Learning the fundamentals of professional filmmaking.
Film school can be similar to a business school in that the most you will get out of it are essential professional contacts. Film school is more about finding out who you are, not just about acquiring knowledge or leaning the latest techniques. Film School is good because it helps you get to know the right people but it is not a "job maker" in itself. Film school is more about learning the whys than the hows.
Film schools were once was a great way to see movies you couldn't see anywhere else. Film school can help you become a better filmmaker, by refining what's already there, but if you don't already have the raw creativity, ability, and motivation from the start, you will be at a serious disadvantage. Film isn't like writing, where you can sit down and do it all by yourself, you need someone in front of the camera too. Film school gives you the collaborators, framework, and the time and space to help you work on your film projects. Film schools will generally offer classes in many or all of the following categories: Cinematography, Film Production, Film Directing, Set Design, Screenwriting, Film Editing, and Working with Actors. Top film schools will offer variations of all of these film courses. Film students who dive directly into graduate programs with only a general desire to be involved in movies can sometimes find themselves in positions where their eventual careers are outside the film industry.
Students for film schools are often hand-picked from hundreds of applicants. Students are the sole owners of their screenplays and are often behind the camera from the first day of class. Students will learn about the visual, dramatic, and technical challenges that directors face. Students make bonds, both professional and personal, that extend beyond film school. Students get to retain the digital master tapes of their work, so they can include it in their portfolios. Students work with their advisors to determine a budget, and they may contribute additional funds toward a project if preferred. Students at the top schools are very prepared for the industry, and they need to learn to be quick and creative to stay in the game.
Industry schools are known for training students to mold themselves into the Hollywood structure and successfully persuade producers to fund feature films. Independent schools teach students to minimize filmmaking to the fundamentals and then raise their own funds to make films apart from the Hollywood system. The rise of independent filmmaking and digital video has allowed anyone with a few thousand dollars can shoot their own film with little formal knowledge of the industry. Advocates argue that film school is important because it allows students to develop their skills under the guidance of professional instructors, and to network with others interested in filmmaking. The basic building blocks of improving filmmaking skills are reading, thinking through, and watching as many films as possible. As with any art form, success in filmmaking has a lot to do with luck, preparedness, and being in the right place at the right time.
AARON H PRATHER owns and operates http://www.applytofilmschool.com a site about information on film schools and careers in filmmaking and film editing.
