Chapman, USC or NYU for Film Production?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Chapman University
1

<p>I've been accepted to all three programs and I'm very excited, but I am completely overwhelmed with deciding. They all seem like such great schools.
For me, money is a huge deciding factor, however they all come down to a relatively similar price (USC the cheapest, then Chapman, then NYU). The only thing is, if I go to NYU I have to do a liberal studies program for the first year and I would have to take my film classes that summer semester (so extra money and time).
I am visiting USC next week and I have already seen the other two. So far, I really loved the Chapman environment as well as NYU's. What I'm really looking for is the best option for having success in the film field (the school with the best opportunities). Also having a supportive community and really focusing on film is very important to me.
Any perspective from anyone else in my position, or anyone else who chose Chapman, even if your not a film production major, would be great!</p>

<p>Thank you for any responses!
(I also posted this in the usc and nyu thread, sorry if it seems redundant I just want to get a holistic view).</p>

2

<p>Hi kitkat, Wow! Congratulations for getting accepted to all of the great schools! How exciting! I think you’ll have a better feel after you’ve visited the schools. Revisit them if you need to. Be sure to ask tons of questions on you tour, such as who owns the film rights to your films? Speaking of film rights, I believe the Chapman Dodge students get to keep their own films. That’s a big plus for Chapman. From what I know about USC is that USC gets to hold the rights to the physical film.</p>

<p>My advice for you would be to speak to your parents after the visits and make a list of pros and cons about each school. 1. Affordability (how much can you and your parents afford?) 2. Fit ( size, location, environment, facilities, etc.) 3. Opportunities ( internships, jobs, connections in the industry, faculty and students) </p>

<p>With that said, based on what I know about Chapman Dodge is that it is an amazing film school with the best state-of-the-art facilities (can’t wait to see the filmmakers’ village), great location, great opportunities, talented students, and world-class faculty.</p>

<p>Hope this helps. Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>Why is owning the film rights important in student films? Chapman makes a big point about it, so I’m curious in what ways this makes a difference to student filmmakers.</p>

4

<p>madbean, The purpose of film rights is to protect the filmmaker of his or her own work, whether it’s a student film created while in school or professionally. You never know, if that film gets into the wrong hands, it could be sold without the filmmaker’s knowledge. I guess that’s why they have copyright law.</p>

<p>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
“Film rights are the rights under copyright law to make a derivative work—in this case, a film—derived from an item of intellectual property. Under U.S. law, these belong to the holder of the copyright, who may sell or option them to someone in the film industry (a producer or director or sometimes a specialist broker of such properties) who will then try to gather the other professionals and secure the financial backing needed to convert the property into a film. This is different from the right to exhibit a finished motion picture commercially to an audience; this is usually referred to as “exhibition rights” or “public performance rights”.”</p>

5

<p>Thanks for that explanation. Perhaps you do not realize it, but for student films made at NYU, USC and other film schools, the student DOES own all creative rights to the IP. The Wikipedia entry you quoted is about film rights derived from other media, such as books or comic books, however. Those film rights belong to the original authors, and have nothing to do with original content in student films. </p>

<p>It’s a complicated topic. With an original film created by a student, the subsidiary rights including additional film rights stay with the student, no matter what film school they attend. </p>

<p>Once a student film is made, however, there is essentially no paying market for it. It’s highest value is in submission to festivals and competitions, and on a student’s reel. That is never a problem, though, because all film schools encourage and help their students with submissions. I think the wording of “ownership” can sound scary to those who are not attorneys, and basically it can give students the wrong idea.</p>

6

<p>Indeed it’s a complicated topic. I believe the concerns are more for the independent filmmakers. If the picture was made under the studio or the school, the independent filmmaker gives up control unless it was made under the director. Perhaps this could be the reason that Chapman Dodge emphasized it. Although some films may be entered into festivals and competitions, while others may not, some feel it’s necessary to have the full control rather than not for the purpose of what could become a potential down the road. This is where Entertainment Law comes in.</p>

<p>Film Financing and Distribution Deals
By Jon M. Garon
"For the independent filmmaker, making a picture under a studio-financed production deal is both a blessing and a curse. A well-made studio film has the potential to greatly exceed the success of any independent film. The studio’s marketing budgets and promotional savvy can make a household name out of anyone, opening the door for tremendous professional control on subsequent projects.</p>

<p>The curse is that the independent filmmaker gives up control immediately. Rarely do studio screenplays resemble the writer’s first drafts, and novice directors will be second-guessed at every turn—if the filmmaker is allowed to remain attached to the picture at all. Still, that is where the money is. For most artists it is commercial success that buys them the luxury of later artistic control."</p>

7

<p>Well, again, the passage you quoted is not a concern of student filmmakers, since universities exert exactly zero control over the student’s films, scripts, etc. It concerns paid filmmakers working for a studio–as the studio backs the film and takes on the financial risk. It is quite easy to get confused, OCELITE, but the research quoted above is completely off the topic of students making films. The trouble is that students and their parents may become needlessly frightened by the wording of posts by well meaning fans of Chapman. However much a school may want to promote its own policies, the legal ownership of student films is essentially a non-issue for the use of these films by students. </p>

<p>Since the film program at Chapman is really exceptional, it would be helpful for students learn about all the positive elements in the program. This particular bragging point, however, may come across as a scare tactic without substance.</p>

