Interviewed Columbia MFA Screenwriting/Directing - Fall 2023

Good luck!

Good luck! I hope you get in! How did your interview go? What kind of questions did they ask?

Thanks! It went alright. They focused a lot on my one-page treatment, asking me to describe the story in further detail, basically testing my ability to tell a story plain and simple. They asked a couple of questions about my writing sample (short film script), and pretty much ignored the visual portfolio entirely. What they were really interested in was whether I was a talented enough storyteller for the program, and how much work I would need to be a decent storyteller in Film/TV. This was with Professors Gordon and Klieg, a director and an editor, and the interview questions depend very much on what interviewers you get and what they're interested in about you, so it can vary greatly. At the end, they asked me if I had any questions for them. At 3:30, I was promptly asked to leave the video call. They sit in a Zoom session for a few hours at a time and interviewees join the meeting for 30 minutes each. I would guess that the earlier your session is, the better, as they'll have more energy and attention, and they won't be mentally comparing you to as many people as might proceed you. My interview was at 3:00. When I signed up, there were appointments going back to 1:00 and no later than 4. This suggests that I was the fifth interviewee they talked to in that session, and second to last, a circumstance which I think affected the feeling of the meeting. If you are in a later spot in the session, I would suggest being as ready as possible to elaborate on your submitted work as well as the work you hope to do. I would also suggest trying to be casual, put them at ease, keep the feeling light, and try to make the conversation as easy for them as you can. Hope this helps, and good luck to you too!