Film School - Study And Enjoy Simultaneously!

If you are someone who wants to become a filmmaker, film school should be a place of joy for you. Because it not only equips you with the basic film making skills, but it also serves to shape your passion. Besides, it gives you the thrust and direction to produce your own film with new and fresh ideas.

There are several well reputed film schools in the country. Well, if California is always going to boast of highest number of film schools, followed closely by New York, you still have lot of other film schools in rest of the country.

Let us first talk about the most sought after "Top of the Pie" film schools which are dream of every aspiring filmmaker. The foremost would be the AFI. It was established in 1967 and is known for specialty in traditional narrative films. It offers six areas of study to the students -- Screenwriting, Directing, Production Design, Production and Editing.

Next in line is the California Institute for the Arts which was established in 1961 by Walt Disney for focus on animations. Then there is the San Francisco State University, also set up in the sixty's. The then prevalent political landscape has greatly influenced its course content. Now move on to UCLA and USC. Enter New York and you find Columbia University School of Arts and the New York University. Both schools have long list of film writers and directors who owe their training to them. For instance, Spike Lee reminds me of New York University.

It appears that if you wish an entry into the "golden gates" of any of these symbols of academic fame, you are going to need the of grace of God and his miracle making powers! So, better start praying right from now. And if despite your best efforts (and prayers!) you fail to make your proud entry inside any of the heavenly gates, no need to despair. Rather than staring at the blissful faces in there, turn around and you will find a lot of other film schools across the country with good programs.

There are several film schools in the Pacific Northwest. There is a very good film school in the University of Washington. Another interesting option is the Evergreen State University. It is famous (or infamous!) for its kind of liberal style of education. In place of grades, they have a system where both students and teachers evaluate every thing -- themselves as we as the program. They are known as Greeners and they take pride in their critical thinking. Their program, known as MediaWorks, has produced several radical and cutting edge filmmakers.

You will have to consider a few things before you pick a film school. The first thing is the cost of education. This is the ground reality, because if you are going to take loan for your education, you must consider how soon you will be able to repay it after finishing school. To answer this question, consider the kind of internships they offer. You can learn about it from past students who recently graduated from the schools you are considering.

Film school is the comfortable launching pad for your rocket of burning aspirations. It provides you the opportunity to put your hands on all types of equipments and facilities required for film making. For instance, you will learn how use a camera, recording devices, editing equipments, sound studios and edit bays. Another unique aspect of film school is the pool of talent -- other students. Students crew for each other. You have all this while you are at school. Once you are out, you can only envy what you had at the school.

So, whichever film school you choose to attend, try to enjoy it fully. It is a place where you have freedom to experiment and facilities to work out your projects. Rather than thinking of sleep at night, plan on falling in love with pizza and Top Ramen.

By: Abhishek Agarwal

About the author:

Abhishek is an avid Film Making enthusiast and he has got some great Film Making Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 78 Page Ebook, "Understanding The Basics Of Film-Making!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/94/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Source: EzineArticles

Why Should You Go to Film School?

Film making is a competitive profession and entering the film industry well armored is no small task. To be able to stay in business with a firm footing and stay clearly ahead of all your competitors, it is advisable to be formally trained not only in the techniques of the job, but also learn the ropes of staying in the job.

Hollywood, with its competitive standards, has created the need for formal training in film making. The "Big Five" film schools, mainly on the West Coast with a few exceptions on the East Coast are attractive passageways for film students looking forward to entering the Film Industry.

The Famous Five

Some of the top rated Film Schools in the country are On the West Coast, such as The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), The University of Southern California (USC) and The American Film Institute (AFI) along with The New York University (NYU) and Columbia University on the East Coast in 

New York complete the big five.

Of the Big 5, each film school specializes in a certain field.

It's a win-win situation when every film school offers a great experience with quality education and established professionals from the industry for guest lectures. While UCLA is applauded for the screen writers it churns out, the USC is best known for its stalwart directors. AFI uses its army of cinematographers as its USP and their unique film making styles from the East Coast brings NYU their share of the acclaim. Columbia University is an all rounder with its outstanding film theory for each program.

The USC film department is run like a studio. This has both a good and a bad side to it. The department's graduate students compete for five thesis positions. Those who don't get selected to direct thesis projects assist as crew on the sets. USC has a great marketing and networking stamina and hence it markets its students very boldly to the Film Industry.

UCLA's Screenwriter's are its best bet. A standard UCLA student graduates with approximately 8 feature length screenplays. As per the norm while UCLA students write a feature length script within 10-week quarters (which is similar to an actual eight week writing assignment in the industry), USC student would finish the same task in 1 year. The difference is evident.

Although the Peter Stark producing program at USC suits film executives, the UCLA Producing Program is tailor made for creating industry ready producers.

AFI is much tougher than USC in its academic procedures. Beginning with its limited thesis positions, not all filmmakers are allowed a sophomore year at college. Getting accepted to any of these film schools is far more difficult than getting an admit to Harvard Law School, for the simple reason that Harvard has a higher percentage of student vacancies than the Big 5 film schools do.

