<p>My sister (pre-med) and both parents went to harvard. We went on sabbatical their while I was in middle school (e.g. I love cambridge). Anyway, Harvard has a really strong film major that lets kids choose between film studies and production. </p>
<p>If anyone cares, thats were Aronofksy went.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the best film schools are in Los Angeles or New York just because of the opportunity to intern at an actual studio while you get your bachelors or masters. </p>
<p>Film schools in LA (in order):
1. Univ. of So. Cal (School of Cinema and Television)
2. UCLA (School of Theater, Film and Television)
3. Loyola Marymount U. (School of Film and Television)
4. American Film Institute (AFI)
5. Los Angeles Film School</p>
<p>In New York, I'm only familiar with
1. NYU (The Kanbar Institute of Film/Television)
2. Columbia U. (School of the Arts)</p>
<p>Other parts of the Country:
-Northwestern
-UNLV
-Univ. of Texas, Austin</p>
<p>Pretty spot on ^^^</p>
<p>Here it is ....
1. USC
2. NYU
3. UCLA (you cannot apply until junior year)
4. AFI
5. CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY
6. CAL ARTS
7. ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN
8. ITHICA
9. FSU
10. COLUMBIA</p>
<p>California Institute of the Arts (CAL ARTS -- see No. 6 above in Dirk's Top 10) is not be confused with California College of the Arts in Carolyn's list. Cal Arts is truly an amazing film school. It takes only a few students for a very intensive study program in a very competitive admissions pool. Some graduates include Tim Burton, Sophia Coppola and Don Cheadle.</p>
<p>SUNY Purchase</p>
<p>In LA:
USC
UCLA
Chapman
Loyola Marymount</p>
<p>Chapman University's film school in Anaheim is as competitive as USC's and siphons off a good number of potential UCLA/USC film students with its hands-on approach.</p>
<p>If you're considering the various schools - this one pays the costs of production for all students:</p>
<p>'FSU is the only film school in the country that pays for the production costs of all of its students films, thereby creating a level playing field for students to focus on art, craft and imagination, instead of fundraising. To ensure that this high caliber of education is available to the most talented student regardless of financial means, the university offers generous scholarships and assistantships, and tuition costs that are among the lowest in the country.'</p>
<p>Ohio U, North Carolina School for the Arts, Emerson, Ithaca. For undergrad, I wouldn't put Columbia on the list. UCLA's program is small and doesn't really start until your junior year.</p>
<p>OU only has an MFA program</p>
<p>Any top 5, 10 w/e list that doesnt include FSU is highly flawed. Not only is it a great program, but it's rediculously difficult to get into. </p>
<p>My cousin is going to SCAD, which from what I know has a very good film school.</p>
<p>How is Emerson as a Film school? Just curious...</p>
<p>other than the obvious: AFI is really good, and i know people who have gone through NYFA and seemed to have liked it. personally, i am doing a film studies major at my college (hasn't been mentioned, but i didn't choose it thinking this is what i wanted) and i do get to dabble in some production courses. so i'm supplementing that with summer internships in the industry. </p>
<p>but i agree with jpod-- i could easily throw fsu right up with the nyu, usc, ucla -- it's great, it's well respected, it's super competitive-- just the location isn't a hot spot. suny purchase as someone mentioned.</p>
<p>For those interested in FSU:</p>
<p><a href="http://filmschool.fsu.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://filmschool.fsu.edu/</a></p>
<p>Also, from Moviemaker.com:</p>
<p>"Florida State University, which has both graduate and undergraduate film students, sees more than 170 new student films each year between their two programs. The school sends many of them out to film festivals, and pays all related costs. That includes the cost of prints, shipping and entrance fees. According to Dr. Raymond Fielding, Dean of the Film School, FSU sent out 29 student films in 2002 to be screened at 87 different festivals. The school, which also pays all production costs for student films in addition to festival expenses, claims any prizes won by student films to finance future festival expenses. </p>
<p>How did it help me? recent FSU graduate Eduardo Rodriguez asks of the financial support he received for his film. It's very simple: I wouldn't be where I am right now without the FSU Film School's support. The production costs for Rodriguez' thesis film, Daughter, which came to $18,000, were paid entirely by FSU. It was then promoted by the school at more than 30 international festivals and went on to win several awardsmost notably a nomination for the Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.</p>
