My son's a junior in high school and wants to major in film production. He's industry-bent, rather than independent; he wants to go to a college in Los Angeles (or near LA) that has internships at the major studios. Besides USC, Chapman, UCLA and LMU, are there other colleges/universities in the Los Angeles area which provide a well-rounded, 4-year education plus have strong film production programs at the undergraduate level?

We visited USC and Chapman a few weeks ago and he really liked them both. Are there other BA or BFA film programs in Los Angeles which would open doors at studios plus offer a great, challenging college experience? Thanks for any insights you may have.

P.S. My son currently has a 3.7 (unweighted)/4.3 (weighted) GPA and is very involved in various extracurriculars.

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

Please, anyone? We've done lots of online research but of course we might be missing a good LA school with a solid BA film program (industry-bent). Many thanks!

You basically named the best schools for typical 4-year programs, so there is really not much else to recommend.

There is another opportunity at the LA Film School, but they are not a full-fledged university. They do allow you to use your credits there in conjunction with some partner universities in order to earn a BA though. But it doesn't sound like what you are looking for.

CalArts is another one worth checking out, but again, it is not your typical 4-year university, though they do provide BA's and BFA's.

Thanks for your helpful input, Vivaitalia!

Hi Midwest Mom,

I'm a graduate of NYU Film, and have been working in and around the business for 10 years. I currently live in Los Angeles.

Having earned a BFA and having friends who have gone to USC and UCLA, I'd like to let you in on something not everyone wants to hear. Having a degree will not help your son pursue his passion for filmmaking. In fact, it may hold him back. Most students and parents don't understand this coming in. I know my parents and I did not. Film is a unique business.

Film school isn't business school. Your GPA is irrelevant when building a career in this business. Even if you have a good contact from school you need to have the industry experience in order to direct or be on the creative side of things; all grads start where your son would start right now if he just moved to La and started working: entry level positions.

The schools do not teach young people what they need to pitch promote or finance feature films. Chances are your son is already editing and shooting short movies with his own digital equipment. At a school like USC he won't even touch a camera until his third year.

If your son is industry oriented he will learn more by moving out here and crewing on sets, and if he wants to go to school enroll in one of the good Community Colleges out here like Orange Coast Community College. He will have direct access to good equipment and be networking immediately.

These less expensive programs have equipment on par with the bigger schools but cost a fraction. LA Film School is $40,000 a year; yet your son will be using cameras that cost $6,000. A 4 year degree program can cost $100,000 to $200,000 total, the budget of a feature film.

Having graduated from a very expensive and well known school, I'm passionate about sharing this with people about to go in. It's a very different world upon graduation than when applying; your concern moves from GPA and admission to getting a job and producing material that will sell, and the schools don't assist with that to the degree they posture themselves to.

Some friends and I have built a website about this subject. www.filmschoolsecrets.com Feel free to check it out and ask me any questions. And I wrote a whole book about the NYU Film Program (which is similar to the programs you checked out in LA), to illustrate exactly what a young person gets for their $20,000 to $45,000 a year in tuition.

Please feel free to write back with any questions.

Hi Dangermouse,

Wow, thanks so much for your detailed, thoughtful reply! We'll definitely check out your website. I know we've got a lot to ponder and question as our son heads down this road. Some of your points are ones which my husband, son and I have discussed at length--undergrad vs. grad film programs; less expensive school for first 2 years, then transfer, etc. I really appreciate your sharing all that you did.

There are many factors involved in trying to choose a college for our son to attend; a path toward a career in film production is just one of them. His overall four-year experience--academic, social and extracurricular--is the most important factor.

The reason I mentioned my son's GPA was to illustrate that he's potentially Chapman and USC material. He wants academic and creative challenges in all disciplines. He's looking for a selective university that will challenge him in all of his core classes, not just in his major. We also come from a tradition in our state of small private colleges with high-powered music programs which are open to non-music majors. USC has many great choirs that our son could audition for and would love to be in. Also, USC and Chapman have beautiful campuses filled with friendly people; they felt like home when we visited them. As a parent with a teen who wants to attend college halfway across the country, I need to know that he'll be in a safe, nurturing environment filled with caring, hardworking people. I got that feeling at both USC and Chapman when we visited them this spring.

My son plans to apply for many scholarships in hopes of funding his dream-school education. Most selective universities are very expensive so he'd have to do that anyway, even if his sights weren't set on USC or Chapman.

There are many reasons, important to him, why he wants to major in film production. But I hear what you're saying: it's tough to break into the industry for everyone, film major or no. I know many recent college graduates (several from prestigious colleges) who are having a tough time finding a decent job in their fields. I don't know if our son would have an easier time finding a good job post-graduation if he were an English major or a psychology major.

Sorry to have been long-winded, Dangermouse. We'll study your website and give it careful thought. Again, thank you!

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