Hey,
I really really want to know more about the BU FILM Major. Can anyone help me out? My SAT score is a 1320, and my gap is 3.7. Is that too low to get accepted as a film major? How focused is the film major at BU? or is it more liberal arts?
Hi @prepro986! Sorry for not seeing this sooner 
I applied to BU’s College of Communications (COM) with a planned major of Film and Television, and hopefully eventual work with editing and special effects.
As far as the major itself, I applied primarily because it is more hands-on than almost any other program. After getting the prerequisites out of the way, you basically select Film or Television (or both) as your preferred specialization.
I have searched far and wide for programs with concentrations in production rather than theory and BU is pretty much the only school with what I was looking for. It has an extremely broad range of courses, and even allows you to use experience with BUTV, the school’s station, for credit. If you’re interested in the directing aspect though, that program is also top-tier. The curriculum is very specific to your interests!
Even more, I have heard from numerous alumni that if you’re interested in shooting material independently, they will allow you to do so beginning from your first day on campus. This was a big one for me, because most schools make students wait until junior year to actually partake in filming and editing. Although you may not work with equipment initially through your courses, the opportunity does exist for you to do so outside of class.
I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, just ask! I’d be happy to help.
Thanks purplepug13!
That’s very helpful information. So student should in the film program shoot footage and handle a camera the first day? Is that for a film class or in a club? Is it a challenge to get/reserve equipment you need?
@romns116
No problem! As far as your questions, I’ll do my best to answer them, but my knowledge comes only from alumni and BU students I encountered while on campus
From what I have heard, you can indeed “pick-up” a camera from Day 1, although I doubt anyone will be doing that. The idea is that BU will allow you to rent out camera equipment should you be interested in shooting independent footage. A student told me that her roommate, a film major, completed a short film within her first semester in BU. As with other schools, I’m pretty sure BU has a system for renting out equipment in the same way one would rent out library books. Obviously, it would be up to you to seek out any actors/camera people, etc. The film program also allows you to do this, but not until later, after you’ve completed any prerequisites concerning theory and background (which is the case in almost every school).
The only “club” in the curriculum is BUTV, which is the television station. However, I’m sure there are film groups around campus if you feel inclined to join. I know the Film Society is one such group, but I believe they only watch films, not create them.
Hope this is what you were looking for!
Thanks again purplepug13. It’s for my son (HS junior). BU’s NPC seems to be the lowest net price for us. I’m trying to research the film program in case he gets accepted. Good luck with your app. Did you apply EA? What were your stats?
no need to repost your stats. I found them on the other thread. You should get in! I’m excited for you!
Thanks so much @romns116!
Best of luck to your son as well! Keep me updated, perhaps we could meet up in Boston one day should everything work out!
Thank you purplepug13! I don’t know if my chances will be lower since I am applying RD, but hopefully I can get into the film program. I hadn’t heard much until now!! I’m nervous my scores aren’t good enough.
@prepro986
Don’t worry! Do you mind me asking what your stats are? I assume they are at/below average if you’re concerned?
And just wondering, what other schools are you interested in? Are you planning to apply ED or EA to a different school? I know quite a bit about some other film programs, perhaps you have been looking at one of them.
I mentioned them in the first post! I’m applying to a lot of other film schools, USC, Emerson, Syracuse, Pratt, NYU
Repost
You mentioned other film programs, do you like Syracuse’s BFA program? Miami? My son is looking at those as well mainly due to the FA. I’d be interested to get your thoughts on other film programs (besides the usual USC, NYU, Chapman, LMU, etc), esp schools that give merit and need based aid. Our EFC is 0
Sorry @romns116, I didn’t even think to look.
Although I didn’t apply to them, I did visit a lot of schools with good film programs. Here are the main ones:
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BU-no explanation needed
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Syracuse-Their film facility is Unbelievable!! Taking the tour of Newhouse, I felt like I was in the CBS Studios! If you want a program with the most amenities and best equipment, look no further than SU. It’s studio is beyond belief. That being said, their actual program is good as well. I know that many professors are experienced in their respective fields and the courses are specific. I would have loved to go to SU for their film program alone, but the rest of the school was a huge turnoff.
