<p>Here's the story. I live in Los Angeles, I'm 25. I've attended school for acting since the age of 11. I went to an arts magnet school for middle and high. I left and attended the North Carolina School of the Arts for my last year of high school. I headed straight west after NCSA to CalArts. I had some great experiences at CalArts but nothing could compare to the training I had received at NCSA.
I'm sure you can imagine how at that point I was on acting training overload and had no real world exposure to the industry.</p>
<p>September of my senior year my father fell very ill. I left to go home to SC and help care for him. It was horrible to leave school but it was the right thing to do. A year later he died.
I went back to CalArts in a very different financial situation (as Im sure you can understand). I was ready to finish it up and complete my senior year of college. The institution was not willing to help me financially. I was hurt by that and I felt it was a clear message to just leave and try to make it in the real world. </p>
<p>Well here I am 3 years later... trying to make it. Its hard though I have found that I truly wish to be behind the camera instead of in front. I love acting but I'm a director at heart. I have a great love for writing and producing as well. I've made some money and I'm not in the financial straights that I used to be in. Though I still cannot afford to attend Cal Arts.</p>
<p>I would really like to finally obtain a degree. Ideally that would be a year or two spent learning how to operate a camera and learning more of the ins and outs of film making.
I currently have a great understanding of photography and light and have even shot a few magazine covers. I've made several short films and one feature film with a group of friends. I have an urge to learn more about filmmaking and finally get my BFA.
I understand that UCLA has a 2 year program and there are other schools in the area offering similar programs. USC is out for me as I have been in a few of their student film and I have spent time on the campus... its just not for me.
If anyone has advice or thoughts about UCLA film school or any other schools that might take a little orphan artist like me please post.</p>
<p>I greatly appreciate advice on the topic and I am open to speaking with any aspiring actors about CalArts and NCSA.</p>
<p>Let me start by saying I’m sad about your Dad. The same thing happened to me when I was a college Junior, my Mom passed away and then not long after my Dad passed too. You did the right thing by going home… but you already knew that.</p>
<p>So let’s tackle your current goal: finishing your degree as a film major.</p>
<p>UCLA - TFT is a separate professional school and the TFT admissions people make the call on who is admitted, not the general UCLA admissions office. It’s an important distinction because it’s TFT that you have to get to love you. Read this page carefully [About</a> | Undergraduate Film | UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television](<a href=“http://www.tft.ucla.edu/programs/undergraduate-film/about/]About”>About - UCLA School of TFTUCLA School of TFT) I would make an appointment with TFT’s Student Services Office ((310) 206-8441) and bring them your CalArts transcript to see how much of the GE requirements are satisfied first before doing anything else. If your GE’s aren’t covered they probably won’t process the rest of your application.</p>
<p>Plan B: UCLA’s other film programs
UCLA offers a few other programs that might also be of interest. Take a look at the Online program offered here [UCLA</a> Theater, Film & TV Online](<a href=“IIS Windows Server”>IIS Windows Server)
I believe this is open to most students but I haven’t through it completely.</p>
<p>Plan D: Other schools.
Have you thought about either Chapman or Loyola Marymount? Both offer excellent film majors and both would be slightly easier to gain admission.</p>
<p>Those are some thoughts off the top of my head I’ll write more if I think of something else.</p>
<p>Oops, I made a mistake in the above post. In the last paragraph of “Plan A” I said “It’s difficult to get in…” and this whole paragraph is based on the wrong data. The link I provided was for Film, TV, and Theater and that’s not what we want to look at.</p>
<p>Unfortunately the right info is sort of discouraging. By looking at this link (without Theater students) –> [Profile</a> of Admitted Transfer Students by Major, Fall 2009 - UCLA Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_tr/Tr_Prof09_mjr.htm#TFT]Profile”>http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_tr/Tr_Prof09_mjr.htm#TFT) we can see that UCLA only allows about 15 seats to incoming transfer students each year. The admit rate is about 2%. Ouch. This is much tougher than I originally thought. Definitely apply to UCLA but have several backup plans!</p>
<p>Sorry for the mistake but it’s caused me to look at the admit data more closely and I’ll try to post some summaries that might be of use to future film students.</p>
<p>kayfilms, I have a different idea to help you–but it may seem radical here on cc. You have had years of training in drama and art at some exceptional institutions. You have lived through difficult times and handled yourself so well. You have now lived on your own in L.A. for three years. At this point, you are certainly an adult and have a deep background in the arts–which may put you in a different place on your path.</p>
<p>Might I suggest that going back to college for two years will be 1) a potential sidestep–no industry production jobs require a degree 2) expensive–full time college will take you out of full-time employment plus add in the cost of tuition and living expenses, and 3) possibly a waste of your time at this point since a film degree has little actual value in career advancement? You are not interested in attending USC, but such a top program at least offers contacts, connections, and recruitment/internship opportunities at the top studios and indie productions–and entry into the Hollywood establishment is likely the top thing you could use right now. </p>
<p>Instead, you may actually gain the most from a different path. You could be much better off attending classes at UCLA Extension, where working film professionals teach everything from screenwriting (Writers Program) to film production using the latest equipment. These instructors often have ins at studios and with agents, the better to lead exceptional students to find their first entry-level jobs in a difficult field. UCLA Extension classes cost $500-900 or so, meet weekly, and are taught in the evenings, allowing adults to keep their day jobs. </p>
<p>You have to do a cost-benefits analysis for the next two years. Going back to college to finish a Comp Sci degree makes huge sense. To finish an undergrad film degree?</p>