Here's another question:

I've read numerous reviews of many film schools - the big 6, some smaller more artsy programs, and almost everything I can find. There's some good material here, and also some on LOAFS. One theme always seems to come out: that when you leave a film school you're essentially screwed because you can't get a job in the industry easily and make money.

This concerns me because I don't want to come out of film school (still loving what I do) and get slammed to the ground and have no job, and spend all my time hunting around for a job that I won't get. How many people come out of a BA program and actually go into film and make a decent living doing what they do? I know you can have a very prestigious career in film if you do everything right and make a name for yourself, but the question is will film school help you at all? Or are you better off going and doing some other major and walking into the Film Industry somehow else?

My main concern is that I love film, and I want to spend my time taking classes in film (and audio) as well as a liberal arts education, so that I can make films, but is it worth it? I don't want to make indie films - those have never interested me - I'd almost prefer a strict curriculum like USC or UCLA has because I like the structure and don't want to wander around. I want to do film production somehow (regardless of whether it's TV or movies, etc.) - is it THAT hard to get into the business and make money?

I appreciate any insight, as I can't find a definitive answer anywhere Thanks guys!

It's true, when you graduate, you're NOT guaranteed a job, and the industry is very difficult to break into.

Plenty of grads are working and making money in this business, but few are doing what they ultimately want to do. They're working as PAs and assistants, not directing features.

You don't have to go to film school to make it in the industry, and going to film school is not guarantee that you will make it, either.

But to answer your title question, yep. it's amazingly fun.

thanks after looking into it more and hearing your answer I know that I would have a blast regardless - it's what I love.

Yes. Stressful, time consuming, but definitely fun.

I agree. I'm currently a grad student at chapman. I'm busy every single day with work that goes into the weekend, but I learn alot and I am enjoy it.

quote:

I agree. I'm currently a grad student at chapman. I'm busy every single day with work that goes into the weekend, but I learn alot and I am enjoy it.

That's good to hear - I love being busy with what I love.

How competitive is undergrad film production at Chapman? I'm not a poor student whatsoever, and I have a million activities and things I've done (years of sound design & lighting for theatre), and a pretty good creative porfolio (or at least I think so - it ranges from film production to recording & engineering an EP).

Anyone have any thoughts on how difficult it is to get into the program there?

When/if you go to film school, do internships if you can. This is really important and a good opportunity to network in order to increase your chances of getting a job once you graduate. It's harder, if not impossible, to get internships when you're not a student because companies usually want you to be earning college credit, for insurance reasons, I think. So, use your time as a student to do this, thereby making a name for yourself and getting some good real-world experience. If they like what you do, they might decide to hire you. And you'll be getting a chance to try out different jobs and narrow down what you like to do.

quote:

Originally posted by mcescalante:
Here's another question:

I want to do film production somehow (regardless of whether it's TV or movies, etc.) - is it THAT hard to get into the business and make money?

I sure hope so...

I saw a reply where it mentioned long hours, which I hope is the case because of the enviornment I'm in now, I'm accustomed to working 12 plus hours daily. So if the hours are around that number then I should be golden.

YES! Film school was a blast for me. (I went to BU - graduated in 1999)

Don't let it scare you. Ya, you're not gonna make it overnight, but that's just like any other job. How many 22 year old executives do you know? 22 year old congressmen? 22 year old film directors? Not many; that's just how it works. You have to work your way up the ladder just like any job.

And it's not as hard as you think to get a job in the media industry, it just depends how picky you are and what you want to do. I have no degree yet and got hired as a PA at the local FOX affiliate in Sacramento. At first it was mostly basic editing. but after a few months I was bumped up to also being the weekend graphic designer. A few months later, assistant director; a few months after that I was offered to begin training as a director. Maybe I got lucky, but I think that all it comes down to is how hard you work and how seriously you wanna take it. I don't imagine it's too hard to get an internship at a production company that maybe does commercials/music videos/etc. after you graduate, and then from there you can maybe work your way up to an assistant editor or what have you, then up from there. After that, maybe you can break onto a film set as a grip or assistant editors assistant haha. Just dont beat yourself up if it doesnt happen overnight, because it rarely does.