<p>For those of us who have kids leaning more towards a film and tv acting career these schools might be worth a look.</p>
<p>Best</a> Film Schools: The Hollywood Reporter Unveils the Top 25 Programs of 2013</p>
<p>4 of my D’s choices are on that list…</p>
<p>This list didn’t have any real surprises, except that SUNY-Purchase isn’t listed. It is a highly-regarded school for film as well as acting, and financially a bargain.</p>
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<p>Did you mean for the opportunity to work with film students and to have a good reel by graduation?</p>
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<p>This is an interesting topic. My son recently graduated from a BFA theatre program at a university with a well-regarded film school. He had small roles in a couple of student films. I believe it was during his sophomore year, when he had a little bit more time than he had as a junior or senior. One of the student filmmakers never gave my son the footage (if that’s the right term) of himself that he requested following the shoot, even after he asked her numerous times. Apparently this is not unusual; he heard of other actors in student films having the same problem.</p>
<p>In addition, my son never at any time mentioned anything about his classmates having good roles in interesting student films, though perhaps some did. </p>
<p>It sounds like a good idea - in theory - to attend a school for acting that has a good film program, for the purpose either of assembling a reel or making contacts with filmmakers could be helpful in the student’s further career.</p>
<p>However, I am curious to what extent this ever actually happens…</p>
<p>Alwaysamom,</p>
<p>I think having a film school, and not just one listed in this article, at ones institution could benefit a college theater major that wants to work in film and TV in several ways. Some not so obvious or immediate. </p>
<p>First, your child has to seek out the opportunities. They may not just fall in their laps. One should ask around and figure out how to audition.</p>
<p>Second, many of the films are shot all year long even during the summer so fitting one in my not be a challenge.</p>
<p>You may get a work for a reel if you’re lucky. You may not, but if you do your child would then have work to show a potential agent or manager.</p>
<p>It’s these film students that will some day be screenwriters, directors and producers and in the position to hire you. So befriending them and collaborating with them in college is something that can pay off in the future.</p>
<p>That’s exactly what I was asking, shacherry. I wanted clarification because some here may be confused about the aspirations of those in film school. They are students who want to make films, not act in them. Just wanted everyone to be clear on that, and I got two PMs inquiring! :)</p>
<p>It may be possible to appear in student films. It may result in receiving a copy of your work so that if you’re interested in compiling a reel, it may be helpful. I know that my D as well as several of her friends appeared in student films while at Tisch.</p>
<p>NJTheatreMOM, I don’t know if it’s uncommon to receive a copy of the film performances. My D did get hers, although she’s never used it, never really had the need to do so. Although, she did participate in a casting decision in the UK that was partially based on viewing an actor’s reel from college films he’d been in at Tisch. The interesting thing is that this was for a play, not a film or tv role. </p>
<p>My guess is that it doesn’t happen often. The odds are against it. This doesn’t mean that a student shouldn’t participate in films while in college but I wouldn’t choose a school based on this possibility. Probably more useful would be a school that offers courses in acting for film and tv.</p>
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<p>Thanks, alwaysamom. That is my sense of this matter…that whether or not the school with the theatre program has a film school should be fairly low on the list of priorities, even if the student has aspirations to be a film actor.</p>
<p>It may not be high on a list for all theater majors. But I think that if ones aspirations are to be a film actor then it is something that may not fall so low on a list of priorities when weighing several programs. </p>
<p>There are elements of luck, connections and being at the right place at the right time that goes into making it as an actor. The intangibility of a film school connection just might be one of these things.</p>
<p>I agree shacherry… sure couldn’t hurt :)</p>
<p>Thanks for posting this list. I passed it along to my son, who has a few friends interested in the behind-the-camera aspects of film-making. </p>
<p>I don’t think it’s necessary to go to the school in question to participate in student films, though. Backstage is regularly full of audition notices for student films. Last winter I was looking at the Chicago Reader and saw 5-10 notices for auditions for DePaul student films – no requirement that you be at DePaul to try out. </p>
<p>Not sure about the long-term career advantages of doing this, but it’s likely fun, an interesting experience and a way to connect with people who may be making bigger movies later on.</p>
<p>I think time is a factor here, as well. Theater students are usually quite busy with things going on in their dept. and depending on the school academics can also take up quite a bit of time. Student films are usually shot in short windows that may not work with the student’s schedule. Often, it’s a question of priorities. Sure, being in a student film might be fun but is it worth the trade-off? Maybe, if your being offered a lead role in a great movie but that’s not generally the case. And yeah, they advertise for actors all over the place so I’m guessing it’s not that high on most fellow students to-do lists.</p>
<p>LOLed at the comments. Several about USC’s actual tuition, compared to what it says in the article.</p>
<p>Just to throw another point of view into the mix here about participating in student films from a student’s perspective if it is early in your college training you are probably going to hate seeing that work again in a few years.</p>
<p>For my D participating in these films solidified her desire to pursue a career on the stage…the endless hours of waiting, the starts and stops made her realize that film (at this point) is not for her</p>
<p>My s just hung up with a rep from Pace, she said they are putting together a BFA program for TV acting. She didn’t give a time frame for when it will be launched, or he didn’t ask. I’m guessing the latter. Anyone have additional info?</p>
<p>I’ve seen plenty of people come out of these schools with more than enough footage for a decent two minute starter reel and collection of scene clips. You just have to make time for it and kick anybody’s butt who won’t give you your copy. Hell, I know a really motivated girl who emerged from hers with an eight minute extended reel, a condensed two minute drama reel and a comedy reel that pretty well left my former agent’s assistant with dollar signs rolling around in her eyes. Said assistant got promoted and guess who reps who now? But I think she did most of it in the summers and actually wrote most of her own material. </p>
<p>Odd as it might seem, the hardest place to get those clips might be at the LA schools. Pretty much every actor in town who needs them is out to get cast in a USC or AFI grad project. They often do really good work. Both schools have a deal with SAG-AFTRA that allow them to use members, too. And most of them don’t have a college schedule to work around …</p>
<p>I was hoping you’d weigh in on this, Fish. Super interesting comment about the CA schools. </p>
<p>I thought my son should have kicked the butt of that BU film student girl who wouldn’t give him his copy of what she filmed him in. I guess he just wasn’t motivated enough!</p>
<p>I don’t know if this will help anyone, but I know CalArts has a course called Flixus offered for Theater and Film students
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<p>I don’t know if actors face the same problem of not getting a copy of the film when it comes to other projects (not related to Flixus), but I don’t think so, seeing as many of them are on Vimeo.</p>
<p>Fish thank you for that real life example, I always love reading your posts because you add a real life scenario from the perspective of the student who went through it and now is an actor doing it. Just as in anything, its all about what you do with the experience, what you take from it conceptually and if you can be bold and brazen and figure out a way to get the video, compile the reel or put clips on a website and make it work for you then all the power to you. </p>
<p>Bisou, I really like your post about your D’s real life experience with short films showing her that she is not interested in on camera work. I personally believe that this kind of experience in a short film or an indy feature film, shows the aspiring actor what its like to live the drive, the start time, the wait, the takes, all the issues that pop up with on camera work. In our case, my D can’t get enough of it, just loves every aspect of it and its been these kinds of experiences that have led her to conclude that the positives outweigh the negatives. I think its great for aspiring actors to give themselves that opportunity. It also gives them something to discuss from their real life experience with an agent or CD so it enhances the image of the actor as reliable. There are several projects that we do not have any footage of but the contacts made during the filming and the experience for the young actor have been invaluable.</p>