<p>I received my MBA in business, and have realized that business isn't for me. I am completely obsessed with film and I know that's what I want to do. Originally, I thought I would go back to film school. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, a lot of the good film schools don't let students with undergrad degrees attend for a second degree, and the ones that do don't give as good financial aid.</p>
<p>After doing research I have found that there are a ton of film seminars and work shops in the area that I live in, and I have been told that unless you go to a very good film school it may not be worth the money. Also, I have been told that people in the industry care way more about the actual reel than a film degree</p>
<p>With that being said, here is the important question…</p>
<p>Should I…
1. Go to a film school that is okay but not great?
2. Try to network with as many film individuals through workshops, seminars, etc., learn as much as I can, and try to make it that way?</p>
<p>Please let me know. I love film, but am new to the industry and have no idea what to do.</p>
<p>Thank you for the answer. I would like to go to film school, but as I stated before I will be very low on cash afterwards. That is why I was asking if I should take the less expensive route? These separate classes and seminars would likely be way less expensive, and could be just as beneficial.</p>
<p>Film graduates have a terribly difficult time finding a job. You’d almost certainly have to either major in something else or make it into a school like NYU, which is extremely expensive. I would carefully consider spending a lot of money if you do choose to go to film school, because you’re not going to make a lot when you get out. I would recommend looking at a state school in your state of residence, because they’re usually less expensive.</p>
<p>You don’t need a film degree to “make it” in film. Networking is key. Move to LA. Use your MBA to get yourself a part or full time job (maybe even in the film industry) and start taking workshops and classes. It will be much cheaper and far more effective.</p>
<p>I have a nephew who graduated from NYU film school and know others who graduated from Chapman and Carleton and All are slowly working their way up the ranks. That’s how it’s done.</p>
<p>Plus, I know this is what you think you want to do, but you need to really see how the industry works before you invest a ton of money into getting a degree. The degree will always be there. Just be sure.</p>
<p>The USC forum has a lot of discussion about its film school. They’d probably be happy to answer general questions about how to pick a film school.</p>
<p>I have no expertise in the film biz, but I’ve also heard it’s all about connections. USC makes a big deal about the connections it has with Hollywood.</p>
<p>I believe that UCLA Extension actually has an evening program for working adults interested in the industry (film or acting).
Moving to LA and using your MBA to find work is excellent advice. Once you’re there, it’ll be easier for you to figure out what is the most efficient path to take.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. I’m gonna go with option 2 and just try to learn as much as I can along the way through workshops, networking, seminars, etc., and move to LA at some point. But I will also at least look into that UCLA extension program, and see how much it costs. I was surprised when I found out how many people in the industry don’t have film degrees.</p>
<p>There is work you can do on the internet which also might serve to develop your industry skills (keeping a blog about film, reading other people’s critiques, writing substantial film reviews, developing expertise in several genres, examining the business side of the industry, researching the non-Hollywood components of film, etc.). Writing has a funny way of organizing ideas and eliminating fuzziness. You’d be surprised what you discover when you stare at something long enough. Opening those ideas up to a public on a regular basis places other demands on your skills that can only help in your effort to join the industry. This behavior comes at no cost to you except time. Make yourself an expert. There’s no need to move or quit your job right away to do this.</p>
<p>There are also a ton of jobs in the film and television business where you can use your MBA that are also a lot more stable and well paying. It may not be ideal, but it’s a foot in the door into the industry that may actually be enjoyable for you. Perhaps the problem is not business in general, but the business you’ve been involved with. </p>
<p>Also, isn’t someone who has an MBA discovering a little late that they hate business?</p>
<p>YEOW, MrMom! You don’t think this thought has crossed his mind already? or maybe he needs another dad in his life? ;+) Give him some credit for refusing to do with his life something he doesn’t like doing. Maybe he liked business school but found the work of the business major or MBA dehumanizing. And who could blame him? Lots of people find themselves in this situation. On the other hand, I agree with you that before pursuing a radically different interest he ought to spend some time making sure that film is his career passion.</p>