8

<p>Hi madbean, Thank you for your input. You’ve given some very good points on this issue, however, it is a personal preference. Eventually the personal choice is up to the individual student filmmaker. Some students may feel more comfortable to be able to have the full access of all copyrights rather than going through hoops later. I don’t believe Chapman’s intent to come across as a scare tactic. I believe it’s to educate and allow the students to have the freedom to think and choose ahead what kind of film policies they want to go with. If something didn’t turn out the way they thought it would be , they would not have any regrets. All the copyright laws are there for a reason, otherwise there is no purpose. </p>

<p>Perhaps the following information from USC and NYU will help those film students and families to understand the policy a bit more. This is rather long, but hope it’s helpful to those who may want to know.</p>

<p>" Q. Do I own the rights to my film?
USC retains the copyright to ALL short films created within the class. Intellectual property (scripts, treatments, etc.) remains with the filmmaker. Only the tangible film rights are held (the piece created at USC).</p>

<p>Q. Does USC own the script to my short film?
No. USC only holds the rights to the physical film.</p>

<p>Q. If USC owns my film, am I allowed to show it/ send it to festivals?
A student film may be shown/sent to festivals as long as a proper production book is completed for that film. A production book consists of permits/ releases and rights for everything in the film (actor, location, story, music, etc.). The Production book process is outlined and explained in detail in all Summer Program production courses."</p>

<p>Tisch School of the Arts Ownership Policy
The creative works produced by students at the Tisch School of the Arts in fulfillment of class assignments, or as individual study projects, whether made on Tisch School of the Arts premises or elsewhere, with or without Tisch School of the Arts equipment, and with or without extra funds (hereafter called “Student Works”), have a dual nature. First and foremost, the production of Student Works is intended as an educational experience. However, the product of that educational experience is an item of property that may have a market value for its creator(s). </p>

<p>The interest of the Tisch School of the Arts in any Student Work extends only through the completion of the educational experience associated with such Work until its utility as an educational device or matrix has been exhausted. This is not necessarily the completion of the Work; many Student Works that are technically incomplete have nonetheless satisfied the educational purposes for which the creation of such Works was intended. </p>

<p>But, if certain students were to market, distribute, or work for private profit on a Student Work prior to the termination of that Work’s usefulness as an educational device, it could deprive other students of the opportunity to work in or with such Work and hinder the exercise of proper faculty supervision of such Work, thereby obstructing the educational purpose that the production of such Work is intended to serve. </p>

<p>Student Works are prepared for educational purposes, not as products for market, and the financial value of Student Works, if any, is at most a secondary benefit of their creation. Therefore, it is in the interest of the students at the Tisch School of the Arts and of the Tisch School of the Arts as a whole that each Student Work remains subject to certain restrictions until the educational experience associated with such Work has been completed. Following the completion of such experience, the Tisch School of the Arts has no interest in the marketing of any Student Work or any income derived there from. Therefore, all Student Works are subject to the following ownership policy:

  1. All Student Works are owned by the student(s) who create them.
  2. Any income from distribution of any Student Work shall be the property of the student(s) who create such work.
  3. All students who create or participate in the creation of a Student Work are jointly and severally responsible for such Student Work, including without being limited to, for determining and ensuring that such Student Work does not violate or infringe on any copyright, any right of privacy, or any other right of any person, and that such Student Work is not libelous, obscene, or otherwise contrary to law. Such students shall also be jointly and severely responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions for the use of any copyrighted materials included in such Student Work. </p>

<p>Any advice or assistance given by any faculty member or other representative of the Tisch School of the Arts or of New York University to any student in relation to the foregoing responsibilities, or otherwise in relation to the preparation or production of a Student Work, shall not be construed (a) as the assumption of such responsibility or of any liability by such person, by the Tisch School of the Arts, or by New York University; (b) to deem the University, the School, or such person a joint venturer with such student; or (c) to grant such student the power, right, or authority to create any obligation or responsibility on behalf of, or otherwise, to bind the University, the School, or such person. </p>

<p>Each student who creates or participates in the creation of a Student Work agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Tisch School of the Arts and New York University against any loss, damage, liability, or expense that they incur as a result of the preparation or production of such Student Work, including, without being limited to, any material in such work that infringes or violates any copyright, right of privacy, or any other right of any person, or is libelous, obscene, or contrary to law.
4. To ensure that each student and faculty member has a meaningful opportunity to participate in the educational process occasioned by the production of each Student Work, the student(s) who owns each Student Work agrees not to distribute such Work in any manner, whether by sale or other transfer of the ownership or other rights, license, lease, loan, gift, or otherwise, except for entering such Work in festivals or competitions, and further agrees to make such Student Work available to other student and to faculty members of the Tisch School of the Arts for any use relating to his or her education or to the education of such other students, until such student, or if more than one student owns such Student Work, until all such students have either graduated from New York University or are no longer matriculating at New York University. The dean of the Tisch School of the Arts may, in her sole discretion, waive these restrictions for any reason satisfactory to the dean.
5. The student(s) who owns each Student Work grants New York University: (a) the right to purchase prints or other copies of such Student Work at cost, whenever, in the University’s sole discretion, such prints or other copies are needed for any University use; and (b) the right to reproduce, display, or perform such prints or other copies anywhere and for any reason, including, without being limited to, publicizing the Tisch School or the Arts or New York University, without any royalty or other payment of any kind to the student(s), provided that such prints or copies may not be rented or sold by the University. Such student(s) also agrees that he or she will not make any contract or commitment regarding the Student Work contrary to this policy or in derogation of the rights granted to the University by this policy, and that he or she will sign any document reasonably requested by the University to confirm or enforce any of the rights granted to the University by this policy.
6. The Tisch School of the Arts will decide whether or not to put its name on a given Student Work. If so requested by the dean of the Tisch School of the Arts, the student(s) who owns each Student Works agrees to credit in such Student Work, in a manner satisfactory to the dean, any donor to the Tisch School of the Arts whose donation contributed in any way to the production of such Student Work.</p>

