<p>D got into both. One is well established and well known, the other not so much but is on the rise. Grey urban climate vs. yellow sunny climate. Hipster intellectual students vs. kids who love Disneyland. (And D is both of these!)</p>
<p>I am particularly interested in anyone who knows the inside scoop on the programs and classes. How important is the university owning the films vs. students owning them? What are the most important factors in making a decision? (And money is not an issue here.)</p>
<p>First of all, congrats to your D. Wow… really great choice to have.</p>
<p>Either one would fit the bill, and - assuming you guys have visited each - I’d let her make the decision. Chapman is great about realizing that internships are extremely important (as does Kanbar). The location, I think, is the most important. Many internship opportunities at both schools are local (although NYU also has some in Calif). I don’t think prestige should be a factor, but if it is, NYU has the edge. I <em>think</em> that in both schools, the student owns the film rights.</p>
<p>I’m a proponent of living where the jobs are after graduation, so where she’d like to eventually land (Hollywood? or in NYC/TV?) might influence the choice. So, it’s a choice to be made, but what a good choice.</p>
<p>(I was going to give my PERSONAL choice, but then I realized that it’s MY choice and irrelevant for her.)</p>
<p>Ah, Digmedia…tell us <em>your</em> choice.
We GOTTA know! Don’t be a tease.
Maybe you can offer your brief view of each, without saying definitely…and we can guess!</p>
<p>Great choices, and excellent options. Agree that contacts are key for a career in film, and available at both schools. Preference for indie vs. more commercial Hollywood, where do you want to end up?
Cost an issue? Besides basic tuition/fees/living costs (in two very expensive cities) investigate typical production costs for movies, are they borne by the student and what are typical expectations. That can add a lot beyond the list price. Good luck.</p>
<p>D is in NYC today visiting NYU with a film student and attending a film screening hosted by Chapman (of the top student films from Dodge from last year.) She has not visited Chapman yet, but we will be going out there next month for accepted student day and also to sit in on some classes on a separate day.</p>
<p>At NYU, the school owns the film rights, not the student. How important is this? Does it mean that they at least foot the bill for most of the film? Can anybody give us an idea of how much out of pocket $ students spend on films in, say, a year?</p>
<p>shakespearefan, congratulations to your D. Both are wonderful programs. She’s really lucky (and I’m sure talented). I think the ownership of films is a non-issue. After all, the best schools, like NYU, encourage and help students submit their films to festivals and competitions. The student gets full creative credit (and jobs that come from that afterward). Frankly, there are few student films that have a market to make $$ as is. And the IP (original ideas, scripts, etc) belong 100% to the student. The reason some schools have these ownership requirements concerns exclusive waivers they get from many of the talent unions allowing students to use SAG talent, for example, and pay actors zero. The theory went that if the student got Al Pacino to star in their film (!!) and went on to sell it for big $$ (hey, it stars A Pacino!), Al would have worked for free and the union can’t allow that. But it is all rather philosophical in my book. The best thing that can happen is that someone sees your D’s film at a festival, showcase, or on her reel, loves it and hires her to direct/produce for them. </p>
<p>That said, I am a strong fan of Chapman. They are amazing and their reputation is only growing.</p>
<p>Thanks, all! Yes, makes total sense about the film rights now.</p>
<p>Dig, you were right about NYU not owning the film rights, (despite what the students at SUNY Purchase told us…) at NYU, the school does not own the rights, just as you had stated. DH and DD visited NYU yesterday, had a tour led by a film student (also from VA!) and they made sure to ask him that very question.</p>
<p>They also attended a student film screening put on by Chapman and met the dean of the Dodge film school. They were also able to speak to student filmmakers from Chapman. Both D and H were very impressed with the student films and can hardly stop talking about them! So it was a great trip, but I don’t think D is any closer to making a decision. We still have to visit Chapman and the OC outback/backlot!</p>
<p>That’s what maddenmd and I were told when we were researching our book. I used to think ownership was a big deal, but now I totally agree with madbean (“non-issue”). I worried that the school might supress any submissions to festivals, but believe me, if a student film is good, the school will help promote it.</p>
<p>btw, using student films as one factor in deciding is an EXCELLENT idea. As a matter of fact, there was one student film that made us look at Ohio University (fairly unknown to us at the time). It came from their Shootout competition (randomly assigned genre, line of dialog and prop with 48 hours to complete a film). This was done by a group called “Par-T-Com” (at that time, the Media Arts Dept was known as the TCOM department). The genre was Musical, the prop was a suitcase, and the line of dialog was “Where did I put the remote control?” Imagine writing a 5-min musical around those elements. The film - which was disqualified from Shootout for being submitted 5 minutes late - went on to win MTV’s Best Campus Film award for the year.</p>
<p>It was such a hoot. I remember being blown away by that short film and the sheer sense of fun it conveyed, thinking, “if this is an example of what the department does, maybe my son ought to take a look at this school.” The rest is history.</p>
<p>We can’t post links to that video site that everyone looks at, but if you go there and search for the words Detonate and Par-T-Com, you’ll find it.</p>
<p>Shootout competition? Randomly assigned genre, line of dialog and prop with 48 hours to complete a film?
