<p>I'm still contemplating whether I should accept SCA's admission offer for Production. I know, I'm stupid for even thinking about it, but since I don't get any finaid (I'm int'l), the choice is not as easy as it seems.</p>
<p>There are a few questions I'd like to ask current SCA students, and since the facebook group seems to be dead, I thought I post some questions here.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Glancing at the available courses at the schedule of classes, I noticed that there are fees for many courses (lab fees, equipment fees, etc.) ranging from 50$ to 500$. What's up with that? How much more should I budget per semester?</p></li>
<li><p>Since the production sequences (and, if I'm not mistaken, most other classes) can't be taken until three semesters at USC have been completed, is there a way for students to become involved at SCA before that? What can students do during the first three semesters at SCA?</p></li>
<li><p>In the same vein, how and when can students use SCA's facilities and resources, such as workstations or studios? Can they only be used during class projects or do students have unlimited access?</p></li>
<li><p>Are there any Production majors who double-major? Given the courseload of Production, is it possible?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I don't have any answers on this awelex, but I'm sure you could get good information by calling the SCA and asking them directly. There is a wonderful guy who is now working with Cinematic Arts Admissions (and was a grad student in Production) who took us on a tour of the department at Explore by the name of Esteban Rael. I'd suggest you try to talk to or e-mail him. And please share the info here if you get it.</p>
<p>Some of your questions were addressed at our SCA tour, but I would second madbean's suggestion that you contact Esteban Rael. Unfortunately the SCA facilities would appear to be available only for school-related projects and not for outside projects, although I would talk to students to find out how strictly this is enforced. In any case, equipment cannot be borrowed for outside projects. Also, because Production sequence courses can't be taken until the general education requirements are finished, the number of film courses you can take during those first three semesters may be determined by how you schedule your GE's and whether AP's exempt you from any. It sounds as if it is possible to take Critical Studies and non-production film courses during those semesters. It is also possible to volunteer to crew on advanced students' projects, to work at the USC television station in a production capacity, and to be involved in projects with other SCA freshmen that are not officially connected to the school.</p>
<p>Ha, what a coincidence! He (Esteban) mailed me a few days ago because they had sent me the wrong form. He's really very friendly and helpful.
Here's a bit of info I got from Marcus Anderson, who works in the Office of Student Affairs:</p>
<p>"There are different ways for you to involve yourself in the school before the production sequence. You can crew on other students (including graduate level) films, you can take some elective production coursework and there are various programs and activities throughout the semester you can participate in.</p>
<p>Access to the equipment and labs is not unlimited. Depending on the course you are enrolled in for the semester you will have different access to the equipment and facilities."</p>
<p>To me, the most startling thing on the tour of the SCA was the amount of money a student could spend on making his films. For example (and you'll be interested in this, as a sound guy) there's a very nice musical scoring studio that can hold a 30-person orchestra (or maybe it was 50-person). Unless you can get friends with musical talent to do this for you, you would be expected to modestly compensate the musicians, either with food or food + money. USC doesn't want students using copyrighted music in their movies, so students have to find a way to get music for their movies scored and performed. I think my son is going to be very happy that he's at least modestly competent with digital music composition.</p>
<p>My son is used to being able to borrow a camera from his high school. We're also wondering how hard it is to get ahold of equipment. I read on some forum or other that some students have some or all of their own equipment - this was in the context of USC not owning the rights to films students do on their own, with their own equipment. </p>
<p>My s got a call from a current Cinema student asking if he had any questions. (!!!) and since he is still at school and I had a few questions (or more!) I asked several and thought you might be interested.</p>
<p>The young woman I spoke with is a current Screenwriting student and she said: SCA students begin taking courses in their major from the FIRST semester. I thought I had read somewhere on cc that classes start in junior year, but she even put me on hold and asked about my s's major and said their are req'd intro type classes in his major which he can take right away.</p>
<p>I asked if she felt the campus was safe (typical mom-type question) and did the Cinema school have a lot of classes at night? She said she does have some classes in the evening. I was concerned because Zemeckis is outside the campus walls, but she said she feels very safe walking home from class at night as there is usually a large group walking back together. She said she even feels safe walking alone if not too late at night.</p>
<p>I asked about dorms--and the cinema floor at New/North in particular. She said it was a nice "dormy" experience where you see lots of kids and meet a lot of people. She, however, lived in Parkside in the International section which she loved and felt was "nicest" of the dorms. She didn't feel it was much further away from classes as everything was within 10 minutes walk.</p>
<p>Finally, I asked how many incoming students were planned for my s's major-Interactive entertainment. She put me on hold and asked someone there and came back and told me: 10. Ten?? We had heard they take 20. And another student had told us 12. But talk about a small major!!</p>
<p>thanks madbean. my s just received the letter from the dean today saying that a member of the faculty or student would be calling. i wonder if they call international students.<br>
From the dean's letter, I wasn't sure if it means that they have received my son's confirmation to attend the school (mail can take over 2 weeks, the first letter we got from SCA took over 3 weeks). It says that it was the finalist list, so does that mean that it's the list of kids attending or the ones admitted.</p>
<p>bmom, my s got that same letter (arrived on Saturday here in L.A.) and he had not yet sent his deposit--so I would surmise they are calling all accepted students whether registered yet or not. </p>
<p>By the way, I was hoping to sign him up for orientation, but do we need to wait for 7 days or something? When I went to the website I didn't seem to have a user name and password that worked. I'm confused! lol</p>
<p>they emailed my son the username within 7 days but it says to wait another day to register for orientation.</p>
<p>madbean, your son hasn't sent in acceptance form to SCA yet?<br>
I guess my s should email Michelle Taylor to make sure that she has received his acceptance form just in case. Don't trust the mail. I wish we could have done all these online.</p>
<p>We accepted the offer of admission online and sent the scholarship acceptance through certified mail so that we would have proof that they received it....like you, I didn't want to take any chances</p>
<p>S received phone calls, but no letter. Did the letter contain any info he might need? Thanks!</p>
<p>And do sign up for orientation asap! Apparently orientation is where students register for classes, and there is much more flexibility in scheduling early in the orientation process before classes/sections fill. If you're having trouble doing this online, call the admissions office.</p>
<p>Nester, there is nothing in the letter that is important, it's just a basic letter, welcoming and talking about alumni and the new facility that will be available in Dec.
Nestor, you said that your s received phone calls, that's more than one, and is this before or after you have accepted?</p>
<p>knm1001, you mean you accepted general admission online ($300 deposit) but the acceptance to SCA has to be sent in by mail, right. I didn't send anything by registered mail, not the one to SCA or the scholarship one, since it's to a post office box.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice! I called and got his username and set up his email account. I was told to wait one hour until I could use the registration for orientation online site. If I can't get onto it, I will call the office, Nester. </p>
<p>So far we paid $300 fee and registered for USC online, like knm1001. I need to send in the acceptance of the Trustee and I'll do it registered like you did. I am so glad to read this thread because I forgot about the letter from the SCA that needs to be signed. Thanks for the reminded.</p>
<p>do you think they will withhold the scholarships if they don't receive the acceptance forms by May 1? We didn't get our notifications till really late and I sent it off right away. I should have sent it by Expresspost but I thought we had to send it to the address given, which is a po box number.</p>
<p>Okay, now I'm confused. I paid the general admission online and accepted the admission online and signed and sent in the Trustee scholarship by registered mail....what is sca?....Is that something with cinematic arts?...I don't think that applies to my d (I hope)</p>