Mediocre but creative student wants to study film

Parents Forum
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<p>My son is a hs junior, is determined to go into film (in some capacity -- he wants to direct or write, but I think he'd be satisfied doing almost anything). He is creative, passionate about his "art," and has done some really good short films on his own and at NY Film Academy last summer. But he's a B student, with no other distinctions (no awards, no jobs, no real experience outside of NYFA). He is extremely intelligent but he has terrible study skills and his grades in classes like math and science have brought down his GPA. He will have a couple of great teacher recommendations and, I think, a good portfolio when it comes time to apply. What schools will be realistic for him? We live in the Boston area and he wants to stay in New England -- possibly NY, but definitely not CA. He really REALLY wants to go to Emerson, but I'm not sure that's realistic. We're going to look at Hampshire next month, and NYU in the spring. Are there other schools out there w/ decent film programs that we might consider? </p>

<p>I am brand new to this forum and would appreciate any input from other parents who have been in my situation!</p>

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<p>Drexel University in PA; know a very similar student who started there this year in film.....</p>

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<p>Does he like Chicago? How about the BA in digital cinema with a focus on screenwriting at DePaul?
BA</a> in Digital Cinema
DePaul is a great school and not too difficult to get into. I am guessing this program would be a possibility for a solid student with an NYFA track record like his. Research the strength of the program and visit if you can.</p>

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<p>I am an engineer so I know little about your son's proposed field. Great grades and a great GPA will get him into a great school with great connections. But, if he doesn't have great grades and great GPA he can still do well. He just has to work harder. If he has a passion about it he will end up in a good place, a good place for him.</p>

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<p>It's not in New England, but he might look into Univ of North Carolina-Wilmington.</p>

<p>Since you haven't provided the specifics, it's not clear if he is a mediocre student in an absolute sense (ie, GPA is 2.0-ish) or the CC sense (ie, GPA is 3.0-ish). If the latter, Ithaca College might be another possibility.</p>

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<p>Jsmom1,</p>

<p>A university education is important for a lot of reasons, but it is very important that you and he understand that a film degree in no way will help him build a career in the professional motion-picture business. A USC, NYU, AFI grad or a graduate from any of the other 700+ filmschools worldwide has just as much chance of finding success as a High School grad down the street.</p>

<p>What matters most is what your son is capable of doing, not the degree he holds. If he wants to write and/or direct, he can and should start doing those things on his own. A filmschool could help with a little guidance, but he absolutely does NOT need to spend tuition to do the work necessary.</p>

<p>I'm including a couple of writing resources below that he should take a look at. I urge him to read every page of the wordplayer website as soon as possible as it is the best free resource I've found for aspiring writers. The screenwriting book is excellent in that it breaks down in very simple ways the mechanics of writing a professional screenplay in a way that no other book has.</p>

<p>The professional film industry works almost exclusively on word-of-mouth...who your son knows and who knows him and what he can do. Going to college is a great idea, but as an aspiring Writer/Director, your son will benefit more by having a strong education/background in Literature, History, Political Science, Sociology....really anything beyond film. Learning the mechanics of writing a script is something he can learn on his own...but if all he takes are filmclasses, then he won't have anything to write ABOUT. So, if possible, he should seek out a school that has film PRODUCTION opportunities so that he can learn the REALISTIC process that it takes to turn a screenplay into a movie. Not all school programs will be able to do that effectively so he should also make the time to volunteer or intern on non-school projects. Independent films are the best, but even finding a local production company that shoots corporate or commercial projects will do two things for him. The first is that he will see how real people do real production in the real world. He'll learn the problems and see first-hand the politics that go into an actual career. Second, he'll begin meeting working professionals who, if they like him, will be his first real contacts in a growing network that will help him get real work and a start in the business. School is important, but for a career in the very difficult and competitive film industry, he needs to work very hard on his own.</p>

<p>Here are resources that I highly recommend:</p>

<p>Film Scriptwriting, Second Edition: A Practical Manual: Dwight V Swain, JOYE R SWAIN</p>

<p>Writers Guild of America, West</p>

<p>Welcome to the Directors Guild of America </p>

<p>The Movie Producer: A Handbook for Producing and Picture-Making: Paul N. Lazarus</p>

<p>Have a REAL career in the movie business</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Temple University in Philadelphia has a well regarded film school and he should have no trouble getting in there.</p>

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<p>I'll also recommend Drexel. A good friend of S1 is a senior in the film program at Drexel and is very happy there.
Drexel has great internships and he has made some great connections.</p>

