Wondering if anyone has graduated with a film degree from ASU or U of Arizona or has a kid enrolled in these programs?
D24 has already been accepted to both programs. She is leaning toward ASU/Barrett and Sydney Poitier film. People keep telling her that “U of A has a better film program,” but I see no evidence of this. The new film campus at ASU was more impressive than a lot of California production buildings we toured and they offer an internship semester on the LA design campus.
Is there a specific program we should be looking at in Tucson? It seems just like a classic BA without as much specialization. In fact, D24 said if she goes to U of A she will probably pick a different major. (Nothing against U of A in general). I wonder if we are missing something, if people are just making assumptions about the 2 programs, or if the Poitier school is the game changer? We have found a lot of inaccurate assumptions about ASU due to its inclusivity and prior reputation as a party school. Thank you!
I don’t have specific comments about these 2 schools, but here are some general thoughts.
Reputation is probably not going to make a noticeable difference. If the student wants to work in the film or tv industry, getting a foot in the door is the most important. Internships can be huge, so if the program offers that chance, that’s a big plus. BUT, be sure to assess the likelihood of actually getting an internship - it may be competitive such that only a small percentage of the Film students get a spot.
Also important is a program that has coursework that interests the student. Be sure to review the curriculum. If they want to make films, how is the equipment? Old, new, easy to borrow, or long queue to check it out? If they want to go into screenwriting, check out the faculty for screenwriting courses. Etc.
Unfortunately, not a lot of response, but we did learn that U of A is doing restructuring. If you haven’t toured the film building in Mesa, I recommend doing so. It was really impressive and not super far from Tempe. We do see a disadvantage in having ASU’s Cronkite Journalism downtown, Herberger arts in Tempe and Portier film in Mesa, but it is what it is. All the programs feel solid. Strong lean toward ASU at the moment, especially with the Hollywood internship semester option. Good luck to you!