3)Emerson-This school also featured a high-tech setup, but the rest of the program (and school) did not seem up to par. I hate to be harsh, but it looked to me like an SU understudy. The real deciding factor for me, however, wan’t even the program, but the campus. It’s basically three cement buildings in a not-so-great part of Boston. However, they do offer half-tuition if you join the Honors College.
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SUNY Purchase- While not as well known, I believe this school is worth a look. The professor, who I was able to speak with for two hours, is one of the most knowledgeable and insightful individuals I have ever met, no joke. He was the kind of teacher who genuinely cared for the students, and for the craft. There is a catch…besides this wonderful man, Purchase offers very little else. The campus is small and the facilities are merely satisfactory. The professor’s words were, “We don’t have any high-tech equipment and you won’t learn how to operate said technology, but we will teach you about the craft better than most schools.” The program is essentially a theory based curriculum with a focus on the “whys” of filming. There won’t be any “Why does AVID not let me move these cuts,” but there will be, "Why is this shot edited in this way? How does it relate to the film a a whole?
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Although I did not visit (or apply), I have heard many wonderful things about RIT. My father has many clients who work in the film and television industry (and graduated from RIT), and they all say it is one of the best film schools in the Northeast. As I do not know much more, I would suggest you look it up to see if it’s a fit.
Hope this helps!!
And @prepro986, you can look on my last reply for SU and Emerson, but those are the only two I believe we have in common, sorry.
What about SU was a turnoff? The people? Campus? We haven’t visited, but the campus looks like something my son would like (traditional architecture, etc). I know the weather may be an issue (we’re from TX).
@purplepug13
Also regarding SU, did you tour both Newhouse and VPA? I know Newhouse is more popular (for communications), but VPA seems to be closer to a filmmaking program.
@romns116
1) Yes, the campus was wonderful-exactly what you would want for any student. The architecture is beautiful, the facilities are modern, and the Carrier Dome resides in the heart of the campus. The way I described it when I visited was as a rural campus in an urban location. Although it is not located in a major city, SU encourages access to the college town (which is pretty nice) and the city of Syracuse itself (which features several retail outlets as well as Destiny Mall. the sixth largest mall in the United States). It’s definitely not in the middle of nowhere.
Weather was definitely a factor (which is also why I didn't want to apply to (or even visit) RIT or UR). The snow is almost never-ending! I am from Long Island, but if you're traveling from Texas, the transition would be even more of a shock. What really turned me off was the "college life." There were two huge facts that were real deal-breakers.
The first is that Syracuse has been ranked the most dangerous city in New York on multiple occasions. The amount of violence (and I mean violence-rapes, murders, assaults, robberies) that goes on there is greater than almost any other school in the Northeast, or even the United States. I would NOT want to be a student there with these rates.
(https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ny/syracuse/crime I would read this article if I were you-it shows just how unsafe the city is)
The second is that Syracuse has been ranked in the top 10 "party schools" consistently; in fact, they were #1 in 2014. They also rank high in categories such as beer and Greek Life (which I do not plan to associate with, much less be a part of). I like a good football game as much as the next guy, but come on-#1 party school AND one of the most violent cities in America? That doesn't sound like a great, safe campus environment to me!
(http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2017/07/top_party_schools_princeton_review_syracuse_university.html read this article as well-a real eye opener as far as the social scene)
I hope I haven't scared you too much about SU, and by all means apply if you're interested! I only toured Newhouse, but it was incredible! DO NOT apply to VPA-multiple on-campus alumni shared with me that it is possibly the worst program on campus. The professors are terrible, the course load is ridiculous, and there is no real hands-on experiences. Now, I'm sure not everybody feels this way, but enough sources agreed upon the same opinion that it convinced me to avoid VPA.
If you have any other questions, please ask! SU does have some wonderful opportunities, but in my case, those two facts were simply unforgivable when it came time to applications.
Thanks @purplepug13! This is the kind of info parents are glad to find out about ahead of time. I knew the crime rate might be an issue, but not to his degree.