What Film School should I go to?

The Outside World Filmmaking & Screenwriting
21

[quote=“deliveryman”]
It sounds to me that you have this ‘knowledge’ about all these films for all the wrong reasons. You just seem to be so eager to scream from roof tops, "I KNOW WHO SERGIO LEONE IS!" Why do you care that you know who he is? Just so you can tell other people, "hey, this is who I know, therefore I must have an great taste in movies!" I never heard of Sergio Leone, prior to reading your post. Oh shit, does that nullify everything I just said?
[/quote]

that is exactly what he gave the impression of

22

[quote=“Seb (admin)”]
actually if you think you’re talented. just save some bucks and make a good short film. but it in an envelope and mail it to every film festival there is. if they think that you’re talented, too, they show it.



fuck film school. film schools are expensive and only a small percentage of film school students actually manage to make a living as a director afterwards. or consider Roland Emmerich, he was refused at the film school in Munich (where i also tried to apply) and now he makes billions.



bottom line: if you want to be a director, be one, and make a movie. dont waste time asking for film schools, get a job, save money for equipment and write a good script, then make your film, that’s all…



and when you’re done show it here, i am curious
[/quote]

haha thats bullshit, seriously, very very very few directors that made it didnt go to filmschool, very few, you NEED filmschool, not just for the knowledge (even though you really need it: they’ll teach you screenwriting, cinematography, sound, digital filmmaking, editing, fotography, filmanaylsis, filmhistory… you NEED to know this stuff) but also to get a name, if you went to a big filmschool youve got 500% more chance of making a succesfull movie: you cant do everything independant! you need funding, actors, crew… and they wont work if youre a nobody with a camera, making a film takes planning, talent and knowledge, seriously, you think people at a filmfestival will fucking accept your shortfilm?? haha think again, before you reach that pit you need to get your professional on, because WANTING to make a movie doesnt make it, in your last year of filmschool you (mostly) get to do a training period at a real filmset (doing stupid things but atleast youll get introduced, the filmschool im going to go to in 2 years has 10 weeks straight of working on a ‘big’ filmset), only a small percentage that graduate become directors? OBVIOUSLY, otherwise the planet would be invaded by them, but atleast youll make a chance in becoming one, if you dont go to filmschool, youll stay nowhere, you dont start at the top, nobody does, youre not quentin tarantino, damn i hate it that everyone just thinks they can direct a film nowadays, they cant, and the ones that think they can suck the art out of films, try being an assisent director, second unit director for a couple years before making your own film, get to know people, producers, studio’s… youll make enough shortfilms in filmschool, and theyll tell you everything thats wrong with it, and thats what you need, proffesional critisism



"fuck filmschool"? redicilous advice to give to an aspiring filmmaker

23

[quote=“saulo”]
You should link up your video on here, i want to see it now.
[/quote]

That should the exact solution : show us your short movie. And then we can see if you’re so talented, if you have the creativity for a film school.



Just an advice : you can’t say that you’re talented. Other people can say it for you. But if it is you who claims that : 1. Noone will trust you here, because you will pass for someone who isn’t modest ; 2. It doesn’t mean anything if you pretend to be something. Example : if Marilyn Monroe says that she isn’t pretty at all. It’s wrong. She feels that she isn’t, but the others can decide if she is or not. What I try to make you understand, is that you’re not the best appropriated person to decide who are or not. The knowledge of ourselves passes by the other people opinion. Whatever you think about it, that’s true in most of the case.



And then your film knowleddge is relative. Maybe you’re the mostknowledge in your class, in your college, in your city even, for your age. But think that out of these places, your knowledge will be compared with other ones. And just for instance, check a little bit this forum, and you’ll see that they are a lot of film knowledged people, even of your age. So same thing with your talent, maybe you’re the most talented inyour college, but compared to the rest of the world, it would have the same importance.



So if you really want some advices about your creativity and talent, just show us your short movie. And then we can appreciate it like we have to. If you don’t know how to post a video, just ask some to the others from this forum, they would be glad to explain you, in order to see your short-movie.



So I didn’t want to be bad with you,just hope that you’ll understand my point of view. And that we’ll be able to talk about your short movie.

24

coulndt agree more johny…



I mean the guys that do make it without fimschool are extremely talented, obsessed with movies, nothing else excists but movies for these people, they are like dustin hoffman in rainman, only than with movies…

all great artists are obsessed and insanely talented…the american dream is fake boys, you cant become what you want…no matter how hard you work, if you dont have the talent and recognition, youre worthless as a director…



If I wanted to paint I just could buy some paint, a brush and something to paint on an become as great as da vinci? sure…fuck artschool!!



plus going to filmschool isnt that bad, you meet a lot of people who are talented to some extent (how would they otherwise be accepted?) and you just learn a lot of technical and moviebusiness stuff…



unless you re extremely talented, been busy with making movies since you can walk, going at it like rainman would…seriously just go to filmschool!