9

<p>Thanks for printing all that out, OCELITE. Like you, I’m afraid many do not understand what a copyright really means. It does NOT entail the intellectual property or any creative rights in any way. They always belong to the student(s). Just wanted to make that very clear as that was not what you originally stated. </p>

<p>In fact, the reason I wanted to ask you about your original post was that it seemed pretty confused about the facts. Your subsequent posts were also mistaken. And you have posted similar things on the film forum on CC and there are many who do get scared by this sort of discussion. I just thought it was time to get this cleared up.</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your input and for your being open to delve a little more deeply into what this issue really means. The policy you have been concerned about (and that is your right!) is not, however, one that in any way infringes on the student filmmaker. That point gets murky in posts that continue to defend the original mistaken post, and suggest other school’s policies disadvantage the student. As I’m sure you know, none of these schools take advantage of their students. That’s why so many continue to attend USC, NYU and Chapman.</p>

10

<p>I found this discussion informative and helpful. The gladiatorbird household thanks you both for your time and energy put to investigating this interesting subject. :)</p>

11

<p>madbean, again I thank you for your input. Sounds like you’re still a little confused about the point I was making. My original post’s question: " who owns the film rights to your films?" Meaning who owns the copyright to all of the student’s work. My point was if a school owns the copyright to the physical film, the filmmaker would not have full control of all of his/her work. In order to present the original work to the buyer, the seller most likely will require to present both the script and the physical film. It’s a package deal as DS calls it. If the original artist has the copyright of one piece of the work while someone else has the copyright of the other piece of the work, it won’t go well with the buyer. If that film turns out to be a hot piece of work, who will be the one that claims it? The film has the school’s name on it, while the script has the artist’s name on it. That is the point I was making. It’s like a student who makes a discovery in a research project, but the school has the copyright of the work, who will claim the discovery, the student or the school? As we have indicated it is a complicated topic. It never hurts to understand the value of one’s work. With that said, I agree that these are all great institutions.</p>

12

<p>Your son is right about the copyrights. However, as stated before but it seems to need repeating: There is no market (no buyers) for student films. Since this subject only relates to the sale of the actual film (not the ideas, script, etc) and since there is no one who buys student films as is, this point is moot. </p>

<p>In case this surprises you, I’ll explain a little further. The restricted budgets, short length, and other aspects common to student work give student films no real commercial value, no matter how brilliant, and many may be. Since the sale of such a film as it exists is not possible (no one buys student films–the best ones are exhibited at showcases, festivals and competitions) there are no cases when this policy has hurt the student, as I’ve said. However, if there should someday be a buyer who wants to purchase the film itself (this is a student film, we’re talking about), many universities will only need the student to come to their clearance office to arrange the paperwork to make that possible. These contracts are necessary by the WGA, SAG, etc. who originally okayed the film to be produced with unpaid talent under a student film exclusion to their standard basic agreements for commercial films. In case that is not clear enough, OCELITE, no university goes on to sell one of their student’s work, make any money off of it, take creative credit for it, steal it, or any such nonsense. This is the suggestion you continue to make and I can’t imagine you mean this.</p>

<p>I’m glad you have been willing to learn a little more about this topic. It is so esoteric (in that its application is almost completely theoretical in light of real practices in selling films today) that I always cringe a little when it is brought up to seem like some big deal that hurts the student. It is not. And your analogy to the student whose research is somehow claimed by the university is, I’m afraid, exactly the sort of distorted logic that is so untrue. I hope you understand now that the university does not own any intellectual property or creative ideas, concepts or scripts produced by its students. Perhaps you should really stop trying to explain at this point. You are, I’m afraid, still confused.</p>

<p>I do appreciate your willingness to look at the issue more openly and honestly. As I suggested and hope, those of you on the Chapman forum can do a great service to incoming students by featuring the actual benefits of attending this school. There are so many that are real and substantial.</p>

13

<p>madbean, I thought you’re a fan of USC and have kids there. So I see you’re here to check out the competition. And of course Chapman has lots of benefits, this happens to be one of them. I will save you the trouble of repeating, because it is not a requirement for the students to sell their films through festivals and whatnot. Keep in mind this industry is about connections. If a student already have connections within a company, he or she can pitch the way in. You can’t sell if you don’t have the goods.</p>

<p>FYI…I was using the student’s research work as an example, and you’re taking it out of context. I do realize most universities do follow rules and they have no intention of taking credit. As I had said before, the purpose of rights is to protect the filmmaker. Life has no guarantees. As I’m sure the USC fans didn’t expect their football team and basketball team to break any NCAA rules either, but it can happen. With that said, it’s time to move on.</p>

