For 546, what happens first is people submit their scripts. Then the faculty selects around 10 of them. After this, people who want to direct read all the scripts and choose one or two. Directors find producers they want to work with and then talk to writers of the scripts they chose. At this point if more than one director is interested in their script, writers can choose which one they wanna stick with. (Some directors get together with producers first and then select scripts.) Anyway, when the director, writer and producer are in agreement, I think directors prepare a reel and apply for directing. Selected directors then pitch their vision of the script to the faculty and out of all these people only 3 directors are selected. Then selected directors and producers select a crew and take the 546 class. For every movie there's 1 director, 2 producers, 2 cinematographers, 2 editors, 2 sound people. All this selection happens because USC actually funds the 546 movies (around $10000 I think?) and closely mentors the crews, and it's how studios work I guess... This might also mean that they have a say in how you shoot it, but I'm not sure on that regard. You also have to be in a 546 crew in another position before you can direct. And you have to work on at least one 546 project to graduate. I might be wrong about some details but I believe this is pretty close to how it goes.
For thesis films it's very different. Anyone can choose to make a thesis film and I think only the directors enroll in thesis class 581. Before 581 they have to take a pre-production class though. So anyone can work on any thesis project, as many times as they want. Directors fund their thesis projects.
Any advice?
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