Sounds very familiar.
[The</a> 48 Hour Film Project](<a href=“http://48hourfilm.com/]The”>http://48hourfilm.com/) </p>
<p>One of the best and funniest movies I have seen in this competition in our city was a short made by a crew team of 2 high school students. The kids were sophomores. :-)</p>
<p>Ya Ya - It’s a very popular thing to do, and I really encourage film students - of any age - to participate. The pressure will really hone your skills.</p>
<p>My kid had the same choice 3 years ago and chose Chapman.</p>
<p>Chapman is a 3rd rate school in a horrible town close to Hollywood with a first rate, under appreciated film school that everyone knows is on the rise.</p>
<p>NYU is a first rate school in a wonderful part of the one the great cities in the world far from the commercial film making center with a third rate, over rated film school that everyone in the know knows has seen much better days.</p>
<p>That said, if your daughter wants to be a screenwriter, go to Tisch. If she might want to major in anthro,after a year or two, by all means go to NYU. however, If she is really interested in film production, Chapman hands down. The facilities are amazing, the internship possibilities unparalleled, the atmosphere of totally focussed, professional collaborative work is impressive. The screenplays not the best; the production value and production training, astoundingly good.</p>
<p>As my kids says, “I sacrificed a lot for my vacation.” but we wouldn’t want it any other way. (Plus the very generous financial aid was nothing to sneeze at either.)</p>
<p>Hi Kid’s In;
What do you think about digital arts/animation at Dodge?
DS is choosing between USC, LMU and Dodge. He really liked Explore at USC yesterday, but he’s still leaning toward Dodge. (With apologies to S-fan for butting in here, but I don’t think she’ll mind; we’ll all be together tomorrow at Chapman Preview Day. Very excited.) :)</p>
<p>Hi all,
Son had his questions answered during his visit yesterday. So, nevermind.
I’m looking forward to hearing about S-fan and daughter’s visit to CA.<br>
S-fan: I saw you at Chapman, though I didn’t know it until we returned home last night. (Hint: I saw on the FB page that your daughter was wearing an ‘unusual’ backpack and then realized I had seen you!).</p>
<p>We are still here in Orange – which I think is a lovely little town, btw, at least very safe and not a big terrorist target like NYC. D is TOTALLY sold on Dodge. I will feel lucky if I can pry her out of here to complete high school! (And she felt this way even before she went over there to Disneyland!)</p>
<p>First, they put her on a dolly and let her try a Red camera. I think she’s still quivering over it! Also, we were SO fortunate to be here for the Women in Film symposium on Friday! The six panelists – including producers, directors and screenwriters – lead a frank discussion on their careers that was meaningful and inspiring. The school obviously encourages and nurtures its students. D herself made the astute observation that at NYU, you’re more or less on your own, because they already have a long list of famous alums. Tomorrow, she will do Panther for a Day, but she has already made up her mind. All that’s left to do is send in an enrollment deposit and buy Dodge shirts in all sizes for the whole family!</p>
<p>Im SO glad this long search is over, and she’s found a school that is such a good match for her. Whew! All that, and they want to give her money!</p>
<p>Yup, I like historic Old Towne Orange. I’ve traveled widely anineptly my 20’s in Manhattan–adored every minute of it! But I appreciate the quirky quaintness of Orange, with its tiny original barber shops, dog-walkers, craftsman bungalows and pocket-sized gardens.
Congrats to you and D! Our son committed to Dodge this evening, for a hundred reasons. Everyone is happy.
Safe travels!</p>
<p>Did you notice that, although plans for the filmmakers village have had to be put on hold, they are going right ahead with renovating another building across from Dodge that will house digital arts classrooms?</p>