14

<p>I’m a sophomore at Tisch now. The last time I ever thought about the copyright on my student films was when I was applying to film schools and Chapman made a big deal out of it. Since then it hasn’t mattered at all. Don’t worry about it. It’s completely moot.</p>

<p>Student films never go anywhere. There’s honestly no reason for you to hold even intellectual rights on them. Trust me, virtually nothing you make in film school will be commercially useful. This is for two reasons: 1) 99.9% of filmmakers aren’t NEARLY as talented as they think they are, and 2) the resources given to you are not great enough and the assignments are too unique so there’s usually no reason your creation would be of interest to non-filmmakers anyway.</p>

<p>That said, there certainly are <em>some</em> students at NYU who have their final thesis films broadcast (documentaries, mainly) but that’s post-graduation and long after the film’s educational purpose has run out. Any of these schools would be more than happy to not only let you broadcast, but help you get there.</p>

<p>We’ve already spent so much time discussion copyrights it’s ridiculous. It’s the LAST thing that should be on your mind right now.</p>

<p>As for NYU vs. USC vs. Chapman, I’d rank and attend them in that order. I faced the same decision you are facing now and picked NYU for two reasons: I did NOT want to live in LA and after touring the schools decided that, even besides location, NYU offered the best environment for me to grow as an artist. I was not impressed with Chapman academically or intellectually (though they have great facilities and bla bla that stuff doesn’t really matter trust me). I was not impressed with USC on an emotional/personal level (everyone there was really rude and stuck-up to me for some reason) but WAS impressed with NYU on every level.</p>

<p>My 2c.</p>

15

<p>" Student films never go anywhere."</p>

<p>Never go anywhere is a big phrase. Keep in mind that different people have different goals, therefore, they may take different paths to achieve their dreams.</p>

<p>“There’s honestly no reason for you to hold even intellectual rights on them. Trust me, virtually nothing you make in film school will be commercially useful. This is for two reasons: 1) 99.9% of filmmakers aren’t NEARLY as talented as they think they are, and 2) the resources given to you are not great enough and the assignments are too unique so there’s usually no reason your creation would be of interest to non-filmmakers anyway.”</p>

<p>There are different reasons why certain people prefer to hold their rights. Save the hassle would be a very good reason. Some students may use it to enter contests, whether it’s for scholarship purposes or for a film festival, etc. Keep in mind that different contests may have different rules or requirements. In most cases, if the school or institution holds the rights to the film, they will need to sign the entry form giving permission for the film to be submitted. Therefore, each time you want to submit your film, you need to get permission from the school. As an example of what the rules may look like, here’s one from the Depaul USA film contest: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Eligibility: You must complete the entry form and sign it, stating that the film is your work product. Films must be suitable for public viewing (as determined by Depaul USA at its sole discretion) and may not contain nudity, profanity, threats of physical violence, or material that is unlawful or in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations in any jurisdiction where the film is created. Films with U.S. distribution (obtained prior to being selected for the Depaul USA film contest) or films produced, financed or initiated by a major film studio or television network are ineligible for competition. Films that have screened on U.S. network or cable television or distributed to theaters prior to the festival dates are also ineligible for competition.</p>

<ol>
<li>Student and Group Submissions: Submissions from students, including graduate and undergraduate students, are highly encouraged but not required. Student films made with funding from a university or other institution are welcome, but if the school or institution holds the rights to the film, they will need to sign the entry form giving permission for the film to be submitted in this contest. Groups of individuals may enter one collective film, and the name of the director should be listed under the “Director” field in each entry form submitted by the group. Should a group submission win a prize, the award will be sent to the director, and the division of the prize money is the responsibility of the director, not Depaul USA.</li>
<li>Releases and Copyrighted Material: All entrants must submit a Depaul USA Film Festival release form for each individual that appears in the film contest submission. If your film contains any copyrighted material (music, video, photographs, or otherwise) the filmmaker will be responsible for securing the licensing rights. (To avoid the expense and difficulty of securing such rights we recommend using only original, non-copyrighted material or material licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license). Films must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, living or deceased, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or as stated above, material that constitutes copyright infringement. Films should not prominently display or refer to any other for-profit companies’ or products’ names, brands, trademarks, or logos.</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>

<p>" I was not impressed with Chapman academically or intellectually"</p>

<p>Really? Did you sit in one of the classes or speak to the Chapman professors? Do you know where the Chapman professors come from or received their degrees from, such schools like Chapman, USC, UCLA, NYU, Stanford, U of Penn, Yale, Berkeley, Harvard, etc. to name a few?</p>

<p>" As for NYU vs. USC vs. Chapman, I’d rank and attend them in that order. I faced the same decision you are facing now and picked NYU for two reasons: I did NOT want to live in LA and after touring the schools decided that, even besides location, NYU offered the best environment for me to grow as an artist. I was not impressed with Chapman academically or intellectually (though they have great facilities and bla bla that stuff doesn’t really matter trust me). I was not impressed with USC on an emotional/personal level (everyone there was really rude and stuck-up to me for some reason) but WAS impressed with NYU on every level."</p>

