Rick Presas
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I'm a graduate of a 1-year digital film program and we had a sister school (4-year/mfa) at the University that we both we a part of. Both schools were run totally independently of each other, with different facilities, teachers, and equipment. Needless to say, we were rivals.
After a friend of mine gradutaed from the "real" film school (he used that as smuggly as possible) we compared demo reels.
He in 4 years had 6 shorts under his belt (that he got to direct, DP, or produce)
I, in 1 year, had 8.
If you were to compare each of our final projects, his is shot on 35mm film and looked very pretty. but that was about it.
But mine, shot on a modest HVX, showed a polish in production and story telling that his lacked. I had more practice and was in better "indie shape". Simple as that.
Mind you this was an intensive program that involed 7+ contact hourse of instruction a day.
I also have an MA in English (emphasis on creative writing and rhetoric), so I do understand the value of the traditional greek education. But in my opinion it's not really the length or even the degree you earn, but the real-world practice of the given trade. This is especially true when studying the arts. It can only be taught to a certain degree, even our tech-heavy art. the rest is all practice practice practice.
i suppose thats the crucial descision you make when choosing film schools. Do you want to study to get on someone else's crew, in which you would have to be prepared to work in situations where you dont have control over your workflow (and likely make more money overall)? Or do you want to be a more self-sufficient film maker who (modestly) pays his bills through things like corporate video and is saving saving saving to make his own features?
Some film schools will give you the one, some will give you the other.
But hey, education continues LONG after graduation. I can say that I've learned SO MUCH about camera and optics here that it's as if I went to film school all over again.
After a friend of mine gradutaed from the "real" film school (he used that as smuggly as possible) we compared demo reels.
He in 4 years had 6 shorts under his belt (that he got to direct, DP, or produce)
I, in 1 year, had 8.
If you were to compare each of our final projects, his is shot on 35mm film and looked very pretty. but that was about it.
But mine, shot on a modest HVX, showed a polish in production and story telling that his lacked. I had more practice and was in better "indie shape". Simple as that.
Mind you this was an intensive program that involed 7+ contact hourse of instruction a day.
I also have an MA in English (emphasis on creative writing and rhetoric), so I do understand the value of the traditional greek education. But in my opinion it's not really the length or even the degree you earn, but the real-world practice of the given trade. This is especially true when studying the arts. It can only be taught to a certain degree, even our tech-heavy art. the rest is all practice practice practice.
i suppose thats the crucial descision you make when choosing film schools. Do you want to study to get on someone else's crew, in which you would have to be prepared to work in situations where you dont have control over your workflow (and likely make more money overall)? Or do you want to be a more self-sufficient film maker who (modestly) pays his bills through things like corporate video and is saving saving saving to make his own features?
Some film schools will give you the one, some will give you the other.
But hey, education continues LONG after graduation. I can say that I've learned SO MUCH about camera and optics here that it's as if I went to film school all over again.
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