<p>There's very little info on film studies in U of R on CC, probably cause it isn't as big as med or anything, but it would be really useful if any film major at university of rochester could give us any insight on the program, experience, the facilities, internships, professors, workshops etc. It would be awesome.</p>
<p>The lack of response may be partly due to summer. I can add only that one of my kids did film production in undergrad and UR wasn’t on her list. Some schools have “film studies” as a major, which usually means film criticism plus history of film. I think this is more in line with what UR has but not in a specific department. They don’t have film production. Not that many top academic schools do; it’s considered more a trade, I guess. </p>
<p>I thought film classes, meaning history and criticism, were a highlight of my long ago undergrad experience, though one teacher actually uttered the line, “As I was saying off the record to Truffaut last weekend in Caracas”. We were so amused, we wrote it down and I’ve kept it my memory for 30 years. </p>
<p>Film is really 3 things in college. Most schools offer something in the way of film studies. Some schools offer production and most of those are kind of artsy programs in which you make artsy films. Some schools are more about teaching production techniques and those then often divide into film and TV tracks. </p>
<p>In the real world, well to be blunt, I’m not sure that school matters at all in the film / tv business. You can learn how to write a screenplay in class but then you can learn how to write a screenplay by working as a production assistant and reading lots of screenplays, etc. Yes, it helps to understand lighting basics and lenses but if you are working in the craft side of the business - meaning PA in any department - then you’ll learn through experience or you’ll do something else. </p>
<p>Unless you have cash and family or famous friends in the business, you free lance and make your way up the ladder with a combination of luck, persistence, talent, ambition and the ability to put up with craziness, meaning both crazy situations and really difficult people. You have to be able to take rejection well. Not as well as actors because that’s pretty much all about being rejected - and we wonder why so many actors are nuts.</p>
<p>In that regard, in the real world, my comment to most people who want to get into film / tv is don’t because it’s a tough world. But assuming that’s what you want, then my advice is to get an education and to make film (or film/TV or film & media studies) part of a larger learning experience.</p>