what will you do?

[mjsoutha]

For those of you who are going to re-apply to programs next year or have been trying to get into programs for years, what will you do in the meantime? I'm waitlisted at a good program and I'm trying to figure out how best to spend my time. Do I start pursuing jobs and internships in a different career path so that I can have a good fallback plan in case I don't get off the waitlist? Do I go out there and shoot films? Do I intern at production companies? What are you guys doing? I know this can be a painful subject but I'd love to know what you guys are doing.

 

[freakyfreddy]

Right now I'm in school. When I finish I will start developing another short that will be done by december first (application deadline).

I need to retake the GRE to get better scores.

I am applying for jobs right now at production companies. They are part time positions so I can have time to develop my next project.

I am also reading a ton about film making. Since I was rejected I have read: So you want to be a producer, Film School confidential, DV rebels guide”¦, Save the Cat (I used this as a guide for my next short), Film directing shot by shot, and I plan on reading Directing Actors after I finish my new book The DSLR Filmmakers handbook.

After reading these books I have begun to second guess myself in terms of wanting to go to film schools because most, if not all of them, tell you that you don't need it. So it is safe to say the list of film schools that I want to attend has decreased since I was rejected.

 

[Mike_V]

your decision to go to film school is dependent on what kind of education you want to pursue. If you want a formal education in an environment of your peers, then go to film school.
If you believe you can get yourself an apprenticeship somewhere and work your way in the industry as whatever you're pursing, then go for that.
But trusting these books that claim you do not need film school because it's a waste of time is asking for yourself to spend your time and money on a book that is meant to sell.

 

[freakyfreddy]

I agree. Film schools still have value to some people. I will be applying to film schools, but less than I first intended.

When I read these articles and books about going to and avoiding film school I have to look at it from an unbiased point of view. Some of them are very biased (film school confidential) so I take their advice for with a grain of salt. But others I have found to be a great source of information.

Both these books and film schools have the same objective of trying to sell you their product. That should not make them any less attractive because they both offer insight and information that I did not already have.

 

[Mike_V]

well what I mean here is that some of these "books" are meant so that you would spend your money to buy the book but offer no real advice or information. Alot of these so called books also are written in a format that is better suited for tabloid journalism. It will seek to trash the subject in every which way including making up stuff and then glorifing the make it your way route.

I made the choice for film school because I wanted the classroom feel. I thrived more from that especially when I have peers among me who share my passion.

try making a movie on your own among strangers and put it on youtube. You'll see how much constructive criticism you'll get.

 

[Willi]

Go work on a film.

 

[cinema334]

i would never reapply to film schools. it's so expensive and not worth obsessing over if you don't get in. make films, work on films. don't read books on how to make films; read fiction, become a cinephile, and if you are creative and intelligent you should do fine. you can learn everything you need to about making films by watching great films critically, several times. watch them as an editor, a director, and a writer. ask yourself why people are making certain decisions and what is going on on screen at any given point in time. watch as many as three films a day and then watch them all again the next day. then go work on some films. dont waste your time or money. if you want to make films you should, and if they're good they will get recognized or funded. it seems silly to say that going into AFI in the fall, but I really believe it. At this point in time I just need to meet the right people in the right place, as I'm probably not talented enough to go it alone.

 

[Mike_V]

Originally posted by cinema334:
i would never reapply to film schools. it's so expensive and not worth obsessing over if you don't get in. make films, work on films. don't read books on how to make films; read fiction, become a cinephile, and if you are creative and intelligent you should do fine. you can learn everything you need to about making films by watching great films critically, several times. watch them as an editor, a director, and a writer. ask yourself why people are making certain decisions and what is going on on screen at any given point in time. watch as many as three films a day and then watch them all again the next day. then go work on some films. dont waste your time or money. if you want to make films you should, and if they're good they will get recognized or funded. it seems silly to say that going into AFI in the fall, but I really believe it. At this point in time I just need to meet the right people in the right place, as I'm probably not talented enough to go it alone.

It is so ridiculously easy to say "go make films" but the fact of the matter is not everyone can just sit in their room and suddenly decide, "Hey. I wanna make a film. Lets go find me a team and shoot it next week."
watching great movies over and over again will help you understand those specific director/editor/cine's decision, but ultimately it should be what your style is.

I find that my time at chapman was not a waste nor was the money I spent there. If you think that you can just sit and watch movies all day and suddenly you will achieve a sort of enlightenment, you're either the next Tarantino or a freakin genius.

There's a reason so many people choose to go to film school. It's the environment that fosters your passion.

see if you make a film by yourself and what will you do next with it? post it on youtube? vimeo?
How much constructive criticism will you get? will you get advice and suggestions from people who are still in the industry and actively working? Do you think your family members and your bff from middle school will be able to offer you the insight that a working professional will be able to give you?

Consider that.
Now there are some people who know what to do with their method in getting into the industry, but by drawing a line saying don't go to film school or you must go to film school is a short sighted suggestion that fails to account for the person that you're giving the suggestion to.
Some people thrive in a school environment, others grow by not going into the academic system.

Your choice is to pick what you believe will help you learn about film in the best way that works for you. Don't ever listen to black and white answers because in the industry, the entertainment industry atleast, it's not what school you go to but the work that you put out and how it will reach those people. You can go to USC, but if you make terrible film and show it in festivals, you won't get a job. You might end up investing the money into creating your own film with your own team and take it to festivals and win awards left and right and before you know it, 10 years has passed and you've been enjoying your life as a working professional in the industry. So pick what suites your style best.

 

[cinema334]

Sorry, when I said go make films I meant find a job in the industry. I realize reading over my article it sounds like typical anti film
School advice, but I meant specifically to work in a paying position on film sets. I think film school is valuable, not enough so that I would spend a lot more money time and energy reapplying.

 

[Mike_V]

I think it again falls into what works best for you. Some people thrive best in an academic environment. Others don't.
Working on film sets can lead to jobs as editor or cinematographer, if you're lucky. Most people who spend all their time on sets end up with a career working on sets. It's very rare to get that kind of job from working on set as a grip, pa, or 2nd ac.

but again, as I have mentioned earlier, it is up to the person's mentality and individuality that should determine which route to take.
I know I benefitted greatly from going to film school. I'm already certified in avid and will soon be certified in protools and I can't ask for better teachers to help guide me to finding my style. That's just me though, so it depends on how you are.

 

[Willi]

It's very rare to get that kind of job from working on set as a grip, pa, or 2nd ac.

A lot of the DP's I know started as grips, then moved to gaffer and then to DP. One guy I know got his undergrad at Yale then started gripping. In the last 7 years he has DP'd over 30 features.

 

[Mike_V]

It happens to people who work their way up the ladder. I'm not saying it's impossible. Alot of it is all about knowing how to step up into higher positions as you go, but it also takes alot of self education that most people do not consider (and yes, i know it sounds like common sense, but people don't consider it).

 

[Willi]

When do I bump up to something other than freshman?

 

[Mike_V]

I believe it depends on the amount of posts that you make here. I don't really know how many, but you'll eventually go to sophomore, and so on and so forth.