Columbia 2013 Applicants (2 Viewers)

[brehco]

Originally posted by dusty_rose:
Just got an email request for an interview on feb 22nd and I am a directing/writing applicant. Can't decide of I should choose an in person or skype interview. Anyone know if it makes a difference? Leaning towards in person because I bombed my USC on so badly...thoughts???

Congratulations! Are you a Directing concentration or Screenwriting concentration?

 

[matildabrown]

Yeah I'm interested in if you're a directing or screenwriting applicant?

Unlike UCLA, apparently Columbia doesn't send all the emails out at once, I believe. I don't think that's it guys!

 

[DeathDealer]

Dusty_Rose notes in the original post that he/she is a Directing/Screenwriting (they're one program) applicant.

 

[DeathDealer]

Originally posted by pgresty:
Yeah I'm interested in if you're a directing or screenwriting applicant?

Unlike UCLA, apparently Columbia doesn't send all the emails out at once, I believe. I don't think that's it guys!

How'd you hear about UCLA's e-mailing process?

 

[dusty_rose]

thanks @s.aldani and @pgresty, I was pretty stoked too. Looking at last years thread this seems about the time that the emails started and lasted about two weeks, so don't give up hope!!

The email was actually from a personal account so try not to get too excited if you get anymore Columbia financial aid updates.

keep your heads up people!

 

[brehco]

Originally posted by dusty_rose:
thanks @s.aldani and @pgresty, I was pretty stoked too. Looking at last years thread this seems about the time that the emails started and lasted about two weeks, so don't give up hope!!

The email was actually from a personal account so try not to get too excited if you get anymore Columbia financial aid updates.

keep your heads up people!

awesome. so sorry think my question was misunderstood - which concentration did you specify in your application? i feel like in years past (based only on this website) they contact the directors in a group, and then the screenwriters in a group.

anyway congrats again!

 

[dusty_rose]

@deathdealer - i'm a she lol.

From what I talked to the student liason about, they accept 48 students in total made up of producers, writers, and directors. It's not until your second year that you have to decide a concentration and they don't necessary expect you to decided before hand. The student I talked to said the first year all three disiplines have classes together and then split up. My interview is with someone in directing and screenwriting.

Also, I just to add on to what @derly said ( and congrats btw!) I think my strengh in my written materials came from 1) I re-wrote the F-out of everything I was MIA for the whole month of November and 2) all my pieces were about strong female protagonists. like the 3page scene I choose was the maid and boy piece was set during slavery and it was a love story btw master and slave, my 10 page script was about the latio chick from the barrio, and my 1 page film script was a comedy about a suburband mom in her 40s going through a life change. I tried to give them variety but with a consistant message about what kinds of stories I'm interested in....plus writing from a male perspective is so hard!

 

[vim]

What is the cost? And what are the eligibility criteria?

 

[derly]

Originally posted by dusty_rose:
@deathdealer - i'm a she lol.

From what I talked to the student liason about, they accept 48 students in total made up of producers, writers, and directors. It's not until your second year that you have to decide a concentration and they don't necessary expect you to decided before hand. The student I talked to said the first year all three disiplines have classes together and then split up. My interview is with someone in directing and screenwriting.

Also, I just to add on to what @derly said ( and congrats btw!) I think my strengh in my written materials came from 1) I re-wrote the F-out of everything I was MIA for the whole month of November and 2) all my pieces were about strong female protagonists. like the 3page scene I choose was the maid and boy piece was set during slavery and it was a love story btw master and slave, my 10 page script was about the latio chick from the barrio, and my 1 page film script was a comedy about a suburband mom in her 40s going through a life change. I tried to give them variety but with a consistant message about what kinds of stories I'm interested in....plus writing from a male perspective is so hard!

Holy crap you wrote a 10 page script? That's pretty cool. I mean I am a producing candidate so I only had to write the two page scene. 2 treatments and the essay. Way less work. I took it easy on it.. I used the material I submitted last year and worked on from there. I decided not to send visual components this year..

 

[derly]

Thanks btw I am also going on the 4th which apparently everyone here chose as well. 10:30 am is D-day

 

[Robin101]

Are student liaisons sending out emails to applicants or professional staff? If it's current students, I expect a ton of invitations will be sent during the weekend.

 

[pinsandneedles]

Never heard of this student liaison thing. What is it? Did I miss something on the application?

 

[dusty_rose]

@vim...Im not sure about cost, but it ain't cheap. I'm doing all loans, so I'm just hoping my FAFSA covers everything. I think the only eligibility requirement is a BA or BS.

@derly I have been working on this script idea for a year so I already had the 10 pages, but everything else I had to come up with in November. It was actually a great experience because it made me think about stories and characters that I would not of thought about otherwise. I think I might even try actually writing the feature script that I did my treatment on. But it was a ridiculous amount of writing when you throw in all the other school supplemental material! So your interview is March 4th? Wow, that's 3 weeks of stress and anticipation. I think that's how I bombed my last interview, I over thought it and forgot to just be myself. Good luck, hopefully we will meet in the Fall cause lord knows I need a good producer!

@Robin101 and @pinsandneedles (love the name) the email I received was from the Film Program Administrator who said I had an interview set up for the 22nd and I would be receiving a class for a student liaison who would answer my question and set up a time. A couple hours later the liaison called. He was a 2nd year directing student. He basically have me the lay of the land and set up the interview time. The most interesting thing he told me was that he has written two feature length scripts and four short films in two years! I was impressed. He said Columbia really stresses the importance of having a good writing foundation, even for it's directors, which I completely agree with. To me is seemed like the students and staff set up the interviews and help/answer all the candidates questions before hand. The last question I asked him was what is the ratio between ppl who are interviewed and those picked. He said, he didn't know but would get back to me.

 

[kincid]

For me the hardest thing was staying within the restricted amount of pages. I actually had to change my original marginal guidelines just to squeeze in some more dialogue. But guess they didn't care.

 

[wannabe2]

blurgh!

went over my application again, and noticed a couple of omissions. I don't know how important these things are, but it certainly won't bolster my candidacy.

 

[wannabe13]

how long do they distribute emails for? another week?

 

[pinsandneedles]

What were your omissions?

 

[DeathDealer]

Guys, you have to understand outside of Dusty_Rose, I don't think anyone from the Directing/Screenwriting program has been contacted. And she was informed at the end of the week.

I predict more invitations will be sent out next week. There is no reason to be hopeless.

 

[bob loblaw]

Hi everyone,
Just popping in to let you all know that I got the same invitation and interview date as Dusty-Rose. Just to give a bit more info, I think different faculty are doing interviews on different weekends, and therefore the invitations may be staggered as well. If you haven't heard anything yet, it may just be that the first faculty interviewing aren't attached to your application.

 

[freakyfreddy]

Hey guys, I wasn't asked for an interview until the following monday after the first notifications, so keep your head up!