Will I need a camera for film school?

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<p>I've got a good DSLR from an old flame (photography) that will suffice for my application portfolio.</p>

<p>See, it's a recent thing that I've decided to get into film before my senior year of high school. More like screenwriting, but as I understand it, most screenwriters are directors as well. Spielberg said himself it's the dreams that sneak up on you from behind that end up being the ones that come true. So I'm going with my gut which tells me film is the industry I want to be involved in. </p>

<p>Anyway, as I don't have $5,000+ to invest in decent camera equipment and editing tools, I'm feeling as though I'll be a fish out of water in film school. </p>

<p>I've taken a few summer "art camp" things at SCAD (not the school I want to go to) and most of the kids were incredibly pompous and were boasting expensive camera equipment that no doubt were paid for out of mommy and daddy's good intentions and fat wallets. </p>

<p>As it is, not all of us are that fortunate. </p>

<p>Will I need to scrounge around for lost change under the couch to afford acceptable film equipment or does the college provide it?</p>

<p>I must have been mistaken about college. It seems like it's no longer a place where you go to learn, it's the place where you go to get a degree to get a job. At SCAD most kids seemed to already know, or be under the illusion that they already know what they're doing. The photo. professor took it for granted that everyone had a DSLR and several lenses and had years of experience with Photoshop when in fact (though I'd had practice with photography with a really good point-and-shoot for years) I only had two years under my belt with a DSLR and only a month with Photoshop because I've had to pay for it myself. </p>

<p>Is it okay to come from humble beginnings (like artists in the past) or is it expected now that artists will be semi-professionals before the fall semester of our freshmen year of college even begins?</p>

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<p>My apologies, I wasn’t sure where to post this.</p>

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<p>I’ll give you my advice. </p>

<p>You say you don’t have $5,000 to pay for film equipment. That’s completely understandable. But, how much would you be planning to spend at film school? Unless you got full financial aid, you’d have to pay something. I’m assuming you don’t want to pick up large loans (that would be incredibly foolish, especially since filmmaking is a - let’s be real here - useless major for the most part). Would you be willing to spend more than $5,000 on film SCHOOL, even though you aren’t willing to spend it on equipment?</p>

<p>I think you should assess what you want out of film school. I hear a lot of people saying how they want to go to film school to ‘get access to good equipment’, when they don’t realize that the ridiculous amount of money being put towards a 40k-60k a year education at a school like NYU or USC could buy you just that - great film equipment!</p>

<p>And the catch? These people don’t even own the equipment. They have to share it with other students. They can’t do with it what they please, and if they want to use it outside of school, they surely have to rent it out (they can’t just randomly take whatever they want for however long they want). I also hear most film schools need to approve any scripts before you can even shoot them (how frustrating would that be?). Many of these pompous kids you’ve been exposed to don’t realize that they aren’t doing themselves any favors by shelling out huge amounts of cash to get access to great facilities that don’t represent the working environment of an indie filmmaker (the branch they’ll almost always have to start out in), and even worse, once they graduate all of that equipment is going to go bye-bye. </p>

<p>I think its fine to come from humble beginnings - if anything, it’s BETTER to come from humble beginnings (at least you won’t have your ego inflated). Read up on Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Smith. Did you know that even Christopher Nolan started his career with a $7,000 independent feature? (a better use for $7,000 than any class, in his case). If you really feel this environment you’ve been subjecting yourself to is harmful, and surrounding yourself with know-it-alls isn’t conductive to your creativity, just leave. No one’s stopping you. </p>

<p>It’s possible to learn filmmaking independently. It’s certainly possible to learn screenwriting independently (in fact, I can say with confidence that a screenwriting degree is absolutely pointless, an utter waste of time in terms of learning the actual craft). The only benefits of film school is the opportunity for networking. While it isn’t impossible to meet other like minded artists outside of a film school - and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise - it’s certainly easier. That’s where your decision comes in. </p>

<p>Good luck. If I was in your situation and had a very limited amount of money, I would put all of it into buying my own equipment and how-to books, and skimp on the formal education for now. I’d get my feet wet, to see if college really is necessary to learn my craft (and if after a year or two I wasn’t able to learn through my own intuition, so be it - time for some classes). But that’s just me. </p>

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<p>I believe I can get need-based grants for the first two years to at least cover half of the tuition. I’m not sure. I did calculator with another college I was interested in and it came out that I would only be expected to pay $14,000 out of the $60,000 tuition.
I’m not really sure how NYU fares in comparison with grants but it does surprise me that only 60% of their students get financial aid. Where do the rest attain such a ridiculous amount of money? </p>

<p>If I could avoid college altogether, that’s certainly appealing. I’m aware that it’s possible to break into the film industry with no education but I feel like a college such as NYU would, at the very least, be a boost rather than working from the ground up.
I’d be able to make connections with other budding filmmakers and actors that may very well be my colleagues some sunny day. </p>

<p>Also, I’m a bit rusty on story telling. I feel that being in a city like New York and being around interesting people might spark something. </p>

<p>Believe me I’ve looked around and any college I’d be remotely interested in attending has been upwards of $40,000 per year so I’ve accepted that I will be in a fair bit of debt after the fact. </p>

<p>I doubt kids go to NYU and just sit around. It’s such a competitive school with some remarkable alumni. They must get something out of their education. </p>

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<p>Also it isn’t that I’m not willing to spend money on camera equipment, I just don’t have that much laying around.
College isn’t being paid for out of pocket. My parents will contribute what they can, but mostly I’ll be relying on grants, scholarships, and as few loans as I can get away with. </p>

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<p>@‌fetachi </p>

<p>Good luck with whatever you choose. If you feel like the atmosphere is more important than the debt, go for it. As long as you ask yourself how you’ll feel about the debt AFTER you graduate and THEN decide it’s completely worth it, there’s nothing wrong with your choice (although I urge you to really think about it - too many college kids sweep that kind of thing under the rug and think “I’ll deal with it later”!)</p>

<p>Yes, there are other ways to become a successful filmmaker that don’t cost too much money, but it’s probably easier and more exciting to take the route you plan on taking, even if it’ll only last for four years. Ultimately, the cushiony environment and exposure to other like minded students (pretentious or not) is a significant booster. Some people need the booster, others don’t - they can make it in the trenches by their own grit. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with either one. It’s all a matter of weighing the pros and the cons. </p>

<p>You seem pretty set on your decision to go to film school. If that’s the case, yeah, you’ll be provided with all the essential equipment you could want. You’ll have to use it in a very regulated environment though, and there might be a bit of sharing, but you’ll eventually get to use it. That loss of freedom is the tradeoff when you get to use such nice equipment. I’m sure having your own cheap DSLR just to practice shots with outside of school wouldn’t hurt though. </p>

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<p>Would Columbia College Chicago be more affordable for you? </p>