Other Film Schools

Florida State University has equal vacancies for writers, directors, cinematographer and editors which facilitates team work for thesis projects. Temple University, Philadelphia is really good for experimental film makers and should definitely be on the lists of Film School applicants.

Depending on what one chooses to specialize in, when picking a film school, one should apply to the any of the above discussed film schools with single-minded determination and good preparation.

By: W. P. Allen

Source: EzineArticles

Top 10 Film Schools

The ever-expanding film industry has given rise to a number of film schools. Due to this, the prospective students are faced with a difficult task when it comes to choosing the right school for their film studies. It is always recommended to gather detailed information about the different schools regarding the facilities and educational exposure provided by them, the course curriculum, fee structure, and the placement opportunities available before choosing one. Since these courses cost a lot of money, a carefully planned decision must be taken to avoid any problems later on. Students should ensure that their careers have the best kick-start and gain the best value of the money spent. A quick survey of the top ten film schools might help the students in evaluating and selecting the right school to begin their career in the film industry.

One of the most prominent features of the top ten film schools is their highly qualified and experienced staff, who play the most crucial role in shaping up the students' future. Also important is the course curriculum and the number of streams offered by the schools providing flexibility and yet taking care of the specific interest areas of the students for specialization. The school infrastructure, with the latest equipments and facilities, is one of the other major distinctive features of the top film schools. This includes the teaching methods, workshops, projects, and seminars. Exposure to a diverse culture encouraging students from all strata of society ensures a healthy and supportive environment contributing to the students' overall outlook.

The course fees of the top schools are usually quite high and hence, most of them provide financial aids and scholarships to the deserving students. Additional events such as alumni meetings and inviting special guest lecturers are also an essential part of the top film schools. Some schools even invite renowned film personalities to share their expertise with the students. The learning period is not just confined to textual knowledge but also complemented with extra-curricular and cultural activities. Based on all these criteria, a list of these top ten film schools can be found online, categorized according to the different states.

By: Marcus Peterson

About the author:
Film Schools provides detailed information on Film Schools, New York Film Schools, Top Film Schools, American Film Schools and more. Film Schools is affiliated with Italian Cooking Schools.

Source: EzineArticles

Top 5 Film Schools And What Sets Them Apart

Having gone to film school three times and being a member of a family where education was held in the highest esteem, obviously I am a fan of becoming film educated. However, I do stress becoming "educated". School is not the only way to become educated, and in certain situations, there is no official school to learn critical information. Never the less, school is a time tested successful method for laying down a formidable foundation.

The Big Five

The Big Five films schools are The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), The University of Southern California (USC) and The American Film Institute (AFI) on the West Coast in Los Angeles, and New York University (NYU) and Columbia University on the East Coast in New York.

UCLA is best known for their writers who dominate the summer movie screenwriting credits, USC is better know for their powerhouse directors, AFI often has incredible cinematographers, NYU is heralded for its East Coast filmmaker style, and Columbia is an all around great school with exceptional film theory for all programs. Any school you go to at the Big 5 will be an incredible experience for each program. You will also have big name professionals and heads of big companies teach courses or speak as guests because of the school's notoriety. You can't lose.

The downside to USC is that they run it like a studio. Only 5 people get to direct a thesis project if you're a graduate directing student. Every directing student comes in to be one of those 5 and then 20 or 30 people in the end don't get a thesis project, but get to help crew on the 5 people who did get to make one's film. The upside to USC, is again, that they run it like a studio. USC is often unparalleled in its networking capacity and markets its students aggressively to the industry.

UCLA is most known for its screenwriters. USC might be capable of out-networking UCLA, but its writers can't out-write UCLA writers. An average UCLA Graduate Screenwriting student will leave with 8 feature length screenplays. UCLA screenwriters write a feature-length script in a 10-week quarter, which most resembles a real life 8-week writing assignment. USC screenwriters will write 1 feature-length screenplay over a period of 1 year. You do the math.

The Peter Stark Producing Program at USC is great for producing movie executives, but the UCLA Producing Program is great for teaching producers everything there is to know to go out there and just start doing it.

Similar to USC's "only 5 will direct a thesis project", AFI is even more hardcore. Not only are there are a limited number of thesis projects, not every filmmaker is always invited to come back to school for a second year. It's harder to get into any of these film schools than it is to get into Harvard Law School, simply because Harvard takes a higher percentage of its applicants than the big film schools do, so for me AFI and USC really wasn't worth getting cut or snubbed over after you had to already defeat the odds of winning the lottery to even get accepted. Having to win the lottery a second time just wasn't desirable.

Other Film Schools

Another school worth mentioning is Florida State University, which accepts an equal amount of writers, directors, cinematographers and editors so they can form teams for thesis projects. This seems to make the most since. Temple University in Philadelphia is great, and a must-apply for experimental filmmakers.

But in general, any film program is a great film program as long as you are learning.

