Film school?

Cafe Society
1

A friend of mine was unceremoniously fired from her job today. Now she’s 25, with a degree in anthropology, no debts, and no obligations, and she says that the one thing she’d love to do more than anything is cinematography.

I think she has the visual sense to do something like this, but she’s never been behind a camera before, so this will probably require some schooling. Does anyone have any experience with film school? Getting in to one? Paying for it? Job prospects thereafter?

Her big concern is whether or not she would be good enough to make it in the business. I’m trying to be the little voice in her head that says, “Do it! Do it! Do it!”, but I have to confess that I don’t know what it entails.

(I’ll be sending her a link to this thread. Hopefully she’ll register and comment.)

Dr. J

2

A part of me wants to say, “Do it.”
A part of me wants to say, “Run away.”

Do she want to do this to make films for the local historical society, or for Hollywood?

I worked for a major film studio for many years and I know how the game works. I also reviewed films for a national magazine.

To make it in Hollywood, the odds are not good. There are 18 year old kids doing phenominal things with video cameras. Yes, there are hugely successful little films like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” that were made for practically pennies and made a fortune. Sadly, there are thousands of films that never make it to a single film festival as it is not as easy as you may think.

To be blunt, she has one chance in hell to ever make a dime.

That said, you have to have a vision. You have to have determination and you have to have some talent. The Blair Witch Project was an example of just going out and doing something so original that it caught attention. It made a nice bundle.

But if you ever have the task of going to review films at a film festival, you will see the huge amount of effort and money that goes into films that go nowhere…they are crap…they are huge wastes of time. One out of 10 are even watchable.

I know you are saying she just wants to learn cinematography…but there is more to the story. What is the purpose? If she knows the right people, if she knows someone else with a vision - well, maybe.

The other little problem is that getting work will not be easy. It really does matter “who you know” in this business. Have you ever noticed how often sons, daughters and relatives of celebrities are in the “biz”? Do you think that is because of talent?

I really hate to rain on anybody’s parade, but this is a very hard business to crack. I will admit there is probably someone reading this now who CAN make it, and WILL make it. With the advent of technology, everybody can make a little film and put it on the Intenet and get discovered. Miracles happen.

I just want you to be aware that, for all practical purposes, it will take a miracle for a student of cinematography to break into the mainstream…there are simply too many people trying to get too few jobs.

3

All I can tell you is my friend’s experience trying to get into Florida State’s film school. I have two friends, one of which had been dying to get into film school, the other who applied out of casual interest. We all worked at a video store, and aside from having a gread knowledge of movies, I’d say they were about equally qualified (i.e. no previous experience making/working with movies).

The film school only accepts somewhere around 15 new (freshman) students each year. That’s right, 15 out of hundreds and maybe even thousands that apply. One of my friends actually was accepted, but it was the one who applied out of casual interest. My honest opinion was that she was accepted because she was a bit more “counter-culture” than my other friend, who in all honesty probably would have made a better filmmaker. The film students were very clique-ish. I got to be on set for a few films of theirs (my car was used in one) and while many of them were working hard, a great many of them had their heads in the clouds.

I can’t speak of what it takes to break into the business after school, but I know that (at least here) the film school is a very hard place to get into.

4

My bachelors degree is in film.

I work in Information Systems. Pays a hell of a lot better.

That said, if nothing will make her happy but working in film, she should follow her dream. But it has to be an obsession, not an interest.

Camera work is HARD (Cartooniverse?) physically. Editing is spending days on end in a little booth without light (although I hear now a days you use computers - I actually did it with both video tape and film cutters and little peices of sticky tape). My big interest was actually in producing - and I did some of it (advertising, mostly industrial videos, but two tv commericals - and decent ones) after college (I’m a paperwork kind of gal) but really didn’t handle the egos involved well.

Its also not a great career for security. Most jobs are freelance. The one I had wasn’t, but an ad agency isn’t really the most secure place in the world either.

But these are my hangups - job security, working with egos.

5

going into the business will be hard, but then again, one doesn’t become an executive of a business over night. Nor does one become an airline pilot within two days. It all takes time and a lot of effort. The key to becomming a filmmaker is not how much money you need or want, its how badly you want stuff done. Like others have said, vision is key, but also desire and relentlessness. In film, everything is visual (duh), and so one must be as out there as possible.

Personally, that is something that i am shooting for even now, although it will be taking my time and studying the field a bit more.

If you are going into cinematography (spelling) just remember the risks and have a backup, always have a backup or a failsafe so you don’t lose out when the business shafts you…
my thoughts…

6

Wel, being in Greensboro, you’re right next door to one of the best film schools in the country, The North Carolina School of the Arts. They only accept about 4% of their applicants and it’s fairly expensive but if she gets accepted and she can afford it I say go for it.
you can learn more here.

Good luck!