AFI App for Fall 2009

[tabbycat]

yikes! but you got through it just fine


Oh this reminds me, those of you who have attended interviews, did you bring anything with you? Copies of your resume or anything? though I'm assuming they will have everything on you that they need. Is it clear where to park and where to go from there? I haven't visited the campus yet and I have a bad sense of direction

 

[JG86]

Sounds like it went well, SimAlex. Congrats. I fly out tomorrow. We should get a beer in SF when I come back. Del Charo?

 

[SimAlex]

Sounds like it went well, SimAlex. Congrats. I fly out tomorrow. We should get a beer in SF when I come back. Del Charo?

sounds great. let me know how it goes!

 

[SimAlex]

Oh this reminds me, those of you who have attended interviews, did you bring anything with you? Copies of your resume or anything?

i brought myself and that's it. they did have copies of my writing sample on hand, and a few other sheets of paper (which were almost certainly for internal purposes only), but i didn't have to sign/initial anything. i showed up, i talked for about 20-30 mins, and that was that.

as far as parking goes, there's a long, winding driveway up a hill, and there is parking in front of the main building, which i guess is the Warner Building, which is also, incidentally, where the interviews are held.

as far as "how to get there," i couldn't even begin to give you good directions. i've been lost more times today than i care to think about (or admit. heh.) WHERE THE HELL IS THE GETTY CENTER-MUSEUM THINGY?!?!?

i didn't drive to AFI; i walked from my motel, which was just down the street on western ave.

i wish you all very, very good luck.

 

[veru]

I had the (screenwriting) interview over the phone. I think it was too short, I wanted to talk about movies and I didn't have to. Their questions were more like: are you able to follow the program during two years? How are you going to cover the economic expenses? weird.

 

[SimAlex]

Their questions were more like: are you able to follow the program during two years? How are you going to cover the economic expenses? weird.

that sounds a lot like how mine went.

 

[Jayimess]

Yeah, they are really worried about the money, I recall that from last year.

Western Avenue becomes Los Feliz at Franklin if you're driving north, and vice versa. AFI is just NW of Franklin, on Los Feliz.

Franklin is north of Sunset. Western is east of Vine and west of Vermont.

And the Getty Museum is off the 405 somewhere between UCLA and the 101.

The Villa, I have no idea, but I think it might be far.

Have a great day, y'all. Too bad it's raining.

Across the street from the Rite Aid!

 

[Filipe]

Hi guys,

I just received a phone call from AFI scheduling an interview (for screenwriting). I was in traffic, inside a tunel, couldn't hear a thing! He had to call me back 30 minutes later. =)

I was given the option of doing it in person or over the phone. Since I'm in Brazil, I'm doing it over the phone.

The interview will be on Monday. They seemed to have lots of spots, so I'm guessing there's still lots of people to be interviewed.

Cheers!
Filipe

 

[Justin18]

Had my screenwriting interview this Sunday in NYC. Such a posh place, that Gramercy Park Hotel is. The dimly lit red corridors near the guest rooms reminded me of Dorothy Vallen's apartment in Blue Velvet.

My gut feeling is it went well. I didn't stall on any answers; I thought I spoke pretty articulately and passionately, although you never really know how you come across to others. But as SimAlex alluded to, it was impossible to tell. The interviewers were pretty emotionless in relation to my responses.

Half the interview was, 'What questions do you have for us?' Luckily, I had thought through several questions. The other half were questions mentioned in last year's AFI threads. Yeah for this site. No talk of my script of narrative statement.

Snippets of the interviewers' philosophies about writing - "You have to be a little mad to do it" - and creating film at AFI - "totally on the collaboration end of the spectrum; the only person you are competing with is yourself" - were totally in line with my own ideas of creating. Seems like the place I want to be, and great for anyone interested in an intensive creative experience in film.

Advice to anyone who still has interviews: skim the questions on this site from last year's AFI threads, think through your own responses, meditate or run or do something to calm yourself before the interview, and, yes, I'm gonna say it...be yourself.

