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<li><p>I agree with TheRealKEVP; it’s easier to go from theatre to the camera than the other way around (“theatre actors are great actors”, yadda yadda), although there are always exceptions to every rule. But more than that, most BFA programs, including every one of the programs you mention in your post, are based and focused on theatre (except Chapman’s Screenacting BFA, obviously). Most schools also have a class or two on “Acting for the Camera”, usually in the last semester of your senior year; some of them (from your list, probably UCLA and USC) might offer more than others in terms of screen acting through electives and opportunities to be in student films, so you might wanna look into that. You should also look for schools with strong film departments/graduate programs or schools that are relatively close to other schools with strong film departments; student films could give you some on-camera experience and you could make connections with future directors/producers.
Regardless, even top students from top schools need continuous “finishing classes”/workshops after graduation and beyond in order to be competitive (in film and theatre alike) and, obviously, nothing beats actual experience (working on a professional set is very different than working on a student set, for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons). And the foundation you’d need for acting on camera (your first two, maybe three years in school) is almost the same as what theatre actors’d need to build on. So, bottom line is: If film is your main goal, do as much as you can to network and get involved in as many things that allow you to explore that, but no school will completely, 100% prepare you and training in theatre is valuable (and sometimes even necessary) for any serious, good actor and many, many theatre-trained actors are very successful in film and television, so look very close at schools and their curriculum and don’t count out theatre training.</p></li>
<li><p>Why do you only wanna go to school in California? If you live here and are worried about cost, there are a lot of schools in other states that offer scholarships (talent/merit/need-based) which would bring their cost down to resident tuition at UC schools or even lower. If it’s because that’s where the film industry is concentrated, there’s no rule that says you have to work/live where you went to school and there are plenty of schools in other states (and other countries) that showcase in LA and plenty of actors working in film who did not go to school in California. Julliard, Carnegie Melon and SUNY Purchase are among the most intense/reputable/competitive BFA programs and neither is in California; there are many more. I’m not saying you shouldn’t apply to CA school or that you shouldn’t rank them higher on your list when deciding, but you should also at least consider schools in other states.</p></li>
<li><p>There are many, many different paths to a successful acting career (and almost as many definitions of a “successful acting career”) and no guarantees. I also don’t know you at all, so it’s difficult to tell you what you should do. Knowing myself and my level of maturity/discipline at the moment, taking classes, auditioning and working as an actor while attending university full-time to major in something non-acting related (and planning to graduate in four years without getting dropped by my agent) seems almost impossible. I know a former child actor who tried and had to withdraw from school by the second semester because he kept missing classes for auditions and to shoot a feature. Then again, that’s just me (and my friend). I’m sure there are people who can do/have done it successfully, but you should think very hard about it before making a decision. Another option could be a two-year conservatory certificate program + GE classes at a community college, then transfer to a four-year university and major in something else. </p></li>
<li><p>A lot of (if not most) BFA programs don’t allow students to work professionally during school, but there are schools that do and some (like Pace, I think) might give you credit for it. I’m not sure about the schools on your list; you should look at their websites or email them or ask this question at you audition. Most BFAs are very strict and intense and time consuming, though. They also require attendance and (sometimes) that you perform/work backstage in a certain number of school productions in order to graduate. So, even if they technically let you, it still might be difficult to juggle school and professional work simultaneously. I don’t know of any BAs that explicitly won’t let you work during the school year (there might be some though, I just don’t know), so if you wanna work, a BA might be a good option for you. I’ve heard of some former child actors who chose the BA at USC specifically for this reason and have managed to work professionally while in school.</p></li>
<li><p>You’ve got a pretty diverse list and it’s good that you have some non-auditioned BAs in there that might be considered safeties, but you might wanna think about what you want more specifically and narrow it down, since the programs you list seem very different from each other. Besides opportunities to explore screen acting, flexibility to work while in school and location, here are some wuestions you should ask yourself (and the colleges you’re looking into): Do you want an intense, conservatory-like atmosphere or a “regular college experience”? Focus mostly in acting or explore other interests in the theatre? Strong, challenging academic requirements or as little as possible? Possibility of a double-major/minor? One specific method or several, and which one(s)? Musical Theatre calsses? Masterclasses, workshops, electives, guest lectures, internships, number of productions ayear? Size of school, size of program, cost, kind of campus? Faculty, experience of the faculty, industry connections, etc?
What I can say for sure about the schools in your list (I’ve looked at so many they’re sort of starting to mix together in my head) is that Chapman has a BFA in Screen Acting, which is linked to their graduate film school and requires/offers a lot of classes in film and film-making, so that’s something that might be a good fit for you. UCLA and USC have pretty great programs with lots of opportunities to get involved in film as well. I only know about UCSD’s graduate program, which is pretty good, but you should research and determine if it doesn’t off-set their undergrad program, which can happen sometimes. I can only think of two other schools in California off the top of my head right now: CalArts and Occidental. You might wanna check them out as well.</p></li>
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<p>Wow, long post (I’ve been stuck in a waiting room for a while now); sorry. Hope it helped, though.</p>