Please state your purpose
I’m in the middle of applications for USC and UCLA, where I hope to get an MFA in screenwriting.
Any tips on writing the ultimate statement of purpose? Also, what kind of references play well? Should I get industry types or not — I have a couple of contacts in L.A.
I notice you went to USC. Was it very expensive?
– Matt
London
Last question first: yes. Film school is and was expensive. In my case, it was definitely worth it, but for every film school grad who’s making a living at it, there are probably three who aren’t. It’s certainly not like an MBA, where you’re pretty much guaranteed to get some kind of decent job at the end.
I was tempted to dig back through the archives (which are probably on floppy disk) to find my original application letter for the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC. Laziness trumped temptation, and I didn’t. But here’s my recollection of my “statement of purpose”:
I want to learn about the film industry in a comprehensive way, everything from loading a camera to analyzing a marketing plan. In specific, I’m curious to learn how the industry learns from its successes and failures, both critically and commercially.
My letters of recommendation came from a journalism professor and a marketing professor at Drake, and a film instructor I’d had for a summer program at Stanford. I think if you have a film-related reference, use it. But make sure at least one of your references is someone who knows you well and can really speak to your unique strengths with specific examples. To me, there’s nothing worse than a hollow, generic letter of recommendation from someone who seems to be a near-stranger.
For USC requirements, I also had to take the GRE exam. Apparently, the Stark program doesn’t really care about the scores, but I’ll gloat and say I did well. I really miss standardized tests.
The Stark program didn’t ask for a writing sample, so I didn’t need to send in anything for that. What’s weird to realize is that back then, I really didn’t know what screenwriting was.
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September 6th, 2005 at 4:19 pm
John:
I’m in Matt’s boat above, and am applying for the M.F.A. programs in screenwriting at USC and UCLA for fall 2006.
Quick question: did you apply to the USC’s Peter Stark program with the intention of pursuing producing along with writing? Or was screenwriting something you discovered along the way? Also, are the acceptance rates into USC’s Peter Stark producing program and USC’s M.F.A. screen/television writing programs roughly comparable - i.e. slim - or is one of the programs relatively easier to gain admittance to (sorry for ending on a prep.)?
Thank you.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:35 pm
I didn’t anticipate that I would become a screenwriter. I really just wanted a broad overview of the movie industry, which Stark is particularly good at. I thought I’d end up being a producer or studio exec. A number of Starkies have ended up becoming screenwriters, but that really started with my graduating class.
Stark only accepts 25 people each year, so as far as I know, it’s one of the most competitive programs you can find.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:59 pm
I am a USC MFA/Screenwriting grad (2002). One of the things they told us after we had all arrived for the program is that they preferred non-film writing samples over screenplays in application materials. I had submitted a novella — pretty good luck, I guess.
I don’t recall anything specific being said about the best content for personal statements, though I do remember one of my professors saying that reading through a given statement usually gave him a sense of whether it was worth reading the rest of the applicant’s material at all.
September 6th, 2005 at 11:17 pm
There are actually two screenwriting programs at USC. One is the MFA, the other is the MPW (Master Of Professional Writing). I recently graduated with the MPW in Film/TV writing. In MPW, the classes are taught by working writers, as opposed to full time professors. For example, my screenwriting teacher and thesis advisor was Steve Mazur, who wrote Liar Liar (among others). Syd Field also teaches in the MPW program.
MPW concentrates on more well-rounded writing skills. It’s a multi-disciplinary curriculum, encompassing film and TV writing, fiction, poetry, non-fiction, technical writing, and playwriting. You’re required to take classes in some (but not all) of these areas outside your main concentration.
I spent a lot of money for the degree, but the jury is still out on whether it was worth it. It definitely adds to your credibility over the 10,000 busboys/waiters/valets who call themselves screenwriters.
Also, every meeting I ever got somehow came through USC, either directly or indirectly. For example, I got hooked up with a producer through someone at USC. He then took me into a bunch of meetings at networks. One of those meetings included an agent who was impressed enough with my pitching skills to take me on as client. I wouldn’t have gotten any of that if it weren’t for USC.
Another “benefit”: Dumping $40,000 on a degree forces you to take screenwriting VERY seriously. If you ever start slacking, it only takes one glance at that negative balance in your bank account to remind you that you need to be working harder.
Good luck.
September 6th, 2005 at 11:21 pm
Oh yeah … one more thing. Because MPW is multi-disciplinary, they’ll accept anything as a writing sample. I’m a screenwriter, but I submitted a chapter from a novel as a sample. No statement of purpose was required from what I remembered.
The GRE was required, but I never took it. I got accepted on the condition I would take it, but my program said they didn’t care what the score was — it was the school that wanted it. When I called the school, they said they didn’t care what the score was — it was the program that wanted it. Since nobody seemed to care, I didn’t take it, and I graduated anyway. Go figure.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:26 am
Someone’s got to represent the Bruins! I just finished my BA from UCLA TFT (theater, film, television) and it was a great experience. The administration over there takes academics really seriously, in my observation, they admit three kinds of students: 1) charming geniuses, 2) minorities who can tell a totally original story, 3) people who are already well connected. While my school would kill me for saying so, I don’t think anything competes with the Stark program as far as reputation and high-profile alumni (including, but not limited to Mr. August.) I don’t hear much from USC Alumns from other programs however. UCLA accepts 20 MFA producer/directors, 25 screenwriters, and 15 producers each year, but the whole grad school has about 60ish students any given year (including the critical studies, animation, and PhD candidates.) Oh and I know that most screenwriters at UCLA had representation by the time they graduated… so that’s a good sign…
September 7th, 2005 at 6:30 am
Like Warren, I went to the MPW program at USC. Unlike Warren, I’m not really sure it was worth it. With hindsight, if I was going to invest tens of thousands of dollars and two years of my life, I would have done better to just spend the time and money on making a bunch of short films and then a digital feature.
