<p>Don't care about the quality of the program. Obviously I'd prefer non-profit, but I suppose sleazy For-Profits are worth listing, as long as they're at least accredited. I'd be doing it for the internships and would be using government loans at least for the tuition/fees. It must be in the LA county (preferably the greater LA city/sprawl area) to make commuting to internships a possiblity. While I'd love the total price to be under $21,000, that's probably unrealistic. I think as long as tuition/fees is under that (in state is fine), I'll be able to at least afford keeping myself getting booted out from lack of payment. I'll find a way to afford the living & project expenses. So, are their any schools with Film Grad programs that would fit the bill (literally, in this case)?</p>
<p>Ahhh…this is one of those sites that doesn’t let you correct spelling a certain length of time after you’ve posted? That sucks. yes I realize ‘possiblity’ and ‘their’ are wrong.</p>
<p>What do u want to specialize in? What background do you have?</p>
<p>Degrees in film production and political science. I started out in a mechanical engineering undergrad program and found myself gravitating towards politics, social sciences, and the arts. 3.0 GPA.
Briefly did some grad-level work in international relations on energy policy and later nonlinear evolutionary systems theory. Didn’t really have much support from my professors and wanted to go back to the artistic side of things to explore the ideas I was interested in.
Let’s see. I was a former writing contributor to the now-defunct Politics.com. Did a very short silent on 16mm in film school that I edited by hand. Uhmmm… I DJ on my free time and play flight simulators. Probably not relevant. I have worked as an on-set live sound recorder, film loader, 1st AC, 2nd AC (including panavised and non-panavised HD focus pulling), and dolly grip. Trained in Final Cut, but I use Vegas on my PC.
I’m interested in directing, cinematography, editing, writing, sound, post-production visual processing & A/V mastering (very alluring field for my anal retentive side)… you name it. If I was forced (and had the luxury) to choose one for an academic program, it’d probably be the first or second in that list for something like AFI. Way out of my budget, though.
Right now I’m working for my father’s landscaping company mowing lawns and digging trenches. I have two friends working in the industry in LA who didn’t go to film school and keep bugging me to come move there, but I have little financial capability right now to just up and move there without a plan, job lined up, internship, or school to go to.</p>
<p>Extraordinary. Dont get a tech based masters. Strongly consider a ma in scriptwriting from csun. That will help you move up the ranks even if not a writer dig. That area is where interns n industry jobs are at. Right now in your spare time study light n sound science n some cs ee stuff expanding what you learned. Prepare yourself to take the cts exam. Then the ones from aes and sbe. 
become a free adept a/v power player!</p>
<p>ANSI and ISO are non profit Infocomm and the societies are too and recognized worldwide. Buy the latest 800 page cts prep manual that just came out. Dont pay some for profit hack or professor, you can learn all yourself much better and not go into debt. Buy tools and gear instead and make good money and art. :)</p>
<p>Extraordinary? Don’t be too impressed by the film experience. Being the clap board guy, pulling focus, or pushing a dolly are not very technical jobs. The sound stuff has been the most technical, and that’s just an offshoot of DJing and taking a year of sound engineering. If you practice film loading with your eyes closed you eventually get to the point you can do it in the bag. But I’ve probably forgotten that already. Takes practice. I would think getting extensive pre-production, production (directing and DP), and post-production technical training would be helpful. Are you saying even with that, the internships available will need the writing side more? Aren’t there internships in all areas of the industry in L.A. that just require you to be in a film program? Hmm. Or are you talking about the better route for directing? I suppose if you can’t write something good, who would want to fund you to direct anything worth selling. I never seriously considered a screenwriting program.</p>
<p>Not quite certain what the following are:
cs ee
cts
aes
sbe
ansi and iso (you talking the electrical engineering professional societies?)
