<p>Right now I'm at UC Santa Barbara and their program is "Film and Media Studies." I intend to get a job in the tv/film industry possibly directing, producing, or screenwriting, ect. but is getting a degree from here the same as going to "film school" like LMU or Chapman (as far as undergraduate goes) because if not, it looks like I need to transfer out asap!! Can anyone clear this up for me?</p>
<p>I don’t know about UC Santa Barbara, but at most schools, Film Studies is mainly theory. It looks at critical approaches to films, cinema history etc. It’s not really directing/production/screenwriting, but lots of analysis.</p>
<p>So basically a major in film studies doesn’t teach you how to get a job in the field of movies?</p>
<p>Well, technically, no college degree teaches you how to get a job in the field of movies. Film Production majors can teach you the skills you need to make movies. They can train you on the current equipment and technology used in professional studios. They can put you in classes with professors who have actually made films and will have a wealth of stories about how to enter the field and what sort of opportunities to look for. They can provide classmates who are just as driven to make films as you are and who will collaborate with you and challenge you and give you a taste of what sort of competitive environment filmmaking is. They can give you a community of alumni who are already working in the business and who may be able to offer you internship/first job opportunities. They can lend you film equipment in order to make your own films and offer guidance on how to submit your films to festivals/competitions. They can offer you instruction in how to file paperwork and attain filming permits. But no degree in film, whether it’s in production or in film studies (critical analysis) is required to land a job in film production. It is the skills and talent you bring, the quality of your film reel showing exactly what you can do, your ability to meet the right people, your luck at being in the right place at the right time, and your relentless pursuit of opportunities when you get out of school that will get you a job in the field. There! I just taught you!!</p>
<p>^----- Great response!!</p>