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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 Schools

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scott william

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Hi there Red users,

I finished my BA in media production and have decided to do a Masters in film. I’m looking into film schools in the US that offer a Masters in filmmaking, has anyone just graduated from a good one?

So far I’ve got.

New York film academy
NYU
UCLA

PS: I’m Australian.
 
Stay away from Chapman University. It's pretty unorganized right now and doesn't cater well to those who already have BA's in Film. They treat graduates like undergrads in their coursework. Even if you have a BA, they'll treat you like you don't know anything. I'm enrolled there now and I've gotten through my first year and I haven't learned anything really new from the coursework save for a few things related to audio design and some film business things from a class I fell into purely by accident. Also, they treat digital like it's the Devil. I've gotten a lot of flack from wanting to shoot my projects with my D90 instead of the busted up 16mm cameras they try to pass off to us to film with. Really backwards in that regard and I can only imagine what they would have said if I had a RED to film with!
 
I want to do a directors course. I have made a bunch of shorts, mostly shot on HD, SI 2k. I also shoot - currently employed as a ENG at a TV network.
 
I have friends who went to LMU and got their masters. They loved it and they have great equipment. There you are actually able to shoot more than 1 project. USC would be your best bet and best "in" to the industry...
 
USC & UCLA are the *most* hardest universities to get into. its even harder in the film department.
 
I've heard BU has on okay program. Boston is currently the worst major city in the US for work in the film industry so I would recommend against studying there, though. Emerson has a good program in Boston, but I think they're undergrad only.

USC, AFI, and UCLA are tops in California. There are many other great schools there, too.

NYU and Columbia are tops in NY.

I've heard good things about UT Austin and FSU, both of which are more affordable schools. I've heard Columbia College in Chicago recommended, too. But if you want to work in the industry and you can afford to go anywhere, you probably want to study in LA or NYC. Non-accredited schools like Full Sail and NYFA are not highly regarded or taken seriously by most.

You may find your degree to be highly redundant with an MFA in film production; most MFAs target students with no prior experience in film. Unless you're interested in a particular program for its unique strengths, your best bet may be to start working on sets. Few film schools provide much in the way of job placement, although you may establish some useful contacts, particularly at the elite California schools.
 
Thanks for the info Policar. My brother went to film school in aus which was mostly redundant. there are 2 good film schools in aus but my intrest is in american independant cinema. i want to study or work there for that reason. Any ideas how i would go about getting work on film sets? have tried contacting production companies via IMDB but not much luck so far. Have a bit of cash saved was going to buy a red but now thinking that work on film sets might be a better way to spend the money.
 
scott william said:
Thanks for the info Policar. My brother went to film school in aus which was mostly redundant. there are 2 good film schools in aus but my intrest is in american independant cinema. i want to study or work there for that reason. Any ideas how i would go about getting work on film sets? have tried contacting production companies via IMDB but not much luck so far. Have a bit of cash saved was going to buy a red but now thinking that work on film sets might be a better way to spend the money.
Click to expand...

Yes, I can try to offer advice, but a lot of it may be biased or incomplete. I'm not the best person to ask since I'm in a similar position to you.

I would not buy a red camera now if I were in your position. Cameras depreciate in value quickly and owning a camera doesn't make you a cinematographer, although owning equipment can help you get work in some cases.

Unless you have established industry contacts or a very impressive resume, the way to get started is less than thrilling: call or email any and all contacts you have in the city where you decide to work, and only after moving there; if you don't know anyone, use craigslist and look for jobs as a PA, grip, or AC. Your first few gigs probably won't pay, but hopefully you'll meet people who can help find paying work for you.

After a while you may decide to join a union or go to grad school. The benefit of working in LA or NYC is that you can build your resume as you work with alums from various schools and this can help you decide where to apply. For indy films and art films, NYC may be your best bet.
 
thanks. it was never going to be easy was it. I think i'll give New York city 6 months, after that...who knows.
 
What do you want to do?

I went to USC for a film production MFA for 2 years before dropping out due to getting a work visa job offer... USC kinda sucked IMHO. There were a few awesome classes - like a pitching class and a script re-writing class taught by Shonda Rhimes as a guest lecturer (her TV show Grey's Anatomy was just a pilot at the time). Most of the classes were just way too entry-level though.

The best class I've found in LA so far looks to be the Upright Citizen's Brigade's Improv class I'm taking right now. $350. Taught by a guy who is part of one of the most creative improv groups I've ever seen - Convoy. Go see 'em if you can.

But then I'm a director - what I value most is learning new ways to work with actors and develop characters and stories. I knew what I was doing on a technical level before going to USC. Plus I had studied directing for theatre and film in South Africa with some fantastic teachers and classmates there.

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
 
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