By: Christopher C. Odom

About the author:

Christopher C. Odom is a Director, Writer, Author in Nashville, TN, USA. He loves filmmaking, roller skating, partner dancing and metaphysics. You can see the things that Chris writes about and publishes at http://www.odombooks.com

Source: EzineArticles

Three of the World's Best Film Schools

There are many really good film schools around the world. Some of the world's best film schools are located in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Many of the are located in California, New York, or have places across the world. Examples of the world's best film schools include Vancouver Film School, New York Film Academy, and UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. All of these are considered to be some of the best in the world, and a person going to one of them is sure to learn a lot about filming.

Among the world's best film schools, Vancouver Film School stands out in filming. The school actually gets over 50% of their students from outside of Canada, which makes it a very international filming school. The school also has representatives from top filming and entertainment companies such as Pixar, Electronic Arts, and Dreamworks.

Another of the world's best film schools is the London Film School, which is another international school. Over 70% of its students are from countries other than Britain. The school teaches its students on the actual film sets, rather than through classrooms. It is one of two schools in the United Kingdom that has been recognized as a Center for Excellence by Skillset.

Located in Los Angeles, The UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television is yet another internationally recognized film school. Students at this school will not only learn about filming, but they also combine theory and practice. This filming school teaches many different aspects of the industry, including acting, playwriting, and screenwriting.

The world's best film schools are considered the top places to learn about movie making. Places such as Vancouver Filming School, London Filming School, and UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television rank among the world's best film schools and they all produce some of the best filming eduction available. They all are internationally recognized as the best, and all teach the many aspects of filming. Anybody who goes to one of these schools will be able to learn a lot about filming.

By: Gottlieb Wendehals

About the author: 

Gottlieb Wendehals owns and operates http://www.film-schools-helper.com
Top Film Schools

Source: EzineArticles

Tips On Selecting A Film School

Filmmaking is not only an interesting, enjoyable and fulfilling career but very lucrative as well. Unfortunately, realizing the big Hollywood dream entails hard work, commitment and great amount of skill, right attitude, guts and some luck, too. While it is true that you're not in full control of your fate, the initial steps toward being a successful filmmaker depend on you. Choosing the right or the best film school where you would hone your talents, develop more interest and learn more knowledge in filmmaking is your first step. Your decision to choose a particular film school is very crucial to your success as a filmmaker since that film school shall equip you with or shall help you gain more knowledge, skills, techniques and experiences, which are essential to a filmmaker. Those are his tools in filmmaking that cannot be bought but are earned and cultivated through time.

1. Know What You Want

First of all, you have to know what you want. Ask yourself what realm of filmmaking do you want to venture in or what kind of films do you want to work on in the future? Do you want to be an independent filmmaker or a simple film artist? There are so many film schools in the country as well as in other parts of the globe and each has its own expertise. Knowing what you want in the first place would allow you to focus your research and thus refine your choices for good film schools. Also, this would help you save time and effort in searching for schools as you have already eliminated those that may not fit your interest and criteria.

2. What Are Your Considerations?

After deciding on what area you want to concentrate, you should also identify your major considerations in choosing a particular film school.

- the affordability of film courses
- the facilities of the film school
- the accessibility and proximity of the school
- the film school's reputation and quality of education

3. Don't Skimp On Your Education

Remember that a good film education is really expensive so do not just choose a film school that offers the cheapest film courses. It is important to consider the quality of education and the reputation of the school above all else. Remember that with that school, you are building a career that is supposed to be a life-long profession. Short-term film courses, say a 2-yr filmmaking course may be a lot cheaper than a 4-yr course and is quite helpful as most provide hands on training and a lot of project work. If you want to really excel in this field, however, you might opt for a longer course as it is more comprehensive.

3. Identify Where You Want To Study

Knowing where you want to cultivate your skills and intensify your interest in filmmaking is essential in selecting the right film school for you. This would refine your search as well since you would have to concentrate in looking for film schools only in one particular area or locality. New York is one of the best places to study film. It has the most developed art scenes for film and a number of reputable film schools. If affordability of the film course is one of your major considerations, you can choose a film school in Chicago and Milwaukee, which are known for having the most affordable film schools in the country. If you want to make it to Hollywood, better start your search for the best film school there in Los Angeles and nearby cities. There are lots of renowned film schools there that offer short and long term film courses.

4. Explore Colleges and Universities

Now that you have refined your criteria: the area in filmmaking you want to concentrate in, your major considerations such as the affordability of the courses, the school's reputation and the place, you can now do some research. As you explore your options, consider the things you have identified earlier. It would be better if you list down every film school's advantages and disadvantages so you can easily compare and contrast them. Also, as you examine the school's film courses and their special attributes, you can add some more considerations to your list and see which of the film schools you have considered meet the most of your requirements.

5. Narrow Your List

After going through several colleges and universities, narrow now your list by eliminating those that do not meet your criteria. With your short but well researched list of the best film schools, you can be more confident now of making a right decision. But before you finally select the film school, seek for other people's advice and recommendations, especially those who are well familiar with filmmaking.

By: John Morris

Source:FreeArticles