Hello all,

I am thinking of coming to the United States to join a mentor program with career connection. The program sounds almost too good to be true. I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about the program and if it is legitimate or a scam as all I can see from London is a website.

You can check it our at www.film-connection.com

I would be very greatful if anyone who has done the program or has any information about it would let me know.

Thanks Chris.

I skimmed over it, and it seems like you are paying 8 grand to work for free. Get an internship instead, sometimes they pay you. In short, seems like a rip off.

I definitely would NOT recommend this. WHY? Because I did it and got set up with an internship which basically boiled down to lugging around equipment... 6000 bucks just to set up lights and tripods. And after a while, they were difficult to reach and was dissatisfied with their services. And I don't even know if I can get a refund... after a while I spent so much time and effort on trying to reach them that i got so fed up. Perhaps it was a lesson to me that people in the business can't be trusted and you must be smart in who you deal with.

You're better off investing that money towards your education or buying a new camera. Besides, all you have to do is just call up production companies- introduce yourself and say that you'd like to have an internship... set up an interview... they'll either say yes we'd like to meet or no not right now... which sure as hell beats spending thousands of dollars on some shady thing. My dad always warned me to look out for things that sound "too good to be true" and the career-connection mentoring program is exactly that!

Film Connection is not a scam at all. I went to this school and it was great. I trained with a professional whose been working in film for many years. Then My sister went to the Film Connection in New Orleans and she is still in it. She likes it very much. I just had to speak up because this school worked for me. I’m currently making a good living in the film business working for various studios in and around the Miami area.

The thing is with the current economic climate studios are getting more penny wise and want to make sure their investment will bring them dividends. They will not want to take a chance on some kid that comes knocking on their door without a reputation or a recommendation. You will get both of these with a film connection program. I completed a course 3 years ago and it was the single best decision I ever made. Take the time and do some research into the matter. Don't let the negativity that you may find put you off. Judge for yourself.

Why am I hearing all these people flaming film connection? Have they actually been on a course or even visited their website, or are they merely listening to conjecture and rumor? Their program is working for me full stop. I have zero issues with them or their program. My mentor is a really nice guy who just wants to help me succeed. Come on guy's lay off them.

It's funny how anyone who defends the mentor program or says that they have has positive experiences with any of the connections schools is a spammer or a scammer.

What do I need to get started in film? Do I need a degree? What are your thoughts on mentor programs, and do studios really recognize them? How much should I put aside to get started

For all those who may be aware (BBB) The Better Business Bureau gave film connection an F rating. Little may you know though, BBB recently gave Middle eastern Terrorist organization HAMAS an A- rating for their work with the youth. Apparently you can be a car bomber so long as you pay the $425 into their coffers. If you don't pay (like Prada and Starbucks) you get an F. If you don't believe me google it for yourself.

I appreciate that this is a film site, but after reading the post here and on other sites that seem to be attacking anything ending with Connection I felt I need to wade in. I am a new member. I have read in this forum that some of you suspect that new members are spam. I am not spam. Please remember, your posts show up in the search engines so even thought the forum is “private” the posts are public. So when I saw that you were talking about Film Connection, I had to join and post as the sister company Recording Connection is a subject that I know a lot about. I should, I went to the school. Let me tell you about my experience.
First off this place is far from a scam. They get you inside a real recording studio and oversee that you are trained one on one inside a real studio. No money at all is asked for up front. You pay only after you are accepted.
Many say why pay for an Internship? And that is what I originally thought, but the reality is, this is not an Internship, it is an apprenticeship. You are learning from a professional in a real studio from a course curriculum. My Recording Connection mentor is Warren Huart. Look him up. Warren is the Producer of Korn, Better than Ezra, and just about every alternative band at Sony Music. He is also a composer for Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, etc.

Look I’m in my 30s and so I’ve been around the block, as I’m sure many of you have. I love the Internet, blogging, and posting in forums, but let’s be real people, NEGATIVE comments in forums and on blogs will always be in the majority because most people don’t post positive things when they are happy. We humans are just not wired that way unfortunately. If there are 5-20 negative comments in this or other forums, Praedo’s Law says there are probably 500 people who loved this school. I am one of them. Is the Recording Connection perfect? No. But it got me in a real studio and I learned under a man (Warren) who is real life music producer. Warren would not have trained me if I knocked on his door cold and asked him for an Internship.

Also, here are some other guys that endorse The Recording Connection and also teach for them in their studios:

TIM PALMER – Produced for U2, Pearl Jam, The Cure, David Bowie
CHRIS SHELDON – Engineered and Produced Liz Phair
JOHN ALTMAN – James Bond Film Composer
BRIAN BLACKWELL – Sony Music Executive for 30 years.
BRIAN LEVI – Engineered for Dwight Yokam
PRESTON BOEBEL – Engineered for Hoobestank, Whitesnake, Clint Mansell

This place is not a scam. If anyone wants to talk to me live about it, post and we can arrange a chat.But please let's keep it polite.

Best Wishes,
Brian Hulnick (Recording Connection Graduate)

Brian I don't think you will have much luck. It seems that people are more willing to accept that a company such as Film Connection is a Scam, than that it is a legitimate way to get into the movie making business. We have become a nation of cynics and doubting Thomas's. they worked for you and I but that doesn't matter, people only ever want to hear the bad stuff, watch CNN/ Fox News, get my point.

I went to a couple of forums and inquired about film schools and all I get is Film Connection is a scam. Well I did some checking of my own and I think the film connection seems fine and I'm gonna give it a shot. I don't feel confident enough going from studio to studio asking if they need an intern. Hopefully with the experience that I will pick up I will feel more confident about selling myself to prospective employers.

Good luck jimmyboy418 report back on how things go. Maybe if things go well others will not just assume the program is a scam.
Peace

Please do let us know how you get on.

I already showed Brian this earlier but I thought I'd share it with you all. It makes for an interesting read. Doubtless people will still think the worse for career connection, but at least I showed it.

http://www.zimbio.com/Recordin...ction+Scam+Real+Deal

Like I said to you earlier James it's fascinating how BBB do this and yet career connections is accused of being bogus.

It happens all the time, a company is successful and suddenly people want to tear it down. It's basic human nature. But it is an interesting article.

It's just like the movies, people need a good guy and a bad guy. The BBB makes itself seem like the savior of businesses, a modern day King Arthur so to speak and pegs Connections as the evil highway man out to rob you. Sure BBB will help you if you pay their fees. Connections should be judged by the quality of its program and its mentors and not by organizations and individuals with an Axe to grind.

quote:

Originally posted by moviemaniac:
It's just like the movies, people need a good guy and a bad guy. The BBB makes itself seem like the savior of businesses, a modern day King Arthur so to speak and pegs Connections as the evil highway man out to rob you. Sure BBB will help you if you pay their fees. Connections should be judged by the quality of its program and its mentors and not by organizations and individuals with an Axe to grind.

Yeah, In an ideal world. Will never happen tho. Too many doubters and flamers.

I have confidence that the truth (the real truth) will get out and see that film connection is not the scam some make it out to be.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: moviemaniac,