infocom</p>
<p>And what’s the full name of this cts prep manual? I don’t think you can count on google or yahoo anymore to help with that stuff. It’s all cadallacs and keyboards.</p>
<p>Oh, and you mean California State University Northridge, when you say CSUN, correct?</p>
<p>One doesnt get a job as a director or dp, you become one. Understand? Film is a business. You can move into a assistant position or contract yourself out. You already have a film degree now buckle down and learn the legal business and tech stuff. Technology changes but a screenwriting degree is solid forever. Csun is the best most afforable way to go and your right there. Cts is certified technology specialist for av professionals. Get the mcgraw hill edition. Aes is the audio engineering society and sbe is the society of broadcast engineers. Just trying to help man from what your saying. I have kinda similar background and goals with my own specialty niche. Maybe consider becoming a foley artist eh? Use what u know, expand and apply that knowledge. Interdependent self reliance is key in todays world to become free. On cell but if want intern or job type info let me know. Peace</p>
<p>I was thinking you two whould get along well.
happy to see that happen, kuma-chan</p>
<p>CSUN’s screenwriting program accepts applications “from November 1 to February 11”. Hah! I’ll check with them and see if they make any exceptions. I’m still a little weirded out by the idea of doing a masters entirely for writing, but I can’t find a single production masters degree in my price range except FSU, and their deadline long passed and isn’t in California. They rejected me for my undergrad degree anyway, saying if I’d been a resident they would have given me a slot. But being from Oregon and given that FSU’s program is primarily funded by the State of Florida, they had to give preferential slots to the best Florida residents first. Maybe they were just trying to be nice and not tell me I sucked! Still angry with myself for not going to Temple after they accepted me for the undergrad film, but I couldn’t afford that, either. Grants, loans, and work study still was coming up way short.</p>
<p>I’ve now finished applying to CSUN. O.k., but it’s only an MA. I’m being told by some knowledgeable people I should be trying harder to find an MFA, instead. So let me revise this question…</p>
<p>I need not-for-profit MFA film-related programs from anywhere in the USA that are under $15,000/yr for the tuition with still open deadlines. </p>
<p>Obviously I would vastly prefer them to be in LA county, but I need options to decide between. I’m figuring the extra $5,500 ($20,500 total federal loans) will be needed as a buffer for fees and extra money while I’m working at least part time to make ends meet. $20,000 tuition per year is more like 25,000-30,000 after just the fees. I’m also finding too many for-profit schools that have some serious ethics or quality issues. The good for-profits are all way too expensive. So for-profit are out.</p>
<p>??? Am I SooL for this year, even if I don’t limit it to LA county?</p>
<p>My 2 cents. You should move to L.A., get a job making $$, and start networking. You might volunteer to work on film school kids’ student films even if you aren’t at their University. People are usually very keen on free help. Meet people. </p>
<p>This is all lots less expensive than signing up for another masters, less years of commitment, and will give you a sense of Los Angeles. While here, you will hear about what training programs are worth the $$ and have time to apply. For example, UCLA Extension offers lots of industry specific courses. No application and lots of networking possibilities with working professionals as instructors.</p>
<p>Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and see what you need to learn before you get yourself into another 3 years of education.</p>
<p>madbean’s advice is worth a lot more that 2 cents… it makes a lot of sense. The way into the film industry is not by more and more degrees, but by making films and making connections.</p>
<p>Heh heh. Yeah, everyone says that. In a better world, that’d be nice. I got a friend who was working in the industry there and is now back in my home town. The job market is tight everywhere, especially in a place where people go to make their dreams come true, or something. I’d rather not move to LA with a couple hundred bucks in my pocket and struggle to make ends meet WHILE I get industry contacts in that kind of an environment. Not in the biggest recession since the Depression. I’m well aware there are plenty of non-paying jobs around. But if you haven’t got someone to mooch off or multi-thousand-dollar cash buffer in your bank account, you’re soon going to be living in a shelter eating out of a can in the great city of LA. That’s what happened to another friend of mine. If I had 10 grand in my pocket, I’d just move there and hang out at Panavision for 6 months until I get picked up on a crew. But there is no “commitment” to grad school. You can leave or move over to another school at any time. And like I said, the financing won’t be a problem within certain limits. Obviously if it turns out there are no such programs ANYWHERE left that meet my criteria, then this common idea of yours might be the only option. But that’s kind of the point of this thread: To find out if this option is still even available to me at this late in the year.</p>