<p>Keep in mind that everyone will have different opinions for fitting purposes. LA is not for everyone as the same with NY is not for everyone. Frankly, the East Coast weather is too cold in the winter, and it’s too humid in the summer for our fit. In addition to why many people choose Chapman, better location, better weather, better merit-aid, closer to Hollywood than NYU. In another word, closer to the action! If you want to have the full experience like in the real world, film facilities, faculty and connections do matter.</p>

16

<p>Evidently Dodge College @Chapman University has the top most modern facilities, smaller student to teacher ratios and more hands on experience than USC or UCLA. USC is known as the greatest Film School in the world and there is a lot of networking available thru the alumni when getting work after graduation from USC. One may be better trained for work at Dodge College @Chapman University but USC has presently the greatest reputation. Dodge College admits 210 total Freshman each year (only 70 in the Film Production and only 30 in the TV Production/Broadcast Journalism). USC’s program major of Cinematic Arts Critical Studies and they accept 75 Freshman each year to this program; the entire USC School of Cinematic Arts school accepts a total of 200 Freshman per year. Although there is a very wide possibility of classes at USC to choose from the program is less directed than Dodge College and relies on the student to choose their classes (@USC). The journalism classes one would take would be at the at USC Annenberg School of Journalism.</p>

<p>[Lawrence</a> and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts](<a href=“http://ftv.chapman.edu/programs/sodaro-pankey_undergraduate_school_of_media_arts/television_broadcast_journalism/]Lawrence”>http://ftv.chapman.edu/programs/sodaro-pankey_undergraduate_school_of_media_arts/television_broadcast_journalism/) The TV Production/Broadcast Journalism major at Dodge College</p>

<p>[Lawrence</a> and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts](<a href=“http://ftv.chapman.edu/]Lawrence”>http://ftv.chapman.edu/) Click on the yellow link on this page that says “Watch Our Video Introduction”. This video is 5 years old and Dodge College is even better now.</p>

<p>Below are comments that discuss USC, UCLA, Dodge College & NYU that I found on the web. </p>

<hr>

<p>dara18 August 14, 2011 at 9:19 pm </p>

<h2>USC, UCLA and Chapman/Dodge are very similar. Not in how they run their program, but how they’re seen in the industry. Chapman is 3rd, but really catching up, and they’ve amazing facilities. The problem is, they’re all extremely competitive! It’s literally easier to get into Harvard (6% acceptance rate) than into any of those film programs, the acceptance rate is about 5% for each college. (To give you an idea, USC accepts about fifty into the director program, and twenty-five into the screenwriter program, out of over a thousand applicants each year. And you first must be admitted to USC, which is tough on its own.) USC has a great summer program. It’s expensive because it’s for actual USC credit, high school students 16+ can attend. Chapman/Dodge just started a summer film program for high school students, and UCLA has a camp and regular summer school classes (high school students in grades ten – twelve may attend). USC UCLA Arts Camp UCLA summer school – Chapman/Dodge The schools run their programs differently. If I’m remembering correctly (my son looked into it recently) you won’t do film at UCLA until you’re a junior, at USC, you start during your sophomore year, at Chapman, as a freshman. I’ve heard good things about Loyola Marymount, but it’s not on the same level as the others. Visit the schools and check out the film programs, you have to make a separate tour request for that department, in addition to your request to tour the campus. Here are some other options: Cal State LA, a lower tier four year college, but a really great film program. Pasadena City College LACC Other local community colleges have film programs, too. Be wary of the tech film schools (the ones that advertise a lot), they really aren’t respected in the industry, and generally it’s very tough to find a job after attending, and they’re expensive. It doesn’t matter who they get to guest teach or whatever, they’re a lot of hype. If you have a lot of money to burn, and limited time, then they’re a good jump start, but really not the best option by far. Some art colleges have good film programs, they tend to be expensive: Art Center College of Design AFI has a great program, very expensive: If you’re not already filming, like all the time, you better start now, your competition is. (If you haven’t tried stop motion, consider it, it’s a great learning experience and teaches preciseness and patience. 900+ shots for a one minute film. IStopMotion is great software.) For most applications you’ll need some film, you can usually find the guidelines on the college website. Also, because competition for spaces is so competitive, they want to see applicants with a true passion. Good luck!</h2>

<p>Christopher C. Odom is a Director, Writer, Author in Nashville, TN, USA
UCLA is best known for their writers who dominate the summer movie screenwriting credits, USC is better known for their powerhouse directors, AFI often has incredible cinematographers, NYU is heralded for its East Coast filmmaker style, and Columbia is an all around great school with exceptional film theory for all programs. Any school you go to at the Big five will be an incredible experience for each program. You’ll also have big name professionals and heads of big companies teach courses or speak as guests because of the school’s notoriety. You cannot lose.
The downside to USC is that they run it like a studio. Only five people get to direct a thesis project if you are a graduate directing student. Every directing student comes in to be one of those five and then twenty or thirty people in the end do not get a thesis project, but get to help crew on the five people who did get to make one’s film. The upside to USC, is again, that they run it like a studio. USC is often unparalleled in its networking capacity and markets its students aggressively to the industry.
UCLA is most known for its screenwriters. USC might be capable of out-networking UCLA, but its writers cannot out-write UCLA writers. An average UCLA Graduate Screenwriting student will leave with eight feature length screenplays. UCLA screenwriters write a feature-length script in a 10-week quarter, which most resembles a real life 8-week writing assignment. USC screenwriters will write one feature-length screenplay over a period of one year. You do the math.
The Peter Stark Producing Program at USC is great for producing movie executives, but the UCLA Producing Program is great for teaching producers everything there is to know to go out there and just start doing it.
Similar to USC’s “only five will direct a thesis project”, AFI is even more hardcore. Not only are there are a limited number of thesis projects, not every filmmaker is always invited to come back to school for a second year. It is harder to get into any of these film schools than it’s to get into Harvard Law School, simply because Harvard takes a higher percentage of its applicants than the big film schools do, so for me AFI and USC really wasn’t worth getting cut or snubbed over after you had to already defeat the odds of winning the lottery to even get accepted. Having to win the lottery a second time just wasn’t desirable.</p>

