully released, people will immediate see how far from traditionally known Film School we'll be, and how much of an actual life experience this will become, with the added bonus of a direct entry ticket to the Industry.
 
Marc Dunham said:
I would look into FSU also if you can. Have a few friends who have been/are in that program or have graduated and its a great program. If you're not too keen on the private schools with huge tuition payments that might be the better route as its a pulbic university so you're not paying private school prices.

I wanted to go to film school so bad throughout high school and even the beginning of my college career. However I wasn't accepted into FSU's program and didn't want to incur a huge amount of debt to an out of state school. I've learned that whether you go to Film school or not doesn't really matter though. It of course has huge benefits, such as available equipment, work on close to real life sets, networking, etc...however these are always things you can accomplish outside school as well. There's nine ways to skin a cat and if you have the drive and passion to do so you'll be totally fine no matter where you go. Just learn to relax like I couldn't, everything usually works out how it should, just enjoy you're ride.

but ya FSU ;)
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I have heard good things about FSU, it's good because in state so it is cheaper then most other film schools. The only downside is they only let 7 people from the state of Florida ever year. My friend applied so I see what happens. But, I am planning to apply there no matter what!

-Adam
 
KETCH ROSSi said:
As I said on first reply, any info will begin starting next year, once we finalize things in both USA and Italy, we are still processing legal paper work as what should be were, since it is a US non-Profit that owns the school, we need to see by IRS regulatory status what is that we are obligated to do in the US and what we can do in Italy, once this is finalized then we can start taking applications from International potential students, all info will be posted here: http://www.ketchrossitreeoflife.com under "HUMANiTAS".


But you can count that we'll post both here on Reduser as well as I am more then certain that once we open up the program to assign Scholarships it will be talked all over the net.

What I can add, is that this will be a completely new approach to any current Film Schools, and it will be hands on form day one, and the duration of the entire program will be an intensive ONE YEAR program to graduate, meaning that for 365 Days, all students will leave in Campus, no one will go home for any of the vacations, Christmas included, your family for that year will become the School and every one in it. Here each group, during this year, will complete a series of Shorts, and a Future Film that will get distributed, so each student will leave not only with the know how, but will leave with credits.
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I am really liking the sound of this, I will also be applying here too!

-Adam
 
really wanna go to film school in LA area however fees for international students seems like a fortune.i own already Scarlet 5D mark III various good lenses and equipment.looks like i ll upgrade to Epic in next 3 months.
i should sell everything and pay the tuition (only 1 year lol) but dont know whats gonna happen next after that..do you get job after you graduate? i just dont know how these things work in states
 
Kemalettin Sert said:
really wanna go to film school in LA area however fees for international students seems like a fortune.i own already Scarlet 5D mark III various good lenses and equipment.looks like i ll upgrade to Epic in next 3 months.
i should sell everything and pay the tuition (only 1 year lol) but dont know whats gonna happen next after that..do you get job after you graduate? i just dont know how these things work in states
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If you own those cameras and some gear, take that money you were going to blow on tuition and make some films! Start working in the industry now! Film school won't offer what real world experiecne does. I'd bet you would regret selling all that in trade for a little education and massive debt. Go find a job at a camera or grip rental house - find a AC to 2nd for - start PAing - get to work!
 
Didn't read all the posts, so I apologize if its been said. There is a big difference in a real 4-year film school at a college, that results in a BA degree versus a Certificate of Completion at one of the many "Film Schools" popping up. Not saying anything negative about the latter, I'm just saying a 4-year college degree in any subject has more value in the labor market. You will have to look at the calculus to determine whether spending $20K on a Certificate versus, let's say $80-120K on a BA degree, versus taking that same money buying some gear and learning through the school of hard knocks are the best pathway for you.

Also, not sure if it has been said, but film schools yield contacts. Not everyone that graduates will become the next great director, but one or two will and, if you just happened to be their best buddy at film school, your chances of getting hired on his/her films is higher than a stranger.
 
I completely agree, a well rounded education is important. A solid four year school is the way to go. i went to UC Santa Cruz and learned much more there than I ever did at grad school. As much as people bad mouth it, theory is important, I use it every day when I edit or write. The discipline you can get from going to a good school is important as well.
Grad school was fairly hit and miss for me. the best part was using my student loans to fund a film and developing relationships with a few of my professors.
Technical skills are things that can be learned by trolling reduser/creative cow. a general sense of intelligence and knowledge of film/art history, takes time and is easiest to develop in a good university setting.
dont go to any of the schools that boast that you will be able to be James Cameron the day you graduate. its not going to happen. statistically, it probably wont happen. so many people think that because they have this magicall $100k piece of paper they will be able to direct the next Juno/Garden state and be bffs with Tarantino. Hard work, intelligence and discipline are the way to go.

is the ketch rossi films school accepting applications? i would love to do my doctorate there. how far will the campus be from the A380 airstrip? would love be able to commute from my home on the moon. will i be able to arrange for an escort from the "Private Government Licensed High Security Mobile Armed Air-force Team"?
Come one ketch, dont give some high school kid false hopes.
 
Adam, if you are in Tampa, FL. I would highly recommend looking at Florida State University's Film Program. I had such a good experience there, and it prepared me to go right into real world set work and hold my own. Feel free to call me sometime and chat. I was from Sarasota, and for an in-state school, you REALLY get your money's worth. ( http://film.fsu.edu/Programs/BFA-in-Production/Tuition-and-Fees-BFA-Production) Plus they have a big RED presence, and adopted it pretty early on. You can still shoot on film, so dont worry about that. http://film.fsu.edu/
 
Ryland Jones said:
Adam, if you are in Tampa, FL. I would highly recommend looking at Florida State University's Film Program. I had such a good experience there, and it prepared me to go right into real world set work and hold my own. Feel free to call me sometime and chat. I was from Sarasota, and for an in-state school, you REALLY get your money's worth. ( http://film.fsu.edu/Programs/BFA-in-Production/Tuition-and-Fees-BFA-Production) Plus they have a big RED presence, and adopted it pretty early on. You can still shoot on film, so dont worry about that. http://film.fsu.edu/
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Ya, FSU is nice because of the Bright Futures scholarships they pay for 100% of your class fees(with my grades)!!!
I will probably call you up sometime after new years, Making a bunch of films over winter break!
The thing I am worried about is getting in, they say 7 people per year get in from the State of Florida.
 
Ketch, what are your artistic merits that will make your school a good film school? An Epic camera and pristine Master Primes does, for sure, not teach anyone to become a good film maker...
 
Hey the film I worked on last weekend just went public!
Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-RY4dsrfB8
I did a lot of focus pulling, The final shot was the hardest.
Also I spent 14hrs masking for all the color shots!
 
Someone mentioned Chapman University earlier. It's close to L.A. and has a great film program and facility including sound stages, and even a motion capture room. One of my classmates from film school in the 80's (California State Univ. Long Beach) is a professor at the Chapman film school now. I pretty much had to toss out most of what I learned in film school, but a college education in general is never a bad idea. I wish I had learned more about electronics and engineering - even machining. I find myself now constantly "McGyvering" and building things and kicking myself for not being better versed in these areas.
 
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