USC MFA Fall 2016 Applicants

[Scorsitchcubrick]

Just wondering if anyone else out there is applying to the USC MFA program for the Fall of 2016. This is my 2nd attempt and hoping things work out better this time around.

 

[Alison Hendrix]

Right here!

 

[granados_1111]

I'm applying although my first choice is Columbia. How are you guys doing with you application?

 

[roar2k]

Applying to USC, NYU, Columbia, lots to do! Working on my screenplay for NYU which I can also partly use for Columbia

 

[granados_1111]

Applying to USC, NYU, Columbia, lots to do! Working on my screenplay for NYU which I can also partly use for Columbia

What's your first choice? Have you heard any good tips that you can share?

 

[granados_1111]

I have 4 recommendation letters to choose from people I've worked with: a director, a cinematographer, a screenwriter and a producer.

I can only upload three; which ones would you recommend for a directing/screenwriting program?

 

[Chris W]

I have 4 recommendation letters to choose from people I've worked with: a director, a cinematographer, a screenwriter and a producer.

I can only upload three; which ones would you recommend for a directing/screenwriting program?

Not the cinematographer.

 

[Bobby_T]

Hello everyone! Does anyone have any other information on how deferring admission works? I know their site says:

"USC does not offer deferments in the traditional sense of the term. (In other words, we do not guarantee re- admission.) However, admitted students do have the option to update their file."

I am applying for fall 2016 but will be deployed for most of next year so would not be able to attend until fall 2017 (if I even get in which of course is assuming a lot) and wanted to know if anyone had personal experience with deferring. I know re-admission isn't guaranteed (as stated) but I was curious how much weight being admitted previously held for the following year. Thank you!

 

[Bobby_T]

How are everyone's applications going?

 

[Ilovefilms]

hey...I attend USC and finishing up my first year in the graduate film program... happy to answer any questions if you have any.

 

[Alison Hendrix]

hey...I attend USC and finishing up my first year in the graduate film program... happy to answer any questions if you have any.

Hey Ilovefilms! Are you in the MFA program for Screenwriting?

 

[Ilovefilms]

Unfortunately I know nothing about the screenwriting program. They keep the producing, production and screenwriting programs pretty separate. Thats one of the complaints I have about it. They don't integrate the programs enough but I think most film schools don't.

 

[panda]

Unfortunately I know nothing about the screenwriting program. They keep the producing, production and screenwriting programs pretty separate. Thats one of the complaints I have about it. They don't integrate the programs enough but I think most film schools don't.

What internship or work opportunities have you had since enrolling? What is the general vibe of the people there (and is it different for each of the programs, or can you really only speak to yours)?

 

[Ilovefilms]

What internship or work opportunities have you had since enrolling? What is the general vibe of the people there (and is it different for each of the programs, or can you really only speak to yours)?

The internship opportunities are pretty amazing! I would almost anywhere you go there are USC alumni that work there. USC definitely gets your foot in the door. The Trojan Mafia is very very strong. It was only my first semester and I had about 3 interviews with different production companies for last summer.

In terms of the people here, I think it really depends on the class that gets enrolled for that semester. My cohort is very close nit and very strong. I really love the people I go to school with. Most people are really solid. I can say that Star Wars is mentioned in almost every class I am in! lol USC loves Lucas the way NYU loves Scorceses. People say that USC is competitive and it is to some extent, but I think for my class we know that if one of us gets successful it means we can also be successful. I haven't encountered anyone being mean spirited to get their projects done. Ultimately the name of the game is building relationships. If you are asshole that fucks people over, you ultimately won't be someone people want to work with so that strategy generally doesn't really work.

 

[Chris W]

If you are asshole that fucks people over, you ultimately won't be someone people want to work with so that strategy generally doesn't really work.

This is true x10000 everywhere you are.

 

[Point Break]

Hey! I thought I reached out to this thread earlier, but I guess that was a sad assumption. I'm also attending USC (Screen/TV Writing program), and can answer questions to the best of my abilities.

 

[panda]

Hey! I thought I reached out to this thread earlier, but I guess that was a sad assumption. I'm also attending USC (Screen/TV Writing program), and can answer questions to the best of my abilities.

How's the program been so far? Favorite components?

 

[Point Break]

I was pretty candid in my "review" http://www.filmschool.org/filmschools/usc-school-of-cinematic-arts.7/reviews#review-8

I think you might have already checked it out, but I will say (now that we're handing in script drafts) I'm loving the program more and more each day. I packed on a lot in my first semester, which everyone suggested I don't do, so it feels good to breathe and enjoy the perks more.

Last night alone, Conan O'Brien came to talk for a few hours about his career and philosophies on TV and comedy. Simply amazing!

I'm a simple person though. My favorite component would be the constant panels and conversations with industry professionals who are USC alumni. It makes this unbelievable dream seem like an attainable goal. We're constantly creating, critiquing, and developing better ways to tell stories. They want us all to succeed and they really make the effort to provide numerous resources and anecdotes to help us get there.

It would have been tough for me to create a body of work worthy to approach producers and agents with if I didn't pursue film school. And the breadth of the program has helped me to consider TV, when I initially came in wanting to solely work in film. No program is perfect for everyone. But I truly feel like this is where I am supposed to be.

 

[Paul J.]

@Point Break @Ilovefilms Thank you so much for your insight! Loving this forum and the information it provides! Please pour out more insight into the program, how you team up for projects, what resources you have, what limitations etc! Give it to us! Maybe shoot us some pics on campus or on sets of student films? Would be cool.

 

[Ilovefilms]

@Point Break @Ilovefilms Thank you so much for your insight! Loving this forum and the information it provides! Please pour out more insight into the program, how you team up for projects, what resources you have, what limitations etc! Give it to us! Maybe shoot us some pics on campus or on sets of student films? Would be cool.

This is for the MFA Production Program
Teaming up for projects
The first semester like I said you are required to shoot and direct your own film. So you get people to help out on your films by showing good will to others by showing up for them for their films. The 2nd semester you don;t pick... you get placed in trios and you have to work with them the whole semester. Its hell... but you get through it... and you learn a lot about how to work with people.

2nd year - You get picked and vetted. USC treats projects like how they would treat it in the studio system. There is a pitch process. A handful of films get picked. The directors and producers of that project pick their team and you work on that project the whole semester. These films are funded by the school and usually get submitted to festivals.

Resources and limitations
Oh boy.... so.. there are a ton of limitations. People complain about it a lot. Can you imagine? People complaining all the time and they go to the best film school in the country.... its annoying. lol The school is HUGE on safety and makes you go through a lot to make sure you are doing things safely. Thats not really a bad thing but its kind of a pain cause there is a ton of paperwork. There are other rules that just seem dumb and arbitrary. My advise to that... suck it up....know what rules you can break and which ones you can't, but wait a few semesters before you go breaking them.

Your biggest resource will be your instructors and your classmates. The instructors I can;t say enough are amazing. I had an academy award winning sound professor last semester. He read my script and gave me notes on my movie. That just seems insane to me. My producing teacher this semester use to work at New Line Cinema and brings in amazing guests that she has worked with in the past that have worked on major films. They also talk a lot about the business side of the industry and how its changing. How the studios work and how we need to be aware of box office numbers and how that relates to how many films get made. They also are still working on their own projects too and it seems to me most people with any level of success have a lot of different projects going on at the same time.

Your classmates are going to be the people that don't just pick you to crew up in later semesters but also will be the ones to hire you in the future. Ryan Coolger is the most recent graduate that has gotten a huge amount of success recently. From what I am told he still works with the same people he worked with when he attended USC.