<p>I think magnolia's correct when saying where most of the film production takes place and so on. </p>
<p>I would suggest, however, that the contacts aspect of a film student is less important; thus making schools like FSU quite viable as a training option. Especially with FSU as an example when that school pays for the student's cost of production and equipment, thus allowing a film student to focus on development of skills, through experience.</p>
<p>The reason is that while the contacts aspect (to me contacts = access) is important, the whole business is generally about money, not art. The better developed skillset, regardless of where it was perfected, will sell. The skillset reflects the talent that is it's foundation. It's about the money and the potential to earn more money regardless of initial contacts. The contacts will follow success.</p>
<p>Check out the number of awards FSU film school students garner - it's on par with, or better than, the so-called big three. This kind of objective assessment of work (the awards process) cannot be had through contacts - that doesn't matter.</p>
<p>Having said this, once graduated, virtually all FSU film students go to the centers of production specified by magnolia. Virtually all find work quickly. This speaks again to the quality of the training process they have in Tallahassee.</p>
<p>'FSU has claimed a lion's share of the College Television Awards in recent years. Its students took home a record-setting five ATAS honors in 2004 alone, the most ever for one film school in a single year.</p>
<p>Recognized by the Directors Guild of America for its distinguished contributions to American culture, FSU's College of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts encompasses one of the largest and best equipped facilities devoted wholly to film education, while its undergraduate and graduate programs rank among the most highly regarded in the world.'</p>
<p>Film school rankings are pretty different for graduate and undergraduate (AFI is very good but graduate program only).</p>
<p>As far as undergrad here is my opinion:</p>
<p>USC is definitely the hardest film program to get into in the country. Around 1600 applicants for 50 freshmen spots. People often say FSU is the hardest but thats not true. They do only accept about 25 freshmen but they also only have about 300 applicants. NYU is up there with USC applicant pool, not quite as large though, and they accept a greater number of students than USC, around 200 freshmen. UCLA's program is slipping greatly in the ranks because you cannot even apply to the film major until your sophmore or junior year.</p>
<p>My rankings of undergraduate programs:
(not including conservatory schools like New York Film Academy)
1. USC
2. NYU
3. FSU*(pays for your film and low cost tuition)
4. Chapman
5. Emerson
6. Columbia
7. Northwestern
8. SCAD
9. Syracuse
10. Ithaca</p>
<p>L.A. and Cali is the best if you want to be in film and New York is second, anywhere else and you are at a severe disadvantage. No matter how good you are at film knowing the right people is more than half of making it in the film industry.</p>
<p>Haha coming from someone in GA :P
I heard they have pretty decent connections at SCAD.
What about BU's film program? I think it's supposed to be pretty good too.</p>
<p>I may live in Ga but i'm going to NYU next year for film... I don't know that much about SCAD but I think its more technical and they probably do have some good connections but it hurts being so far away from where the industry is.</p>
<p>BU's program is decent and they should probably be on the list I just didn't think of them because I visited there and didn't like the film facilities and I didn't end up applying. The teaching and internship opportunities are probably on par with Emerson but I liked Emerson's equipment and department better.</p>
<p>I didn't put UCLA on the list because its my biased list and I don't think they should be on there. Sure their film program might be as good as some of the schools I listed but a school that doesn't even let you apply to the major until after you are already in the school for two years clearly does not put that much importance on their program. They are in a good location for film but they can no longer compete with other schools because all of the top students go to schools where they know they can study film and it shows, they haven't been producing big filmmakers like they used to. Even if they should be on the list now, unless they change something they definitely won't be on it in another 5 years.</p>
<p>There were 107 first year students accepted into the USC film school in 2005 not 25. FSU only pays the costs for those who win their pitch for making a senior film. That is not all the students. Those not chosen crew the films. I believe that Columbia only offers a graduate level film program. Your list should also include Texas and the North Carolina School of the Arts as well as several New England lacs-- Wesleyan and Middlebury and perhaps Vassar.</p>
<p>For those interested in film studies I'll put in pitch in for UW-Madison.</p>
<p>It was probably partially my fault because I had visited some of the best facilities first (NYU, USC, and Emerson) which were all really nice and then I saw BU's and it just seemed unimpressive. It wasn't necessarily bad it just couldn't compare to USC's and NYU's editing labs, USC even had soundstages and BU just didn't look that good after all that. I have no idea how new their program is but the school in general seemed nice enough, I didn't look at much else besides the film which actually seemed to be more a part of the communications department than anything that really stood on its own which I didn't like. Its probably up there with Syracuse or SCAD though. If there is a third city (in the U.S) in the food chain of the film industry it is probably Boston.</p>
<p>I think Columbia does offer some undergrad film but it is not really production based but it is supposedly very good in theory,from what I have heard. Your are definitely right about Texas and North Carolina though, I forgot alot of the schools that I chose not to apply to for of my own reasons, they should definitely be on that list.</p>
<p>However, you are definitely wrong about the USC incoming freshmen class. I also said there were 50 freshmen spots not 25, 25 is FSU. I actually have in my hand right now a book from USC saying they take roughly 50 freshmen and 50 junior transfers each year. Keep in mind i'm also talking stictly about production so maybe you are including cinema studies.</p>
<p>The 107 number, which was from this year's entering class, included the three undergrad majors: production; critical studies; and, screenwriting. Students are required to take courses in all three areas including the major introductory production course which requires students to make five short films during the semester.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that it is 15 slots for entering first year stduents and 15 slots for students transferring into the program. 250 applicants for each. Of the 250 for each program, 30 are selected to come, at their own expense, to FSU, for additional interviews in March. From the 30, 15 are offered. FSU has in the past gone to their waiting list to get a full class.</p>
<p>That could well be...all I asked was how many apps, total, they received per year for the undergraduate BFA program. I didn't parse it any further.</p>
<p>I'm not sure it matters, really, as an undergrad slot is virtually the same for either a transfer or a freshman. The way I understand it (and I don't have a kid in this area as you do) one has basic studies completed (transfer) and one does not (freshman).</p>
<p>Someone above posted a lower number on this and I was trying to vet that assertion.</p>