<p>How are you going to “finance” your additional grad school plus housing? Won’t it be less to “finance” (i.e. borrow and pay back) if you eliminate tuition and just get to work?</p>
<p>Sorry, but there is always a recession going on in Hollywood. It’s very tough, true. But there are just as many Burger Kings, Apple Stores, etc in LA as anywhere else–perhaps more.</p>
<p>Sorry to come across as a tough guy, Benjamin. I know you are trying to come up with a sensible, practical financially feasible plan. But there is no additional benefit to getting any film degree at a certain point. Not that it isn’t a fabulous education. But you are pretty educated already, no?</p>
<p>If you have no distant relative, old school chum, friend who is working in L.A., then you may want to get the $$ together to find housing in a shared apartment. Look on Craigslist and also in student newspapers for USC and UCLA, to start. </p>
<p>If you really, seriously can see yourself working freelance (most Hollywood jobs are project by project), keeping afloat, networking, making ends meet–we are suggesting you are old enough and smart enough to try it out. If you need to work for a year at home, saving $$, so be it.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>Again I have to side with madbean on this one. Not sure why you say that you have no money, but OTOH, say school expenses won’t be a problem. But the film industry <em>is</em> an industry of freelancers, working project-by-project. The best chance is of course in the technical areas. But in directing and screenwriting, that’s a whole different world. The best (only) chance for that would be to emerge from film school with an incredible film that you scripted and directed that got “noticed” in a big way - for example, at some upper-level film festivals. But even if you don’t go back to film school - you could still strive to write and make that “big film.” That’s how you would make your own break into the industry… </p>
<p>On the “big film” my son worked on, it seems like almost all of the crew got gigs in the industry after graduating… EXCEPT the director/screenwriter. It’s beyond tough.</p>
<p>Another possibility would be to do an internship in the film industry several days a week while working. Although you generally have to be in school to do internships, you could enroll in the internship-related class at UCLA extension (great film-related courses) and for a few hundred dollars, you’d be eligible. You could check out craigslist, mandy, and other online sources to find appropriate internships. You could also work on your screenwriting and other filmmaking skills in the UCLA, very industry-savvy program, which does have classes scheduled conveniently for people with other jobs.</p>
<p>Student loans of $20,500 per year is what will make it easier to do this than to just move somewhere and start working or doing internships.</p>
<p>It will also provide a structured, motivating environment in which to do the work itself, along with instantaneous feedback and criticism.</p>
<p>An MFA is also a requirement to teach on the side in this field if I ever choose. So while that’s not really what I want, it’s an option down the road. That seems rather more productive than working at Burger King.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions. I know you all have the best of intentions, but I was already aware of the “struggling actor” model for getting by in LA.</p>
<p>Anyone know of any Film-related programs with under $15,000 tuition that are an MFA and the deadline is still rolling for Fall 2011?</p>
<p>I don’t know how much student debt you may feel comfortable carrying. But all loans need to be paid back, right? It’s not free. Putting yourself further into debt while hoping for a miracle career is simply nuts. </p>
<p>Structure and motivation are fine. Really. When you are 18. Or even 20. But you are much older–old enough to start to feel what it’s like to support yourself, motivate yourself, find like-minded creative people and write, direct–just do it.</p>
<p>You may wonder why I come back again to your thread when you simply want someone to supply you with a $15,000 MFA program. The reason no one does is there most likely are none. Ask yourself why? </p>
<p>I am not some grumpy adult. (Well, not simply a grumpy adult). I work in the entertainment world in Hollywood. I also teach at UCLA. Once you are an adult, the “strugglng” model is, frankly, the ONLY model unless you have a trust fund or a rich wife/husband.</p>