I am very new to understanding all the different, quality MFA programs and find myself very confused trying to navigate the grad school terrain with my only map being the various schools' websites (and, thankfully, the help of reading this forum!)

My ideal school of choice would be USC's Cinematic Arts (due to several outside factors like location, proximity to family, etc.) but, like I said, I am just now learning about it.

As of right now I do not know which field in particular I'd like to go into, so I am looking at all of the programs in USC Cinematic Arts EXCEPT for Interactive Media and Hench Division of Animated and Digital Arts.

My question is: what differentiates the Stark school from the Film and TV Production program? In film circles, does the Stark program carry a fair amount of repute or is this something I am inferring from the small number of applicants? What exactly would I be learning as a Stark student that I would not be learning in Film and TV production or even the Writing for Screen and TV program? Any help at all would be much appreciated!! Thanks!
Nancy

Hi Nan,

I currently am in Production at USC so let me do my best to answer you questions. Stark is a well respected program in the industry, very well respected in fact, however it is really only for people who want to be Producers. Stark is built around the business side of the industry and learning about studios and coordinating etc. It's not very much about the on set experience or post experience.

Production combines, Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Writing, and Producing so you learn a bit about all of them and then specialize in two of them. It's more about the hands on learning of how to work on a set and as a group throughout the production process.

Writing is only writing. You take a version of the 1st semester production class so you kind of learn about set, but other than that it's just writing. It's an awesome program, but you don't learn about anything other than writing so I'd only do that if you know you want to be a writer.

Hope that helps out and let me know if you have any other questions!

-Marisah

I guess another question worth posing is, how much interaction is there between these three departments (Stark, Writing, and Production)? Do they all just work within their own departments, or is there a lot of collaboration between them?

Just a quick clarification on Marisah's post...

Stark students get a very industry-heavy curriculum, including paid, prestigious internships over the summer between first and second year. Their curriculum is set in stone and their classes are only open to Starkies.

But they're not all producers...second semester, they take an advanced production class produce multiple 15 minute films, in groups of three or four, I believe, and rotate through crew positions, so there were Starkies that came out of there with polished short films they directed, wrote, edited, and/or shot. Stark is absolutely a way into directing and writing, John August goes indepth on those possibilities on his website.

The writing program also offers other classes that expose you to production, namely the required directing class, multiple webisode classes, animation, videogames, and two classes per year that actually shoot a pilot. If you play your cards right, you can take other production classes as well.

As for collaboration, the Stark students usually turn to writing students for the annual Special Project competition scripts and their thesis package, unless they're serious about writing or have another source for their scripts. They turn to either the more production-minded Starkies or production students when crewing their Special Projects, Outside collaborations are based on relationships.

Production students typically turn to each other when it comes to producing and crewing their films, however; Starkies don't seem to have the time. And plenty of production students turn to writers for scripts and script help. Again, it's all about relationships. If nobody knows you, how can they ask you for your work?

There are mandatory collaborations as well, such as the 546 films made each semester, and the aforementioned TV pilot classes.

As a production-minded writing alum, I've been a part of all of it.

It's what you want it to be, honestly!

I applied to the production program for Spring 2011. All I can say is, I really look forward to meeting people and building relationships with members of ALL departments, not just fellow production students. I'm pretty sick behind the camera. There's no doubt I can create some really professional level films. My weakness by far is writing and I'm not really interested in becoming a screenwriter as a career. I'm more of a directing, cinematography, and producing kind of filmmaker. I'd love to realize scripts written by other students, particularly writing program students. I just hope I'll be able to work things out the way I want them to. Thanks for your insight, Marisah and Jayimess.

Thank you so much, all, for your wonderful responses. This definitely helps me understand how these programs work (I was particularly excited to learn of the collaboration between the specialties) and will help narrow down my choices when the time comes a couple of years from now.

While I have your attention - another quick (probably a little dumb...) question: when applying to grad school, is it normal or acceptable to apply to more than one program under the USC Cinematic Arts umbrella? If my "number 1" choice was Stark, say, and my "number 2" was simply the writing program, could I apply to both at the same time without it hurting my chances for either? Is this common? Or would USC frown upon this because it shows a lack of direction/focus on my part? Sorry again if it's a dumb question, I am very new to this whole process! Many thanks again for the very helpful responses!

Nancy

The jury is still out on this...the only thing I have consistently noticed is that if you apply to the Critical Studies program as your second choice, you will get into Critical Studies and nothing else.

I see. That is very interesting and helpful, thank you so much Jayimess! So, although it's more of a guess it seems like, from personal experience and from your other friends at USC grad would you say that it's safer to pick one program and apply to it?

I would say that my post speaks for itself. There is one consistent result that I have observed.

Right, I understand and appreciate your answer. I probably didn't phrase my question right but my further inquiry was meant more in terms of what most applicants tend to do (apply to just one or apply to more than one?), not what the University accepts since you already very kindly answered that question. I just would wonder what the norm is in terms of applicants' preference, seeing as how I know no one with a desire to go into this industry and am sort of flying blind here.
In rereading my final post before this one, I see that I definitely did not phrase myself correctly at all and I apologize!

Nan,

I just avoid making concrete statements because there truly are no formulas to getting in, please don't take my last post as harsh. I tried to lighten it up with that smiley, but alas, I failed.

Two things: I know of one person who applied to Screenwriting and Production and was admitted to both. I know several who were only admitted to Production. In my opinion, I think that unless you apply to Production as your second choice, and make it clear that you will choose whatever your first choice program as your primary discipline: as in, I'm certain I want to be a producer, so if I don't get into Stark, I will be the one gunning to produce everything I can. Rinse and repeat with "writing."

If you apply to both, it's possible you will be viewed as hedging your bets, so it's best to let them know you want the specialized program, but you're determined enough to make your own specialty within the more general Production program.

With the increase in applications, and these are just arbitrary numbers, to an extent: due to the recession, more people are applying to graduate school each year, and that absolutely includes film school.

Stark accepts 25 of somewhere near 4-500 applicants. That's just over a 6% acceptance rate.

Writing accepts about 32 (my class was 31, the 08 incoming class was 36) of somewhere near 600 applicants, which is about a 5% acceptance rate.

Production accepts 100-105 per year, out of maybe 1100 applicants. That's a close to 10% acceptance rate.

I think the goal is to make it clear that you're not settling for one or the other, you're just determined to go to film school, and you're determined to USC.

Again, those numbers are estimates based on conversations I've heard here and there. My class's acceptance/applicant ratio was much closer to 8 or 9%, back in 2006 when I applied (2007 start year), when they only had about 450 applicants, according to a former advisor in 2008.

The other thing, which campus of University of Texas are you currently attending? The Austin campus has a phenomenal film program, and I'm sure you could get some great advice and insight just by stopping by, if that's possible...maybe even meet some like-minded folks and collaborate one day.

You never know.

Jayimess,
I can't thank you enough for your help with all of this! Your smiley face totally did convey your intentions, I was just frustrated at myself for not phrasing my post correctly! But truly thank you, this helps so much.

I go to UT Austin, the main campus, and I think you're right about seeking advice from film professors. My major actually requires that we pick a "mentor" of sorts who is a professor or lecturer from any major/field that we are interested in writing our senior thesis on (mine will undoubtedly have to do with television in some way) so I will look into finding a professor who can hopefully answer these film questions of mine as well.

Many, many thanks to you again for your help!