<p>Daughter raised eyebrows again at FSU's annual screening for the Director's Guild of America in Los Angeles, and a copy of the film wound up in the hands of Bob Weinstein. Weinstein promptly signed the young director to a contract, and he's now hard at work with veteran writer-director Robert Rodriguez on the script for Curandero, the first of three films Eduardo will direct for Weinstein's Dimension Films.</p>
<p>The FSU faculty chooses which films will be submitted to festivals on behalf of the school. Students who wish to submit a film independently need to obtain permission from the school as well as pay their own expenses.</p>
<p>The school also operates its own Internet server, states Fielding. About 50 of its recent films are screened continuously and upon demand. FSU distributes some films through Atomfilms and Hypnotic. </p>
<p>The school's financial support for production and festival expenses, says Rodriguez, encourages students to make better films. Not having to pay for your films frees your mind from the concerns and tribulations that come when you spend your own money on a project. If you make a movie and you put in your last $25, your vision tends to focus on the fact that you need to make those $25 back.</p>
<p>The school offers students the ability to make ambitious, professional films without going deeply into debt to do so. Ideally, says Rodriguez, this will eventually encourage young people from low and middle-income families to pursue moviemaking careers."</p>
<p>Various awards for FSU Film School:</p>
<p>Some Wikipedia info:</p>
<p>I just really wish my cousin got int there. He didnt do as well as he couldve in HS, but with an upward trend. He is EXCELLENT at what he does though. I'm sure he'll love SCAD, but FSU is a gem.</p>
<p>there's really no such thing as "top 10" film schools, only the big 3, and they're USC, NYU, and UCLA. going anywhere else won't make much difference because they don't have nearly as many "connections" or funding. AFI is great, but it's like the Julliard of film (only a handful of students get in, conservatory style). </p>
<p>film school is VERY hit or miss, and i don't see the point in going to school for it in places like florida or pennsylvania. there are many people at the big 3 that don't make it and many people at random schools that don't even major in film that do. </p>
<p>HOWEVER, this is in regards to people who want to do the big 3 (write, produce, direct). because if you want to do something like cinematography, sound engineering, production design, editing, etc., you'd need to go to film school, at least for a bit. and your chances for work would be a bit better.</p>
<p>Wow, how wrong you are. First of all, FSU's film program rival those of USC, NYU, UCLA, etc. It may or may not be as good, but it isnt far off. It just lacks the overall prestige that those schools possess. Nah, no one goes to film school in PA---WRONG! Temple has a VERY good film program, Penn State's is up and coming and getting more popular, etc., etc. In case you didnt know, Philadelphia is one of the biggest cities, and one of the best for film. Just look at M. Night. He lived right around me for alot of his life, went to one of the best private schools here (still lives about 10 mins from me). Although he did go to NYU for college, where did he shoot most of his movies? You guessed it!</p>
<p>EDIT: just looked it up. He shot all of his movies, except his first movie (when he went to NYU) in PA. ;)</p>
<p>I didn't say no one goes to film school in PA, I said I didn't see the point in going to PA or FL for film. Temple and Penn State don't even have film schools. I really don't mean to sound snobbish, but you can't compare them and FSU to USC, NYU, and UCLA. Philadelphia is the same as any other city for film, regardless of it being like the 5th biggest city. The places people should look at are LA and NYC, and maybe Chicago. That's where the vast pre-production and production takes place, and where most production and development companies as well as studios are HQ'ed. </p>
<p>And just like you said, M. Night Shyamalan went to NYU. He shot all his movies in PA, but so what? Kevin Smith shot almost all his movies in New Jersey, Joel and Ethan Cohen shot a lot of their movies in the south and midwest regions, and Gus Van Sant shot a lot of his in the northwest. Does that mean people interested in film should start moving to all the many different places where films were shot?</p>