Chapman Fall 2010 (1 Viewer)

[MJS11]

Originally posted by notroberttowne:
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that something they thought they had actually wasn't there until the end of May... or maybe they just had it in the wrong place. Or they just didn't want your file to have a 4/20 in it.

Either way they should be able to give you an answer on Tuesday (probably closed Monday). Good luck.

Thanks for your insight, notroberttowne! Is Monday a holiday in the US?

I have to say I kind of liked having 4/20 as my date, seeing as I'm from the Netherlands... it always seemed like some sort of good omen ; )

 

[Mike_V]

1st year classes are generally 5 classes over the course of the week. most of the time it's mon-th. as an editing student, my class time are just usually at inconvenient times of the day. (9-12:45, or 4-7) and they're simply really hard to work around the schedule. I highly doubt you can do full time, but if you work part time you should be able to pull it off.

 

[notroberttowne]

The program for writers is in a little bit of flux at the moment, but regardless of that, I don't think working full time is going to be possible.

This past semester I wrote four shorts and two features while trying to find an internship and stay fed and rested. It would've been nearly impossible working 20 hours a week, and I don't think it could have been done working 40. Plus, with an unemployment rate somewhere around 13 percent, it's not exactly a cake walk to even find work here if you want it.

I'd talk to Alex Rose about a graduate fellowship, and I'd plan on getting roommates or stretching your bucks, because planning to work full time and go to school full time is a recipe for disaster.

I know it's expensive, but do you really want to be paying all that money and devoting yourself to film school if you're going to have to half-ass some of it because of obligations to work?

 

[New2you]

Well guys, I give up. It would have been awesome working with you next fall, but I couldn't keep putting off Tish Asia (much longer and I would have lost my $10,000 scholarship). It's gonna be a real kick in the teeth if I find out sometime in June that I got accepted, but what can you do.

 

[dabbu]

@ Anatha: Hey Anantha, I have a similar situation , I have been offered Editing , Cinematography or Sound Design @ Chapman.

Guys , I need your help here, I have been accepted for Direction at ACCD, I am really happy abt it , it was my 2nd Preference. It's a great college , but yes Chapman is Huge!! So i have certain queries.

1.How is the editing program at Chapman?

2.What is the fututre as a director after finishing an editing M.F.A

3.Will i be able to get a slide to Direction in the Second Year

4.What is the average fees per year?

5.What are the scholarship options like(International Student)

 

[saintelmosfire71]

thanks NRT, I definitely need to talk to Chapman and the financial aid office to sort the tuition issue, and ask about fellowships, if not, I might have to decline the admission.

 

[saintelmosfire71]

facebook page for accepted graduate chapman students. >>>>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118659241478668

 

[saintelmosfire71]

Originally posted by notroberttowne:
The program for writers is in a little bit of flux at the moment, but regardless of that, I don't think working full time is going to be possible.

how many MFA screenwriting students are in your class/batch? just curious, thanks!

 

[notroberttowne]

I believe there are 22 of us as of the end of the first year, but there is at least one leaving us behind for much greener and more european pastures.

 

[Jayimess]

Originally posted by saintelmosfire71:
I work full time and can't afford to go off work just to attend school.

Sorry to butt in, Chappies, but I gotta tell you: film school alone will burn you out if you let it. It is a huge commitment in every sense: financially, time-wise, emotionally, physically. Marriages end. Massive amounts of weight are gained and lost. It is not "just to attend school."

In intense programs like these, it's a huge lifestyle. Film school owns you.

I know TWO people that kept restaurant jobs and it made them more tired than anyone should be and they worked 2-3 days a week. I've never interned more than two days a week in-semester. You need to sleep, and you need time for outside interests and outside relationships. Which you'll spend thinking about film school stuff anyway.

It's a lifestyle change, Saint Elmo. I apologize to be the third to confirm it, but that's the reality. You cannot work full time. Even if it was a cakewalk, the class schedules make no sense (at least at USC).

Again, I don't mean to butt in.

 

[solojones]

It's okay Jayimess. You are completely correct. In any intense grad film program like this, you work full time and more on your degree. This isn't a grad school like business school where you can just leisurely take a few night classes. From personal experience I can say that Chapman's grad production program is a full time job that you pay for instead of getting paid.

