Comments on: Is film school necessary?

By: AJ

AJ — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 03:58:16 +0000

Hey no one has really posted on here in a while but I thought I might add a piece of advice to anyone who stumbles across this page. One of the things I found very entertaining and educational was “ten minute film school”, which is a bonus feature in many of Robert Rodriguez’s DVD’s. I would definitely check out el miriachi… watch the ten minute film school feature and also watch the whole film with directors commentary. I myself am heading to film school sometime in the next year, however it’s not as reputable as usc or ucla but I think I will still get a lot of experience in the making of films.

By: Roth

Roth — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 22:46:51 +0000

hillo i want to go to film school and learn about Directing and other things such as producing and lightnig but don’t know everything that is involved in the course, could you give me some ideas of what is involved anybody?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 02:12:22 +0000

So is it possible to attend film school without finishing High School? Is it possible to go to film school without getting a GED?

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 01:36:02 +0000

Just do it. Thats all. easier said than done. But so true.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 06:04:01 +0000

I recommend that you go to film school meet friends who share the same passion as you, and its very important to find a film school that is best for you. The graduation certificate is pretty much worthless, ultimatly you will just be another jobless shmuck along with everyone else that graduated, but i believe if you have the drive nothing can stop you. The most important aspect of film school is the opportunity to gain experience.

However the other route may be better for some people, maney directors have never been to film school. Basically they just did it themselves, they wrote a script picked up a camera and convinced someone to fund its production. By doing as maney projects as they can they gain experience, producing their own films becomes a film school in itself. This option may work but requires a whole load of LUCK and plenty of HARD WORK.

As for me, ive decided to skip college get my GED(I didnt finish highschool) and will be attending the NYFA to pursue my dream. My advice to all aspiring filmmakers, STOP ASPIRING AND START DOING.

By: Rahul

Rahul — Tue, 23 May 2006 17:05:46 +0000

Hi, Can I pursue say an MBA from USC and take a few courses in film school – at least enuf to make my own small budget fim?

An how much wud it cost? Are there any scholarships/financial aid at USC?

I’d really appreciate yr help!

rmehra@gmail.com

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:01:18 +0000

I’m also very interested to know if the one year immersion film schools are any good, such as L.A. Film School. Any idea John?

By: shams

shams — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 01:05:27 +0000

Would it matter if a person went to a really nice high school or an average high school to get into a filmschool?

By: Arman Khos

Arman Khos — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 21:48:03 +0000

I have finished undergrad in Electrical Engineering, without a strong GPA. I enjoy writing…about 30 pages in so far on something that I know people will want to see, John where can I go to find the right people without having to empty my wallet?

By: js

js — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:40:35 +0000

Your comment about how film school can give you a broader perspective on the industry is not unlike journalism school (at least at the good ones) and journalism. My other half and I are both journalists (though I’m interested in screenwriting and am beginning to delve into the field). I took a few university-level classes and received encouragement from a couple of professors so I just started freelancing (selling my stuff pretty much from the start) and then went on to staff jobs. I mostly learned how to be a writer and editor by jumping in the deep end of the pool and learning on the job. My other half took a couple of university-level classes and then studied magazine writing and editing in a full-time master’s degree program at a top-level journalism school. His education was comprehensive enough that he learned much more about the magazine industry as a whole, something that enabled him to start up a magazine with a partner. I, on the other hand, have some non-journalism expertise that gave me an edge over vanilla journalists who only studied journalism. But in the final analysis, talent and hard work (and a bit of luck) matter more than the path taken.

By: sam

sam — Wed, 18 May 2005 05:22:04 +0000

Do you need a strong GPA (meaning, over a 3.0) to get into a film school? Does GPA really matter that much for admission? and also, are those one year “immersion” film schools any good, like los angeles film school and new york film academy?