Emerson College - School of Film, Television, and Media Arts

It's been ten years since I graduated from Emerson College, but overall it was a good experience. I was a transfer, so most things I disliked came from that (living off campus and struggling to meet people). The biggest pros of Emerson are its student orgs and its post grad network. Student orgs like Emerson Channel and Emerson Independent Video are great for gaining on set experience and meeting people. There are also always loads of student film productions to work on. One of my biggest regrets is not getting more involved. There are, admittedly, a lot of egos in these groups, but likely no different than any other film school.

There is a lot of talk of the Emerson Mafia, and yes it is a pretty reliable network of alumni that can be helpful post grad. I personally have hired alumni on sets because they will know for sure what they are doing. On one set that I was assistant directing, an Emerson alum camera assistant I suggested hiring saved the shoot from our cinematographer and director's ineptitude (she actually knew how the equipment worked - crazy I know). Basically, going to Emerson will not guarantee capability, but it has a great track record of it.

I have heard some complain that the classes could be more useful, but I did not have that experience. I gained a lot from my writing, directing, and media studies classes in particular.

The biggest drawbacks are the cost, and honestly the students themselves. This may have just been my crop of peers, or even just the nature of film school, but there was an uncomfortable competitive nature among the students and large egos. Many of the students come from wealthy backgrounds, were nerds in high school, and felt accepted and entitled enough to form cliques and alienate other students. I felt judged when I did not know an aspect of filmmaking. Cinematographers had a tendency to usurp directors on sets, writers took out their insecurities on other writers in class, some students think they know better than the teachers, and it would not be film school without pretension. This is not to deter anyone from choosing Emerson because of this. I may have just had bad luck, and a lot of it could have been on me. I did make some good friends there, and every alumni I have bumped into since then has been cool. I just want to be transparent about my experience.

Overall, Emerson is a great film school. There are plenty of avenues to gain experience, the post grad network is useful, and Boston is a fun town to live in. It is possible to meet chill people and good friends, but Emerson film students have a reputation for a reason. My biggest piece of advice; do not be afraid to fail and or look stupid. Everyone is there to learn. The most successful film students welcome feedback even when it hurts. Do not let other students get you down. Remember that everyone there is in the same boat wanting to be seen as an untapped creative geniuses. Secret is; everyone can be given the right tools, support, and drive.

I loved my time at Emerson. I was a Screenwriting concentration, and once I got to the level where I could really take writing classes, I sunk my teeth in. The key to Emerson is drive - you get out what you put in. It's expensive (luckily I was in the Honors College and had a great scholarship through them) so you have to make it count. Emerson can have the toxic hustle-culture mentality of Who Is Working The Hardest, but it doesn't have to be that way. Attach yourself to extra circulars and projects that you care about and go for quality over quantity. The friends and networking opportunities are huge. Since Emerson I have had two internships and a job, all of which I got through the school. I also loved living in Boston for college, especially since I knew I'd likely end up in LA anyway. Students definitely come out prepared for the real world.

Ultimately glad I went, but my overall experience at Emerson felt very lackluster. The courses were good, but nothing really worth sinking almost 150,000 for.