Good luck! Hope to see ya there!

 

[jean-paul]

Great advice, Justin! Thanks for the tips.

I just got my call for an interview in LA early next week (production design).

 

[Justin18]

Congrats Jean-Paul and Filipe!! And good luck!!

I sat next to a musician from Alabama on the plane ride there. He was writing a book on improvisation, and gave me advice that was relevant to my interview. So we talked about that and - surprisingly - a mutual love for the films of David Lynch. Then as we were idling in the plane at the terminal, he turned to me and said, "Well, if you're as interesting as you were talking to me, you'll do great in this interview."

Pay attention to that stuff. The universe gives you advice and help at just the right time. I believe it.

 

[SimAlex]

Snippets of the interviewers' philosophies about writing - "You have to be a little mad to do it" - and creating film at AFI - "totally on the collaboration end of the spectrum; the only person you are competing with is yourself" - were totally in line with my own ideas of creating. Seems like the place I want to be, and great for anyone interested in an intensive creative experience in film.

yeah, the AFI program seems like a pretty amazing experience.

 

[Filipe]

Thanks, Justin!

I'm sure I'll be so nervous that I'll have no option BUT to be myself! =)

Not to mention the extra challenge of doing it in a second language. =P

 

[tabbycat]

This thread is making me nervous and excited!!!

 

[Suzako]

SimAlex,

This is might be a strange question but I've noticed that you've gotten interviews for almost everything you've applied to (you must be pretty awesome). Which school is your top choice and have the interviews changed this in any way?

 

[SimAlex]

This is might be a strange question but I've noticed that you've gotten interviews for almost everything you've applied to (you must be pretty awesome).

thanks for the kind words -- but they're really, REALLY undeserved, seeing as you've never even read my stuff! also, i've also been rejected from NYU and almost certainly UCLA, and interviews are only another step in the process. a lot of things can happen yet.

if you want, i'll send u my writing sample, so u can see the kind of strange stuff i like to work on.

Which school is your top choice and have the interviews changed this in any way?

id' have to say that AFI is No. 1. (though anywhere i can go is perfectly fine by me!) i just love their curriculum, how they structure it with the "cycle productions" etc. i've never had a film made before, and so making three shorts with three different groups of people in the first year seems like an ideal way to build personal & professional relationships very quickly with like-minded creative people.

 

[Joaquin]

Hi everyone.
Just like many of you I've been monitoring this thread for the past couple of weeks.
I applied for the cinematography program and have not received a call. Now I'm waiting for my official rejection.

From what I've been reading, it seems like there is no magic formula. I'll be honest, I thought I would at least get an interview based on my education and experience...but now I realize that that is not good enough. In a way, I'm glad it happened (or didn't???) because it puts me in check and I know I gotta get my s*** together next time.

I really would like to hear more about the people who applied to AFI...I guess more from the people who got interviews, and if you could share your writing samples, or cinematography reeel I would really appreciate it. I think I took this application process for granted and didn't spend enough time on it.

Anyways, good luck to everyone!

 

[Cheneration]

Congrats to everyone who got an interview - that is a great achievement - and I hope all of you guys get in !!!!

Are there any directing applicant who received calls for interviews in Los Angeles???

I just remember two directors (on this discussion board) being called in for interviews in New York city so far..

It just seems so quiet around the directing applicants these days..

 

[Merkin Muffley]

I was offered an interview for Screenwriting today. It is scheduled for early next week. It is pretty short notice but I am happy that I got an interview.

I need to figure out how to get to Los Angeles in less than a week. Does anyone have an airplane or hot air balloon I can borrow?

 

[tabbycat]

Congrats!! Depending on where you're coming from, amtrak or greyhound might be doable, it's cheaper than flying but can take FOREVER if you're coming from.. anywhere outside of CA, I guess. Southwest has cheap fares usually but maybe not on such short notice.. I would check southwest first though if you need to fly in.