This might seem harsh, but the reasoning is this - filmmaking is hard. REALLY hard. And if you want a good product and if you really want to learn, you have to commit and put in the effort. Almost everyone in the program is going into a huge amount of debt. That's just kind of how it works. That's how committed you have to be.

I don't want anyone to fool themselves. There are always a couple people who have jobs during the year, I would say mostly editors because they can do their editing work at any time. However, they are seriously 3-5 out of a class of 80, I would say. Chapman will strongly, strongly discourage you from having a full time job, particularly in your first year. And you should probably listen to them and prepare yourself to be in debt.

The class schedule for production students generally fills Mon-Wed and sometimes Thurs. You have Fri-Sun off, but usually this is the busiest time of the week since it's when you're shooting most of your stuff. And classes during Mon-Thur range from 8:30am to 7pm start times. They craft it around the schedules of profs who are mostly living in LA and still working. Plus, if you look at the requirements you'll note that they will enroll you with 15 units your first semester, which is clearly a full load. Most semesters you'll have 2-3 required courses, but if you want to get the most out of your education and for your money, you'll take more.

 

[Mike_V]

Rachael is right.
When I first got to Chapman, I scoffed when they said you wont have time for a full time job. After 2 weeks in, I realized they are soooo right. It does suck to spend all your time in classes and not earning money, but that's how it is. Depending on how hard you want to get recognition among your peers, you can either have nearly every weekend off and be pretty much unknown or you can work your butt off and go into a 1 or 2 month working binge where you work every single day (including weekends.. which usually means 12hr day schedules or more since you'll be on set) and have everyone from 1st to 3rd years know who you are and how hard you work.

In response to dabbu:
1) check on a previous post I replied to. I think I gave an answer to that already
2) that is entirely up to you. There is no answer to that because you'll realize that the film industry is all about chances and/or connections. Some editors who aspire to become directors one day will never ever get to direct a film except at school and some will become Steven Spielbergs.
3) You have a chance, but you will have to really really really distinguish yourself. That means you have to show that you have directed alot of movies and they have to be really good. Then you might have a chance. Directing is possibly the most competitive of all the emphasis and chances are there wont be any directors leaving.
4) Do you mean academic fees? (strictly school or everything in general including cost of living?)
5) there are scholarship options but that, you'll have to look into more. Try talking to the office or emailing them.

I hope I can answer all your questions. My personal feelings are that there should be more sound designers out there since it is probably the most in-demand position here at chapman because of how little there are. Editing and Cine are both pretty well populated and I would say this straight up: Only take the emphasis you truly love. If you go in there thinking that it's just an easy emphasis, then get the hell out of there. I personally despise those who go into editing because "Well, I want to be X but since I didn't get in, I'll just take this even though I'm not interested at all." It is demeaning, ungrateful, and a waste of your money. Don't waste your time and money on something you don't care about especially if you're paying to go to grad school for it. Take the emphasis you truly believe you will appreciate and love, not dick around just because you didn't get what you want.
I know I sound extremely harsh, but it's for the good of everyone including yourself. After all, grad school is expensive, it's worthless to spend money on what you don't care about and end up putting minimal effort. Anyways, that is my 2 cents and I do hope I didn't confuse or discourage anyone.

 

[New2you]

Welp, I got my acceptance email today. Unfortunately, I have already sent in my acceptance to NYU Tisch Asia. Good news for a waitlister I guess...

 

[Mike_V]

bummer.. well, atleast you gave an opportunity for someone else to get into Chapman ^_^

 

[Silverlenz]

Bummer New2You. When did you submit your application New2You? I can't believe Chapman is this slow. I still haven't heard anything from them. I bet they are potentially missing out on some great applicants.

SilverLenz

 

[Mike_V]

well I did hear that some of the students of my year got the acceptance letter literally a week or 2 before the school started.. so go figure...

 

[drenchedry]

that sucks, people do need time to decide.

 

[Silverlenz]

That just sounds like a bad business practice. BTW, congrats to everyone who got in.

Silverlenz

 

[StageMom]

What kind of orientation do the graduate film students attend, if any? What dates will the fall 2010 session take place?

I see information about a five day orientation week on the web for August 24-29th but it looks like that is for new undergraduate students in general.

Just trying to figure out when my daughter needs to be there and book flights.

Aloha,
StageMom

 

[Mike_V]

i believe you will get the information about 2 weeks before hand. As far as I remembered, it is pretty much the week before school starts and it happens all at the dodge college.