<p>02-15-2011, 10:54 PM #9 </p>

<p>TOCproductions
Basic Member<br>
I’ve been going through exactly the same process!</p>

<p>I don’t know if it is possible for you to tour the campuses of these schools, but if you can I HIGHLY recommend it. </p>

<p>I myself was pretty dead set on USC initially. I knew of their prestige and rep in the industry. However I also made sure to tour Chapman, because I had heard good things.</p>

<p>After the campus tours… my opinion and preference has shifted 100%. Chapman basically reached out and hugged me. Everyone was friendly, small student population, gorgeous campus. And the film school was AWESOME. I had a private tour (guess it was a slow day) from a Freshman in the program. He showed me completely through the studios, sound stages, foley room, motion capture studio, editing bays, audio mixing studios, 500 seat preview theater with 3D HD projectors… the whole 9 yards, everything top of the line. Students can access facilities 24/7. Seriously. Got an idea at 2 in the morning? Keycard into the building and start working. Additionally, alumni have access to equipment, resources, and stage space AFTER they have graduated!! Fill out a schedule form, and you are in! No rental charges, nada. That is seriously cool.</p>

<p>USC… is definitely a prestigious university. Massive campus, very educated students, but TONS TONS TONS of people. Medium city sized. As for the film school… my impression was that there was SO much money invested into equipment… that they are almost scared to let students near it. From the mouth of my ‘tour guide’ who actually mainly talked about admission; “Ya, we have awesome facilities! I wish i could show you, but they are behind a lot of locked doors which I don’t have keys to.” I felt that was very representative of the school. You have to take large numbers of GE classes before you really launch into the film program. Not so at Chapman; you take classes for your film major from freshman year on out, constantly. </p>

<p>Chapman may not have quite the rep that USC does, but they are RAPIDLY coming up in the industry. They have plans laid out for millions of dollars in expansion culminating in a ‘film village’ with backlot and even more sound stages, and are very aggressive in expansion programs; part of the benefit of all the tuition they charge, I guess. Speaking of tuition… they are several thousand dollars a year cheaper than USC. Not much, but every bit helps. </p>

<p>I’ve been pouring myself into this research for the last few months, but visiting made all the difference. If you have any questions about campuses or anything just let me know…
Best of luck!
Peter Cat
2011-08-08 18:53:09
University of Southern California</p>

<p>The richest film school in the world (alum George Lucas contributed $175 mill
ion, and alum Robert Zemeckis has given a bundle, too), USC probably has more
graduates working in the industry than any other school and has the greatest
support from the industry itself, with 10,000-plus alums who routinely donat
e millions for state-of-the-art facilities – and notable support from non-gr
aduate Steven Spielberg. Its Peter Stark Producing Program, under The Graduat
e producer Larry Turman, remains the premier venue for aspiring producers and
execs. Insiders were split when asked to choose between AFI and USC for the
No. 1 spot, with AFI winning largely on the basis of its choice student body.
But USC takes the candle when it comes to technical training. Says Dean Eliz
abeth M. Daley: “One of the hardest things to understand is the culture of fi
lmmaking. You’re not gonna get that out of a book. Come here and you’ll under
stand.” She’s right, thanks to unrivaled facilities, an emphasis on film hist
ory and technique and its great ties with Hollywood – a plus for some, but n
ot for those more interested in indie films. The upside: It’s a vast dream fa
ctory. The downside: It’s a vast dream factory.</p>

<p>TUITION $42,000 (plus room and board)</p>

<p>DEGREES Critical studies, B.A., M.A., MFA and Ph.D. programs in everything fr
om film and TV to animation and digital arts</p>

<p>NOTABLE ALUMNI George Lucas (Star Wars), Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind), Jon L
andau (Avatar)</p>

<p>“USC is run in many ways like a studio. The challenges that were given to us
had to do with the realities of the industry and financing, and I think those
were important lessons to learn.” – Lee Unkrich, director, Toy Story 3</p>

<hr>

<p>Peter Cat
2011-08-08 18:53:09
University of California Los Angeles</p>

<p>UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television has long suffered in comparison
with its richer and more industry-connected rival USC, but its vibe is disti
nctly different, with a multicultural campus that ranks among the best in Cal
ifornia. It has benefited from such prestigious graduates as Francis Ford Cop
pola and Alexander Payne; from teachers like producer Peter Guber; and from i
ts connection with the respected UCLA Film & Television Archive, whose collec
tion is “second only to the Library of Congress,” according to Dean Teri Schw
artz. The well-regarded Schwartz will likely determine UCLA’s future standing
: After serving for years at Loyola Marymount, the former producer (and Goldi
e Hawn’s onetime producing partner) joined the university in 2009, replacing
veteran Robert Rosen. Now insiders are waiting to see how things will change
under her leadership. Look for her to stress “humanistic storytelling and glo
bal diversity” – quite different from the commercial emphasis of many other
film schools.</p>