Of course, when I went to USC, I didn’t know I wanted to direct as well as write. If I hadn’t acquired directing ambitions, perhaps I’d be more content with my degree experiences. On the other hand, I can’t really point to a single TV or film gig I’ve gotten and find any USC connection. Maybe the program has gotten better about hooking up its graduate with connections in the 8 years since I graduated, or maybe Warren was just smarter and more aggressive than I was about using the connections that were already there. Warren? Any thoughts on that?
September 9th, 2005 at 12:14 am
MPW is a strange thing. It’s kind of like the bastard step-child of the USC screenwriting program. Honestly, when I enrolled, I didn’t realize I wasn’t in THE screenwriting program. I stopped by the MPW office five days before the start of the Fall semester to get info on enrolling in the Spring. They said it wasn’t too late to enroll in the Fall, so I rushed my application in and got accepted. It was a full year before I realized that there was more than one screenwriting program at USC.
I’m dumb.
Anyway, I don’t know that MPW has gotten any better since Jacob was there. I did learn a lot, but I didn’t feel like I came out of it much better connected than I went in.
It did force me to write a lot, and it forced me to take the craft more seriously than I did before USC. But after reading Robert Rodriguez’s Rebel Without A Crew, I started to feel like Jacob — maybe those thousands of dollars could have been better spent getting the real world experience of making a feature or a few shorts. Of course, all that money was borrowed from government programs that wouldn’t have given me a dime to make a film.
There is no formal networking to speak of between MPW grads. Really, everything I got through USC came through one or two people who then connected me to others who connected me to others, etc. But the root all started at USC.
Luckily, USC is USC, and not too many people ask questions about the distinctions between the programs. So when people ask, I say I got a Master’s in screenwriting from USC. That carries weight. Also, I enrolled in whatever USC Film School networking functions were available, even though MPW isn’t technically in the film school. That lets me hobnob with the USC alums from the other program, who are inevitably more well-connected than I am.
September 9th, 2005 at 12:30 pm
I have a number of PAs who have MFAs and I think some of them would have been better off buying a 3 chip camera and going at it.
September 9th, 2005 at 12:37 pm
For ten tips on surviving film school, along with everything you ever wanted to know about how to get in and what happens when you get out, I humbly suggest you read my blog: THINGS THEY WON’T TELL YOU IN FILM SCHOOL http://juliegoestohollywood.blogspot.com Good luck!
September 12th, 2005 at 7:31 am
I’m glad to hear Warren enrolled in the MPW program without realizing that it wasn’t THE screenwriting program at USC. I thought I was the only one.
April 5th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
I don’t know if anyone will be checking this forum anymore, but I would LOVE to hear more about UCLA vs. USC screenwriting programs (within the respective film schools). I have been accepted into USC’s Writing Division of the School of Cinema-Television, and I have an interview coming up with UCLA for Screenwriting. I would appreciate any information that is current. Thank you! Chandra
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:49 pm
with regards to the USC MPW comment above. I went to the website immediately upon reading Warren’s post, and horror of horrors this is what I read, and I quote, “….USC Master of Professional Writing Program began as the nation’s first multi-disciplinary writng program in the nation that prepares individuals for careers in writing in all genres.” Note the spelling of “writing” and use of “nation” TWICE.
Here’s the link if you want to see it yourself. Shame shame. Where’s the 40k per student going? http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/mpw/
October 28th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
HILARIOUS! That is just about the worst written description I’ve ever seen. Do these people check what they’re throwing up on the site?
November 16th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I just went to http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/mpw/ and don’t see the mistake is there anymore–thankfully. In the early eighties, I, too, graduated from USC’s Masters of Professional Writing Program, and it was the best thing I ever did. I was selling tile at Color Tile at the time. Before that, I had invested a chunk of money to direct a short film in 35mm with the hopes I’d qualify for the Academy Award short category. I had a 12-person crew, an AFI Fellow acting as my producer, and a good script and cast. We were shooting in my apartment, and one hour into shooting, we were shut down by the fire department for not having a permit. My producer did not know students needed a permit.
The point is I’d lost my life savings and decided to pursue an art where I didn’t need a permit: writing. A month before I received my USC degree, I had a job as a book editor, which led to a writing job at CalArts, which led to my writing plays and getting them produced, which led to my book of short stories (”The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea”) being published, which led to great reviews and more good things. I have an agent and am writing novels. I’m also teaching in the MPW program now. You want to learn about story structure or writing short fiction, come take my classes.
If you believe in yourself and your writing, what’s stopping you from applying? Warren, above, explained it well.
If you have talent and an interest in one of six fields–fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, writing for film or television, or poetry–go fill out the application online at the above address. While there is an official December 1 deadline, I can tell you that if you have a great writing sample and fill in the application blanks, you can make it into the spring semester. There are still some spaces.
–Christopher Meeks (and if you’re curious about my writing, see my YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgq5N-Me7j4)