25

but filmschools are shit expensive, so only rich fucks go to film school, so going to film school doesnt mean you’re talented, it just shows you had the money to finanance that education.



how many really important directors do you know that went through film school? i’ll tell you its only a fraction



of course film schools give you the best knowledge and skills and all, but who sais you’ll be able to make a living off that? if you’re lucky, you’ll be stuck in a crappy sitcom or whatever documentaries…



the think is: if you want to make a movie, make it, make a short film, establish a little fame, and be it just online and in festival circles. if you’re good, some of your movies are shown on various festivals and theres a good chance somebody contacts you or hires you or whatever

26

uhm lucas, coppola, scorsese come to mind…



but I get what you re saying seb, indeed if you dont have the money and still want to go at it…just go for it!

indeed filmschool doesnt mean that you re talented, in fact here in holland lots of talentless hacks graduate from filmschool and make unbelievable shitty movies…

but if you re planning an education anyway and you can get accepted in a fun filmschool…why not?



if you just feel the need to make a movie, indeed go do it!

but if you re planning on some education anyway, why not make it filmschool? indeed you dont get talented by joining a filmschool, talent is a gift, not something you can learn…



but! you ll learn a lot of hustling, technical stuff, make new friends who have the same interests…because when you paint you dont exactly need anybody esle, but when you make a movie, you need loads of people! and not everyone is like robert rodriguez…nor can just anybody become like him…

27

[quote=“Seb (admin)”]
but filmschools are shit expensive, so only rich fucks go to film school, so going to film school doesnt mean you’re talented, it just shows you had the money to finanance that education.



how many really important directors do you know that went through film school? i’ll tell you its only a fraction



of course film schools give you the best knowledge and skills and all, but who sais you’ll be able to make a living off that? if you’re lucky, you’ll be stuck in a crappy sitcom or whatever documentaries…



the think is: if you want to make a movie, make it, make a short film, establish a little fame, and be it just online and in festival circles. if you’re good, some of your movies are shown on various festivals and theres a good chance somebody contacts you or hires you or whatever
[/quote]

filmschool is not THAT expensive, seb, it doesnt take rich fucks to enter



directors that went to filmschool (and profited from it): (like t_i_g said) Francis Ford, Marty, George Lucas, Oliver Stone, Michael Mann, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Kevin Smith, Tim Burton, Paul Thomas Anderson…



and those are just from the top of my head, but this isnt the case, the case is: attending filmschool can only be positive for your future as a director, especially this day and age, you need it and its nearly impossible to become big (even though if thats not your goal) as a filmdirector without it, you need it for knowledge and you need it as a reputation

28

I happen to goto one of the best film schools in Canada. I goto Ryerson here in Toronto.



Not only is this school recognized internationally, as a great filmschool that would look great on your resume. The connections and organizations that are involved with the school are great.



Fourth year students, do make films in their final year (I’m in my second year) and do get the opportunity to get their films shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).



The tuition for the film program is a reasonable amount, definitely not “only rich fucks” can afford it. The thing is, it is hard to get into. You have to be accepted first, even if you are a "rich fuck." You have to create a portfolio, show them some of your work, any shorts you might’ve made, peices of writing, etc.ÂÂ



The film industry is all about connections. Connections connections connections. The connections you establish at filmschool are irreplaceable. You’d be surprised how many gigs you land during bar room conversations. You get your foot in the door, before your career has even started.



But that’s not the only reason one should goto film school if they plan to pursue a career in filmmaking. If you goto film school, you learn how to do shit RIGHT. You understand the process of how certain things work. And best of all: YOU GET PRACTICE. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. I see people post screenplays on here all the time, and I can tell you, these people would be a billion times better if they sat through one of my 3 hour lectures.



Sure, you don’t HAVE TO goto filmschool to get a career in filmschool. Just how you don’t have to goto LAW school to become a lawyer. Just go and write the BAR exam, and if you pass, then hey, you’re a lawyer (good luck with that btw).

29

delivery man always hits the spot!



my brother is in a school for becoming a producer and plays in some bands, he has been in a uni for music (international value?) since the age of 4 and makes just kick ass songs, music, beats, just anything that has to do with music :stuck_out_tongue:…he really is a genius and I dont just say that because he is my bro…:stuck_out_tongue:



talent is one thing, but the connections are what make you great…thats why he attends such classes, he learns, meets other mofo’s who are great at what they do plus gets a degree what makes him legit! if you want to say something about society, you better have a social degree, or otherwise people dont take you seriously…dont care how smart you are, how talented…you need that recognition…why? because the people that judge you are not really that talented, otherwise they would be on those spots…and not teach whateverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr



without the pope michelangelo would never been the shit…same goes for da vinci and…well pretty much anybody who made it…you need connections and recognition!



there is a game with rules for anything, better become a player if you want to achieve something!

30

Just to add to what I said:



Before you start yelling at me saying, "but deliveryman, you can practice without having to goto film school!"



Sure, you can practice on your $600 camcorder from Walmart. Hell, you can even get fancy and save up for a $3,000 3 CCD DV Camera and “practice” all you want.



But I’d pay anything to see you go on a set a try to operate one of these bad boy $90,000 35mm cameras:





You’d make an ass of yourself. Oh man that’d be funny to watch.



