Film School

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>I have just recently gotten the desire to go to film school. I love movies, acting, writing screenplays, the whole works. The only problem is I haven't a clue on where to apply and what film school even is. For the past two years of high school I thought I was going to go to law school but I think I finally found my true calling. So I have a few questions</p>

<ol>
<li>Is Film School something you go to after you graduate with your bachelor's degree? Or is film something you major in during your undergraduate years?</li>
<li>If film school is a graduate school you go to after you get your bachelor's degree, what major would be best to major in college before film school?</li>
<li>What are some good film schools? I know that NYU and UCLA are very famous, but I have a strong interest in going to Wesleyan University or Kenyon College. </li>
</ol>

<p>Please help me. I think I have finally found what I really want to do, but I don't know what steps to take.</p>

2

<p>I am dying for help.</p>

3

<p>1.- It can be either of both</p>

<p>2.- Many people decide to take the Cinema Studies Major in order to study in depth theory first, and then go through all the technical aspects at graduate film school. However, some study Philosophy, Dramatic Writing and several other majors before graduate film.</p>

<p>3.- Take a look at older threads. Many good lists have already been posted.</p>

4

<p>Thank you so much.</p>

5

<p>Would you recommend majoring in something else and then going to film school, or just diving in?</p>

6

<p>Well it depends really on what you want and how you feel about yourself as a filmmaker and/or storyteller. If you think you have a natural talent for writing, then you might just want to go straight to film school and focus on all the technical aspects of filmmaking. Maybe you are good at writing, but you need more knowledge or experience in other fields for your writing to have more substance, then you might want to study a different subject of your interest first. All that is assuming you want to make serious narrative films as a writer/director.</p>

<p>In my case, i just like making stuff, and I believe no other practice combines as many arts and sciences as film does. So I’m going to film school to make films mostly.</p>

7

<p>I studied film as an undergraduate (NYU), but my advice is generally not to major in film as an undergrad unless you’re absolutely certain you want to direct after you graduate. If you are positive you want to be a filmmaker, then being part of a program that teaches you the technical craft and gives you access to equipment and facilities will allow you to make one or two showcase pieces that might get you your start. If you are interested in other facets of the industry-- writing or producing, for instance-- I would encourage you to pursue a major that lends itself to more than just the film industry. Even the best undergraduate programs don’t teach much of real value in these areas and a non-film major will give you a little more flexibility in your career path. The vast majority of producers and executives didn’t study film during their college years. Doing an internship at a studio or production company (and they’re happy to have free help from students of all majors) will probably lead to more opportunities and give you more meaningful experience in areas like these than an entire undergrad film curriculum. And the door will always be open to pursue a technical specialty during grad school.</p>

<p>Just my two cents. Keep following your passion and good luck!</p>

8

<p>Thanks for the help so far. It looks like if I go to film school it will be after I get my bachelor’s degree in either History, Political Science, or Theatre.</p>

9

<p>You might also look at programs where you can major in film and minor in an academic stubject, or take two majors. </p>

<p>At the top of this forum is a thread with a long list of schools that offer film majors, and hyperlinks. Try reading about some of the programs offered on the department websites of those universities and colleges. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/701608-big-list-film-cinema-programs.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visual-arts-film-majors/701608-big-list-film-cinema-programs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>One reason to do study film as an undergrad is you get to jump in sooner. But if you’re willing to wait until graduate school, you should take an undergraduate degree in something that will meanwhile develop and strengthen your foundation abilities as a storyteller, or give you grounding in History, Literature, Theater, and/or Music, or increase your sensitivities in visual arts/photography. It is all relevant.</p>

<p>And of course, use your undergraduate years to also develop a good sideline skill so you can have a dayjob for many years while you try to develop as an artist. For example, learn how to be an Emergency Medical Technician,
do tax work, car mechanics, a viable computer skill–ANYthing where you can earn money immediately upon graduation with parttime hours, earning enough to live on so you can work on films and not starve. </p>

<p>If the major is called “Film Studies” that means you view films that have been made and learn to analyze/ critique them in discussion classes with professors, much like an English major learns to read and analyze a piece of literature by reading and discussing it with others. </p>

<p>If the major is “Film Production” that means your classes are lab/workshops where you will make short films. There are also term papers, but more time is spent working on making your own short films, and getting feedback in class.
Often you collaborate with other students, who might major in directing, screenwriting, or production, or acting at the same school. Films are made in teams, and you help others with theirs, too. </p>

<p>Film PRoduction majors also take courses in film history, same as the Film Studies students, plus academic subjects (everything from math to history to foreign language) iof they’re working towards a B.A. degree.</p>

<p>It makes sense; if you wanted to become a novelist, you’d spend lots of time reading great novels and weak ones, too, to see why they work, or don’t work. And you’d have some classes that are writing classes where you generate creative products. Film school is like that: you spend perhaps half of your courses in the film department, but the other half in regular college departments. Each program differs in how they distribute this time, but you don’t take only classes in filmmaking 24/7.</p>

<p>I think you’re making up your mind a bit too quickly here. I encourage you to research by reading the websites of school programs, both undergraduate and graduate, to see what feels right to you. The list on this forum will get you started. </p>

<p>You might also look at some programs where film technology is state-of-the-art, for example Chapman U.'s new major in digital arts. Since you mentioned some Midwest schools, see what’s going on at the new
program at Ball State University in Indiana, that David Letterman created (his alma mater). Maybe you want to work in the film crafts and become a cinematographer, for example, or do learn to do digital special effects, rather than directing/producing your own film. </p>

<p>Also read some books about the film industry, just go onto an internet-based bookstore and use searchwords like
“film”, “film school”, “screenwriting.” or “film directing program.”'</p>

<p>Do the research and try it on like a sweater; see if it fits.
Find out what you need to do while in high school to improve your chances of gaining acceptance, too. Theater is a relevant activity while in high school, along with working on 3-5 minute homemade student films as projects instead of term papers. Also: read. Read a lot of history and literature, see great plays, and read biographies of directors whom you admire. Read novels and then read the screenplays (scripts) that were adapted, so you can see how the same story told in a book unfolds differently when adapted to film.</p>

10

<p>My 2 cents on this:</p>

<p>The big difference is between production and studies. Many schools - most? - offer film studies or media studies as a major. This is a critical thinking / writing / research major. Some schools also offer production. It may include or be divided into film and TV tracks - bigger schools = more TV and more of a track into one or the other. Some schools are now treating digital media as a separate major because that involves the web. I don’t know much about the last kind of program.</p>

<p>I don’t agree that you should wait until grad school to take film production. If that’s what you want to do, then you should do it because much of your learning is on sets, on jobs, through work and the classes expand your skills.</p>