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<p>As it happens, the places where I know current or recent film students are Emerson, Hampshire, Temple, and NYU. (And Northwestern, too, but that's out of your geographic area and probably out of range anyway.)</p>

<p>Emerson: The kid I know who goes there had about the same profile as yours, although he also had what might be considered a decent hook (a parent who is a high official at another local university). He's only a freshman there, and I haven't seen him since October, and he's not a big talker, so I really don't know how it's working out.</p>

<p>Hampshire: I also don't know how this is working for the film girl I know there. It was her dream school, though.</p>

<p>Temple: I am very impressed by how well the kids whose families I know have done there. They are a senior and a recent graduate, they have gotten jobs, contacts, help, experience, etc. Just what anyone would want from such a program. NB: If you live in the Boston "area" (not, say, Dorchester), you need to spend some time on and around the Temple campus before committing to it. It's much safer than it appears, but it could be really scary for a non-urban kid at first. That would also be true of Drexel, but Drexel is less threatening than Temple.</p>

<p>NYU: A great, professional film program, the kid I know there is incredibly plugged in and on her way. Very, very competitive. If Emerson is unrealistic, NYU probably is, too.</p>

<p>Drexel: I didn't know they had a film program until I read this thread. The other arts-related programs I know of there are very technology- or business-focused.</p>

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<p>Film</a> & Video: Undergraduate: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design: Drexel University</p>

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<p>None of these is anywhere near New England, but I am under the impression that Chapman, Florida State, and the North Carolina School for the Arts (which also has a great summer program so he could check it out) are much more concerned with the creative achievement than with CC-type top numbers. And they are all top 10 film programs.</p>

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<p>Do check out the forum under Arts Majors, if you haven't already. Lots of folks in there with expertise in the area of film.</p>

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<p>A talented aspiring young film-maker from our hs had [url=<a href="http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/Colleges/SOC/AVF/index.html%5DHofstra%5B/url"&gt;http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/Colleges/SOC/AVF/index.html]Hofstra[/url&lt;/a&gt;] as his first choice a couple of years ago.</p>

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<p>Also consider Chapman University, it has a great Film School and next to the Hollywood, which is also great for such major. We visited the school this summer and our group even had a lot of international students from France, Germany who were interested in movie making. And seems it's not hard to get in it.</p>

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<p>Re post #15... it is NOT easy to get into the Dodge Collge (film school) at Chapman. They only take 75 students each year for Film Production. From their web site:</p>

<p>
[quote]
For freshman students, in Dodge College, we average a GPA around 3.8 and SATs about an 1900 . Chapman University Office of Admission will re-evaluate your GPA taking only your sophomore and junior year in high school and giving you credit for eight honors courses (so, yes, it is a weighted GPA).</p>

<p>[In terms of admittance].....Essentially film production has the greatest odds at 1/10 with all the other majors being about a 1/7.

[/quote]
</p>

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<p>I agree with JHS on Emerson v. NYU. Honestly, Emerson might not be such a bad shot. They very likely will take his portfolio into consideration and weigh it heavier than his stats if the portfolio shows solid potential. They tend to look beyond just the stats, and if your son shows interest in the school (many ways to do that now, before application time), they will like that. The fact that you guys live in Boston allows him many more opportunities to illustrate his passion for Emerson than for those who would have to travel there. I'd take advantage of your close proximity to show interest.</p>

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<p>Also, I might like to add for anyone who wants to have a career in the film industry, there are several internet forums available where actual professionals are more than willing to answer questions about their own experiences and their schooling. While asking other students questions has some merit, you're more likely to get better information from those who have already gone through the obstacles to create a viable career.</p>

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<p>fendrock,
So it's WEIGHTED GPA, and 1900 SAT is not a stellar score, at least so it's easier in comparison with USC for example :-)
All three my D's classmates applied to Dodge School last year were accepted even with a pretty good Merit Scholarships. It was my D's safety school before our visit, and then she excluded it from the list, because it is a great MOVIE school, and she was interested only in Broadcasting.</p>

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<p>Tori_mom, it is true that USC is a harder admit, but still, an acceptance rate of one in ten is nothing to sneeze at.</p>

<p>That is interesting about your d's classmates getting into the Dodge School -- were they accepted as Film Production majors? Is this from a regular high school?</p>

<p>I am interested because my younger d wants to major in Film Production and I am trying to assess what it takes to get in to the Dodge School. It seems to me that the admissions decisions must have a large subjective element, as applicants are required to submit some creative work.</p>

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<p>Do check into UNC-Wilmington. Great hands on film studies program. Wilmington has a major film studio in town and hosts several film festivals. The area is often referred to as Wilmingwood.</p>