<p>TUITION B.A.: $12,842 (California resident), $35,720 (non-resident); MFA: $22
,208 (California resident), $34,453 (non-resident); M.A. or Ph.D.: $13,549 (C
alifornia resident), $28,651 (non-resident) </p>

<p>DEGREES B.A., M.A., MFA and Ph.D.</p>

<p>NOTABLE ALUMNI Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), Tim Robbins (Dead Man Wa
lking), Alexander Payne (Sideways)</p>

<p>“The key is having a point of view – which is very much the UCLA approach. Y
ou could say UCLA filmmakers try to bring an indie attitude even to studio pi
ctures. We always try to find some kind of subjectivity.” – Justin Lin, dir</p>

<h2>ector, Fast Five</h2>

<p>Peter Cat
2011-08-08 18:53:09</p>

<p>Chapman University Dodge College of Film & Media Arts</p>

<p>“We’re not a trade school,” says Dean Bob Bassett. “We’re focused on helping
young people find jobs – and that’s the hardest thing.” Students at the Oran
ge, Calif.-based campus operate like they’re at a miniature studio: The direc
tors direct, the writers write, the producers produce, and they work with PR
and advertising students taught by new faculty member Dawn Taubin, a former W
arners marketing exec.</p>

<p>TUITION $19,600 per semester for undergraduates; $15,420-$20,680 for graduate
s, depending on the discipline</p>

<p>DEGREES B.A., BFA, M.A. and MFA</p>

<p>NOTABLE ALUMNI Ben York Jones (Like Crazy), Chris Marrs Piliero (director for
the Black Keys’ “Tighten Up” music video)</p>

<p>“Being a comparatively young film school, Dodge is starting to make a good sh
owing out there in all facets of film and entertainment. It’s been interestin
g how many people I’ll run into and find out they went to Chapman as well. It
puts you on the same team.” – Ben York Jones</p>

<p>FilmSchoolDad
Posted March 06, 2011 02:32 PM</p>

<p>jyotirmay, I would only agree with your list of “film schools” if you mean “technical schools” that spend a relatively short period of time teaching fundamentals on the “technical” side of filmmaking. These are generally referred to as “trade schools” in the U.S. similar to going to a vocational school at the high school level or at best, a technical trade school at the college level. These schools offer its students hands-on experience learning the “science” rather than the theory or art of filmmaking, and definitely never come near the holistic, academic, approach of either accredited graduate-level university or European-style conservatories. If you’re looking for this kind of intense, relatively short, “certificate” program, you’ve pretty much exhausted the list, perhaps, with the exception of some of these (e.g., NY Film Academy, Full Sail, or Columbia College Chicago or Hollywood) that offer accredited undergraduate and graduate-level master’s degrees here in the US. However, they definitely cannot be compared to the list of universities that suenos53 has mentioned in her post.</p>

<p>If what you’re really looking for are the “top-tier” graduate film programs in the U.S. (and perhaps, in the world), suenos53’s list is almost complete, with the exception of the American Film Institute’s Conservatory of Film, which has a long history of notable alumni who have graduated their program in several of the film disciplines and who have been nominated and/or won Academy Awards for their work, including such notables as Darren Aronofsky (the Academy Award-nominated director of “Black Swan”), the great Janusz Kaminski (too many titles to mention here), among many others. I’m surprised that since suenos53 lives Los Angeles, that she didn’t instantly remember AFI over lesser known film schools like Loyola Marymount or the California Institute for the Arts (which is actually in Valencia, CA).</p>

<p>However, I am totally delighted that suenos53 did include Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in her “off-the-top-of-her head” list. Chapman is best known for its incredible, relatively new, facilities, two (not just one) million-dollar color correction editing suites that no other film school has, phenominal editing and Foley studios, a progressive/talented faculty (some of whom have recently migrated to Chapman from AFI), as well as other excellent reasons for being on suenos53’s and my list of the “top” film schools in the U.S. Although you won’t find Chapman listed on internet-based lists of the top film schools, I am confident that Chapman will be up there in the near future, and for those in the industry, it’s the up-and-coming “place” to be (and beat)!</p>

<p>Generally, if you continue your research, you will find that the top five film “universities” from a reputation standpoint, on anyone “in the know’s” list will usually be (in the following order) the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, University of California at Los Angeles’ School of Theatre, Film and Television, the American Film Institute’s Conservatory of Film, and Columbia University’s School of the Arts. (People may differ on their opinions about this order, but that’s the general consensus). If you expand the list to the top 10 film university programs (in no particular order), added would be the University of Texas at Austin, Chapman University’s program, Loyola Marymount, Florida State University, and California of the Arts. Some people would include Northeastern and North Carolina Universities’ in the list. However, these two are debatable (as is Florida State University’s program for that matter) because of their lack of geographic proximity to the so-called “centers” of filmmaking (which are obviously, Los Angeles with about 92%-93% of the films being made in the U.S., and New York City with about 5%).</p>

