College help! *sorry, sorta long*

<p>Hello! I am currently seeking a college that's right for me but I am having trouble finding one. Right now I attend one of my states community colleges, but they do not have the major I am looking for. </p>

<p>I graduated High school back in 2007 and decided to give school a break and get married and start a family. Now, I'm wanting to go back to school and start looking for the career I have always dreamed about doing. But it's very hard. most schools are looking for fresh out of high school students and I feel like I lost my chance and only Community colleges are available to me now. I understand that I could still be successful at one and even move on to a University by transfer, but that's where my problem lies.</p>

<p>I live in Michigan and I am looking for a school that has a major in Film Production. I would love to write and direct blockbuster films! Either I'm not looking hard enough or not at the right schools but I'm finding little to no oppertunities here in MI. I have looked into GVSU, but because I'm starting with a community college, I can't seem to figure out how to even enroll. No community colleges that I could find provide me with a major or a tranfer plan. I looked at Grand Rapids Community College because that was on of the schools that popped up on my search, but the work they educate you in is lighting and only just. I want to do more than just that and I can't find an oppertunity here! (Going back to GVSU, their film production program looked to be the best so far)</p>

<p>Now I came across a school that I really liked a lot which was Full Sail. Problem is, it's in orlando Florida. But it looks do-able. My husband is telling me to go for it (because the courses take 20 to 21 months to complete on campus) but I'm married and I'm a mom. So I dont know how I'll handle being away from my family for that long. The school looks promising and it's what I've been looking for, so I don't know what to do.</p>

<p>Should I keep looking around for schools that I can still enroll in here in MI that have Film Majors? Should I just take my husband's push and go for Full Sail? I need advise, and I'm not sure where else to turn. Also, is anyone enrolled in Full Sail or has graduated and has feed back?</p>

<p>P.S I currently go to Kalamazoo Valley.</p>

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<p>Michigan is not really a film/media hotbed, and Florida is only slightly better. To seriously pursue a career writing and directing major films, I’d look into transferring to colleges that offer a film major located in media centers - either New York or Southern CA.</p>

<p>And you can look beyond just the top schools like USC and UCLA. Schools like Chapman also have active and successful film/theatre programs</p>

<p>Full Sail is a for-profit school teaching technical skills as opposed to the whole undergraduate curriculum. In a time in which technical skills are outdated a year or two later, I think it’s very risky.</p>

<p>Chapman is a good suggestion. There’s a CC thread on the Chapman board about the Film Production program that’s 30 pages long:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/chapman-university/645656-film-production-major.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/chapman-university/645656-film-production-major.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Actually Florida is quite good. Check out the outstanding film program at FSU, [Film</a> School / FSU - College of Motion Picture Arts](<a href=“http://film.fsu.edu/]Film”>http://film.fsu.edu/), which may be the second best film program on the east coast after NYU. UCF also has a very good second level program,[UCF:</a> CAH: Film](<a href=“http://film.ucf.edu/]UCF:”>http://film.ucf.edu/). Also check out the film program at Valencia (soon to be a four year school) CC in Florida, [Arts</a> & Entertainment AS/AAS Degree & Certificate Programs - Valencia Community College](<a href=“http://www.valenciacc.edu/asdegrees/arts/fpt.cfm]Arts”>http://www.valenciacc.edu/asdegrees/arts/fpt.cfm). They specialize in below the line positions; the technical aspects of film making, [Below</a> the line (film making) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Below_the_line_(filmmaking)]Below”>Below-the-line (filmmaking) - Wikipedia) You might also spend some time checking all the other state schools in Florida to see what offerings they have. </p>

<p>For film at University of Michigan see: [U/M&lt;/a&gt; Screen Arts and Cultures](<a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/sac/]U/M”>http://www.lsa.umich.edu/sac/).</p>

<p>I believe that film making is best learned at a college. In order to make good films you need to understand the human condition. You need to study history, economics, art, religion, math (you think you could have made the movie Pi without understanding math?), sociology, psychology, business, political science. All that stuff. You’ll not get that at Full Sail or in a conservatory approach to film making. </p>

<p>And, let me tell you–you do not have to be in a production track in order to do well in the film industry. You have to write well, think critically, be nice, work well in groups, and show up on time.</p>

<p>If you post your questions in the Film sub-forum inside the College Majors Forum, you will get a lot of useful help. Here is the link: [Visual</a> Arts and Film Majors - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/]Visual”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/) </p>

<p>You can search for Film Majors with any of the college matching search engines. Here are three that are good:
[College</a> Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/]College”>College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics)
[College</a> MatchMaker - Type of School](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)
[College</a> Search - College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/)</p>

<p>There is nothing wrong with getting the basics out of the way at Kalamazoo Valley. Talk with the transfer counselors there about the best way to get yourself ready for a successful transfer.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

<p>Thank you for all the suggestions. I will stay at KVCC until I can figure out a transfer. Thank you for the links! I will be going through them all and hopefully I’ll find the best college for me! [=</p>

<p>And thank you for the college majors link.</p>

<p>These closer schools have film also: Purdue, Toledo, Bowling Green (OH) and Ohio University. Best of luck!</p>