<p>^Ted, I’m wondering if you wouldn’t get more responses if you made a new thread?</p>
<p>Jtmoney, I always enjoy hearing about what your daughter’s getting up to at LMU. And more to the point, I think it’s very helpful for prospective students on CC to hear the nuts and bolts of film school.</p>
<p>Hi gladiatorbird! I also love reading posts by Jtmoney and other cc parents whose kids are making their way through their wonderful programs. Any updates on your talented son?</p>
<p>My son is just finishing freshman year at FSU, so not officially in the film school until this upcoming August when he will go 7 straight semesters and finish in December of 2015. With that being said, I don’t have too much to report yet other than he has already volunteered quite a bit on the upper classman films and of course watched all of their screenings. He was very impressed with the recent screening of the F3’s(final year) 7 minute films and said that the huge improvement from F1’s to F3’s was amazing. FSU also pays for production of films, so big plus there. Will report later next year as things move along in the program.</p>
<p>Fond hello to you, madbean! And thanks for the FSU snapshot, StantonMom. Please come post again with updates about your son’s adventures there. When searching for schools last year, DS read great things about the FSU program. </p>
<p>DS is in his first year at Chapman/Dodge and he’s having an all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips experience. He is extremely happy and making a great adjustment to college. Opportunities to get involved in projects at Dodge are pretty much unlimited–even as a first-year student. Six months in, he’s already done two short film projects of his own and collaborated on three films by other students: he was lead actor in all three projects, and did some writing and film/sound editing. He is animating now, too, and doing the intensive first-year foundational Digital Arts coursework. He is also doing some free lance vis fx stuff for other film students. </p>
<p>DS is liking his Honor’s College experience very much, as well. The small seminar classes are stimulating, with in-class debate and weekly critical writing (son loves to write and an honors professor just asked to publish one of his essays in the University journal). </p>
<p>His honors, digital arts and TV faculty are all wonderful so far–very engaged, passionate, dedicated to their students. DS works in the Dodge College office, too, and loves it. He’s learning a lot there and they provide as many hours as he asks for (he’s hungry for work as he’s paying all his own day to day expenses). Dodge will soon be training him to do Dodge College tours and he’s excited about that. He’s looking forward to the new digital arts building. A beautiful historic building next to Dodge is now under renovation; it will house new, state of the art DA facilities and is scheduled to open next year. With regard to his major, DS has fallen in love all over again with 2D…I think that will be his concentration (versus 3D or Vis fx, though all DA majors get significant experience in the three areas). His plan is to go for television work, ultimately; he prefers the episodic nature of TV and the job market is evidently stronger, and more consistent, than in film. He recently applied for a Television minor (includes production, editing and screen writing coursework).</p>
<p>DS is also doing a very good job of getting out there and in the mix–seizing every opportunity. He’s in various Dodge clubs and works the Dodge events. As a result, he’s met a number of famous big wigs and been able to hang out a bit…for example, DS met Andrew Stanton (the Oscar winning Pixar animation genius responsible for Wall-E, Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, etc.) when he came to lecture the Dodge students. Because DS works these events (and can be pretty outgoing/charming), he’s managed to get pics of himself arm-in-arm with these folks to send to us: he has a pic of himself in a bear-hug with Andrew Stanton, for ex. This weekend was the Busan West Film Festival at Dodge; DS sent us a pic of himself arm-in-arm with Korean director Jee-woon Kim. (DS says that Arnold Schwarzenegger “got away” before he got his pic, LOL!). Son is working hard, but also having a lot of fun. :)</p>
<p>So, all in all, he’s having a great experience so far at Chapman-Dodge. He’s planning a winter-term study abroad class, too…perhaps to the Galapagos Islands (trip is paired with a Darwin/evolutionary science course). Also in the running: a documentary film class in Cuba. So many opportunities! He tells us that Chapman Honors College and Dodge are both fantastic. The only criticism he’s offered is that he thinks they could “make us work harder” at foundational drawing/animating. He thinks the digital arts majors should spend more hours drawing each week. He tells me he’s handling this by “driving” himself “even harder.” That’s my boy. :)</p>
<p>I’ll add that DS is paying a lot of attention to the job market and recent shifts in the Vis Fx industry. He loves his digital arts work, but is glad he’s also getting a broad-based college education. He’ll graduate with excellent writing skills, Honors college, and digital arts as well as television-production skills (+ internships/work experience). He figures this will provide the job skills to move into the industry via television. He sees advertising and web design as alternative paths for his creativity and industry. </p>
<p>Seems a reasonable plan for a passionate, smart, hard-working kid with big talent in these areas. He loves the digital arts so VERY much, it’s hard to imagine him choosing to major in anything else. Onward and upward…We’ll see!</p>
<p>P. S.
DS did it again. He just called to tell me that he’s scheduled to “have dinner” this week with Rich Moore and Jim Reardon (Wreck-It Ralph, The Simpsons, Wall-E), along with his Digital Arts professor at Chapman-Dodge, Bill Kroyer (Fern Gully, Tron). </p>
<p>He certainly is working hard and meeting people already in freshman year at Dodge. :)</p>
<p>As a HS junior who is considering going into film/acting… this thread has brought me tons of insight into the intricate world of college majors in the film/tv/media production area…(Thanks!) I’ll be continuing to avidly read this thread as I continue my college search!!
Sent from my LG-VS700 using CC</p>
<p>gladiatorbird, thank you for the wonderful update. I am really happy for your S who was always destined for great things because–look–he makes great things happen. He followed his heart and I’m so glad he’s having the time of his life. Keep those updates coming.</p>
<p>Hi gladiator bird, Adding best wishes and congratulations to your son! He seems like a real go-getter, which is already serving him well! Yes, do keep us posted!</p>