<p>There are many different answers to the “Why Now?” question to which the OP has not provided. Those answers can make all the difference in the advice we give, as it gives us insight to the specific situation. A degree is not a life sentence, but to spend six years on something and then decide it’s not for you fairly shortly (I’m assuming) after hitting the real world is a bit of a sudden turn. Sometimes it’s a legitimate change of heart, sometimes it’s a whim that should be looked at in a different light - none of us except the OP have any knowledge what it really is.</p>
<p>Mr. Mom- I didn’t know what I wanted to do until I was almost finished with my MBA. So I figured I mine as well get the degree, work for a few years to save up some money, and then go into film. I have been in the Insurance Industry for a year, and the people are nice, but I could care less about it. Not everyone knows what they want to do when they first go to college. I majored in business because it’s practical and my grandpa wanted me to study it because he loves business. I think it would be smart for me to try to do something I am passionate about, even if I don’t make a lot of money, rather than being wealthy but miserable my whole life.</p>
<p>And trust me- There is nothing I am more sure of in my life then the fact that I want to be in the film industry; not the tiniest doubt in my mind.</p>
<p>Don’t confuse your dislike of the insurance industry with a dislike of business. You just have to find a business you care about, in this case you want to get into the film business.</p>
<p>So let’s say you wanted to get into the film business, but in the business side of it. You have an MBA and one year of experience in the insurance business. Insurance is the business of managing risk - and there’s not a business much riskier than the film business. The easiest way you could possibly have to get into the film business would to find some position in a production company managing risk. Once you have your foot in the door, you’ll just have to look for a chance to move into film production, again, that’s more business than art, but it’s in a business you’d have a passion for.</p>
<p>It’ll be a lot easier to leverage what you have already got than to start from the ground up. Just find a way to get into the door at any company, and grow it from there.</p>
<p>Note that getting into the film industry the usual way is difficult, often with a gauntlet of unpaid internships as the entry level “jobs” before being selected for an actual paid entry level job. As others have said, using your business background and MBA to get in through the business side is likely a more doable option.</p>
<p>Mr. Mom- While I appreciate the help I don’t like the fact that you think you know me better than I know myself. I actually don’t like business. I explained in an earlier post that I majored in it because I didn’t know what I want to do and I wanted to please my grandpa who paid for my college, and is a big influence on my life. You are acting as if I have no idea what I want but I know myself and I know what I want to do. Everyone else- Thank you for the help. I now know the path that I will take.</p>
<p>You don’t want advice, you want someone to tell you that you’re doing the right thing. You clearly are going to do what you want to do because you have the means to do it. Must be nice to have unlimited money while you find yourself. The rest of us have to make a living or starve. Don’t be surprised if you’re grandfather doesn’t pay for this go-round.</p>
<p>Thanks Loricg. That definitely makes sense. I am still on the fence. I’m going to talk to my college planner this week and figure things out. Maybe I will go back to school - I just need to apply and see how much financial aid I can get.</p>
<p>Mr. Mom- I don’t want advice huh? Loricg just told me that going straight into the industry may not be the right thing to do, and I appreciate the advice. </p>
<p>Also I don’t have unlimited money. If I did I would definitely go to film school, but I am on kind of a tight budget. I have some money saved, but what would determine if I could go to film school is how much it will cost.</p>
<p>Everyone here has given me respectful advice, which I asked for except you, who keeps telling me things about myself that aren’t true. You call me out for studying business even though I didn’t like it. You seem way more interested in making me feel lousy about myself than actually giving me constructive criticism. </p>
<p>Harry, I think that one compromise is for you to look for a job in LA (as someone suggested, something in the entertainment industry) to get settled and start taking part time, extension or evening classes at a LEGIT university such as UCLA or USC (or even Occidental or Chapman). This would help you meet people in the right professional area at two levels (through work and through classes) while limiting your risk. It would mean moving only when you’ve found one. Fortunately, you have an MBA, that should help you. (I get that you don’t want to have a business career, but here it’d be a means to an end: to get you to LA and help you live there.) In addition, it may help you build an admissions portfolio. If you can save enough money to return to school, it’d probably make sense to do it in LA anyway so after a few years’ part time school + work you would have a pretty good idea of what you need to do.
Obviously I wasn’t advocating random “for profit” workshops and seminars. :s
If you want to go the film school route, there’s USC and Tisch but they’re quite expensive.
Outside of the obvious:
I think UNC-Wilmington is relatively cheap and their film program is very good. Ithaca has a good production major too, with a LA campus for the upper level students; don’t what it’d be like as an adult student though.</p>