<p>I hope this helps you clarify what you need to know in order to pick the right “list” of top film schools you really mean!</p>

<hr>

<p>Benk
Posted March 06, 2011 05:02 PM
Sorry, but I just can’t agree with that list for the best film schools. In fact, in my opinion, those are some of the worst. Some of those schools are even considered scam schools.</p>

<p>Those schools are not regionally accredited, and degrees from some of those schools have basically no merit except in the most specific situations. </p>

<p>These are more “technical” schools than quality film schools.</p>

<p>Now, I’ve never been a student of any of the schools in your list, so what I say is only coming from reputation of the school and what I’ve heard. Some of those schools could be very fine schools, but it’s just not what I’ve heard except in rarest of occasions. </p>

<p>The best film schools are schools like USC, NYU, UCLA, Chapman. </p>

<p>4 year traditional universities with good film programs are the best film schools to look at. </p>

<p>Getting a degree from a school like Full Sail is extremely high risk. It only means so much. It’s basically a dedicated art school to that certain subject. No transferable credits, no stability if anything goes wrong. If you couldn’t get into a school like USC, and know you want to have a career in film NO MATTER WHAT, then maybe it’s something to consider. </p>

<p>But it’s just safer and more practical to go to a regular university with a film program. </p>

<p>Thats why it’s schools like USC, NYU, and Chapman are highly ranked and Los Angeles Film School are poorly ranked.</p>

<hr>

<p>Dodge College of Film and Media Arts - College Admission Coach</p>

<p>[Dodge</a> College of Film and Media Arts - College Admission Coach](<a href=“http://www.collegeadmissioncoach.com/1/post/2011/5/dodge-college-of-film-and-media-arts.html]Dodge”>http://www.collegeadmissioncoach.com/1/post/2011/5/dodge-college-of-film-and-media-arts.html)</p>

<hr>

<p>Los Angeles Times Re: Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University wants to overtake USC and NYU</p>

<p>[Dodge</a> College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University wants to overtake USC and NYU - Los Angeles Times](<a href=“http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/10/entertainment/la-ca-chapman-20110410]Dodge”>Film Studies: Chapman University wants to overtake USC and NYU)</p>

17

<p>I’m pretty sure the OP decided on USC, based on scholarship money she received.</p>

18

<p>While Dodge College of Film is a great school with a beautiful campus it is far behind in the rankings than the top film schools. And the acceptance rates listed below could not be more inaccurate? Harder to get into than Harvard? The acceptance rate for the film school is 45% and for transferring students it is 46%. This is posted basically on every website for any college. I transferred out of this film school and am now attending UCLA’s Film School and the difference is quite immeasurable. Dodge does not even rank in the top 25 film schools- yet. Not to say it isn’t promising - they are just a long way off.</p>

19

<p>@filmmajor: What year are you in college? I have a senior this fall at Dodge College and couldn’t be happier. DS already has a job, a foot in the door if you will. DS also knows some Chapman alums that are holding jobs in their field of study and are extremely happy. Not only do they have jobs, but their employers are impressed with them because they are well prepared. While ranking sounds prestigious to a school, but keep in mind that employers are hiring people based on what skills they’re holding and what experiences they have, most importantly, they are looking for the right match for the position and for their company, not based on ranking of a school. Also, employers could be seeking to hire people from different cultures and backgrounds and perhaps from different schools for a wider audience.</p>

<p>Btw, not sure where you obtained your top 25 film schools ranking, but the one some of us have been referring to is the THR, and Chapman is on there as top 13 among top 25: [THR’s</a> Top 25 Film Schools List Revealed Gallery - The Hollywood Reporter](<a href=“THR’s Top 25 Film Schools List Revealed – The Hollywood Reporter”>THR’s Top 25 Film Schools List Revealed – The Hollywood Reporter)</p>

<p>As you can see, Chapman isn’t that far off. But as I had stated above, employers are not looking at rankings during the hiring process. Whether you’re from Chapman, Harvard, UCLA, USC, or wherever, they’re looking for the right match to fill a position. Best of luck wherever you end up earning your degree from!</p>

20

<p>Dodge is rising rapidly in the rankings. They’re still a “relatively” new program but aggressively chasing the prize. The film school was recommended to my daughter by a college admissions colleague. She liked what she saw there. Ultimately, she enrolled at USC for a host of reasons. But Chapman, when we visited, was nice, the facility was modern and there appears to be extensive hands-on focus there. </p>

<p>I will say that as a parent, the 40+% acceptance rate at Dodge versus 4% at SCA did give me pause. And the admonition of one of the faculty members to incoming students that they should start watching classic films (which made me wonder why they were accepted if they weren’t doing that already). But once on campus I found bright, enthusiastic kids passionate about film. And met awesome parents and students on this forum who provided sage advice and helpful information about their own (or their children’s) journey.</p>

<p>But I think Sukahjoy can stop posting “best facilities”. With USC’s new and expanding complex, that’s not quite true anymore. Still, our child would have been happy at Chapman. She lives with a camera in her hand and Dodge faculty seem to be very hands-on with helping students get industry exposure.</p>

<p>It comes down to - where is the student going to be happiest and which school’s personality felt like a good fit? Not every college is right for every student.</p>