Filmschool provides practice on REAL, ACTUAL equipment that you otherwise wouldn’t get, unless you’re absolutely filthy rich and can spend a hundred thousand dollars on equipment.

31

ashamed to add a post after deliveryman’s…



but you re so fucking right :stuck_out_tongue:

32

First of all and i’m not trying to be an asshole about this i just want to remind you that I would never of even of said anything about my school in the first place. All i said on my first post was I was telling you guys about my movie and how i didnt win and some video that i thought was bad won. And then it got all out of control about how one of you guys made a joke that it won because it was better and i just wanted to tell you guys about some of the people at my school and then it got even more out of control. Another thing is i’m sorry if i said crazy camera shots that was the first thing that came to my mind i didnt know that that was a term that people use. What i mean’t was good camera work and so that its more fun to watch. I didnt mean crazy camera in that kind of way.

I’m sorry if i affended some of you guys i didnt mean to i didnt even mean to get into this school topic anyways i was just mainly trying to talk about which film school i should go to and i just added my video last year i didnt mean to get into about how i know so much more about movies then anyone else in my school this topic just got out of control and i didnt want it to also i never told anyone that i know so much more about movies then everyone else and i didnt say i’m the smartest person in my school about film and no one else is better I said probably one of the smartest. There are 2,000 kids that go to my school i dont know everyone there. So again guys i’m sorry i didnt want this to be like this lets just put it to an end.

33

Exactly, end this and then come and post on the archives with everyone else if you want to talk about films with other film fans. We can always use a new active member.

34

hey niceguy that sounds like a very excellent movie you wrote thats the same type of movie im trying to write as of now

35

i’m just gonna throw my 2 cents in… partly because i, myself, am heading to a film school of a sort this year. the LA Film School has impressive equipment and staff. it’s 4 years of film school crammed into 1, but it seems really really super cool. just take out an ass-load of loans, make films and do what you love for a year witout having to worry about silly things like work AND THEN go out and make your big movie and pay back the loans. that’s what my pan is.

before i get crucified for “raving” and “pushing” a school, i’ll also throw this out there-the only reason i’m going to film school is because i don’t have enough money and actors to make a real movie. personally i’d rather take the loans and make a movie than go to film school, but then i’d have to work at a job where i have to ask people “for here or to go” and “would you like a donut to with that to make it a combo?”.



-meghan

36

[quote=“The Seb”]
actually if you think you’re talented. just save some bucks and make a good short film. but it in an envelope and mail it to every film festival there is. if they think that you’re talented, too, they show it.



fuck film school. film schools are expensive and only a small percentage of film school students actually manage to make a living as a director afterwards. or consider Roland Emmerich, he was refused at the film school in Munich (where i also tried to apply) and now he makes billions.



bottom line: if you want to be a director, be one, and make a movie. dont waste time asking for film schools, get a job, save money for equipment and write a good script, then make your film, that’s all…



and when you’re done show it here, i am curious
[/quote]

I was reading Rebel Without a Crew, and Rodriguez said that Film School really doesn’t teach you to be a better filmmaker; you’re either creative or you’re not. But he also said that creativity without being technical will get you nowhere. So while Film School won’t make you any better than you already are as a filmmaker per say, it’s probably very helpful just for all the technical shit you’ll need to know if you want to get in the business.

37

[quote=“Hans”]
I was reading Rebel Without a Crew, and Rodriguez said that Film School really doesn’t teach you to be a better filmmaker; you’re either creative or you’re not. But he also said that creativity without being technical will get you nowhere. So while Film School won’t make you any better than you already are as a filmmaker per say, it’s probably very helpful just for all the technical shit you’ll need to know if you want to get in the business.


[/quote]

That’s an interesting post to comment on.



I believe the “technical shit” has a direct, co-relation with your creativity.



Being knowledgeable and knowing how to perform different aspects that coincide with being a director can only help amplify your creativity. It allows you to open new doors for yourself, that you might’ve never thought of otherwise. The more options you have for yourself, the better your movie is going to be. I garuntee it.

38

The technical stuff could amplify your creativity when it comes to knowing how to edit a film or use cool camera tricks, but I strongly disagree that Film School will make you any more creative than you already are, in terms of original ideas and just how to tell a story. The best way in my opinion to learn how to tell a story is by watching different films and learning from them as you come up with your own ideas, rather than just sitting in a class for 2 hours and having a teacher forcefeed you what has or hasn’t been done. Quentin Tarantino is a great example of that.



I believe that some people are just born with more creative minds than others and maybe Film School can help them utilize the ideas they have and help to execute everything as they’d like, but it’s really only a place to grow, and not one to develop your creativity.

39

If I could afford it, I’d do it. I know I would be a better writer for the experience.

40

The way I look at Film School is that of course it will improve your skills with equipment, which is great. But i’m afraid that it would make me less open to my own ideas. If that makes sense. For example, currently i’m writing a script. I have absolutly no experience, and I have no idea what I would learn about writing scripts in a screenwriting class. If I took a screenwriting class and eventually had all these rules concreted into my brain that have also been concreted into the brain of all the other students. Wouldn’t it be harder to be creative and be original?