Film School Directory     Film Education     Free Downloads

FILM SCHOOL GUIDE

If you are considering applying to film school, the following guide may be helpful.

School Bulletin

It is usually not possible to travel to every film school you apply to, so it is essential that you review a copy of the school's Bulletin.

The school Bulletin is a booklet that breaks down the classes and resources offered by the school. It is updated and issued to students every academic year. Bulletins are typically mailed to prospective students upon request, but many film schools have them online.

Large universities are decentralized into "schools" that specialize in specific disciplines. When applying to a large university, request the Bulletin of the school that the film program is located in.

For example, the film school at NYU is located in Tisch School of the Arts (TSOA), so you would request TSOA's Bulletin, shown above. Actually, there are four film programs at NYU: TSOA undergraduate, TSOA graduate, School of Journalism, and School of Professional Studies. From this, you can see why it's important to request the correct school Bulletin.

Again, a lot of this can be found online. Just keep in mind that the larger schools can be a maze of interconnected web sites. To film school directory below has direct links that should save you a lot of search time.

Making Contact

Perhaps better than reviewing the film school's Bulletin is calling them directly with your questions. We don't recommend calling admissions. They are too far removed from actual film instruction and production, so their answers will be too general. The same goes for advisers and counselors.

What we recommend is that you call a member of the film faculty or production staff. They are in the best position to give you an inside look at the film school. Go through the points below with them. You'll find that they are not out to "sell" the school and their answers will be surprisingly blunt.

Checklist

Here is a checklist of issues to watch for:

Equipment

What type of production and post-production equipment does the film school have? How often is it upgraded? This second question is very important. You don't want to learn filmmaking on outdated gear. This can be determined by researching the school's camera models online.

Look carefully at the video cameras. Are they high definition (HD) or standard definition (SD). Standard definition equipment is fast becoming obsolete.

If the schools teach film in addition to video, is it 16mm, Super 16, or 35mm? 35mm is a big plus because Hollywood is reluctant to give up this format. On the other hand, 16mm and Super 16 have little value except for teaching purposes, in preparation for 35mm. For professional use, 16mm and Super 16 are obsolete formats.

Film Faculty

Are there any award winners? Check their credentials in the Bulletin, then crosscheck them online against the Internet Movie Data Base. You'll be surprised by what you find.

Filmmaking Courses

Do they cover the areas that you want to specialize in (narrative, documentary, experimental, TV production, etc.). If you want to make documentary films but the school specializes in narrative production, you don't want to learn this on the first day of class!

Ties to the Industry

What are the film school's ties to the industry? Do they have prominent guest speakers, faculty, or advisers?

Student Films
Are the school's student films available for your review? Some schools issue them on DVD, while others put them online. Take a look-see. It will give you an idea of the type of filmmaking the school fosters, as well as its caliber. Are there award winning films in the archives? Successful alumni?

Student Exchange Programs

This is not for everyone, but it might be important to you if you have the desire to experience international technologies and film education.

Career Opportunities

Does the school have a student internship or job placement program for graduates?

There are two points not mentioned above that you should consider, both revolving around money. First, if the school you are considering is out of town, you must factor in the cost of living in a dorm or apartment during the course of your studies.

Second, you must consider the cost of making student films. Unlike, other academic programs, which only require books and supplies, film courses require that you make movies, which can be quite expensive.

Some schools offer "allotments" to help defray the cost of production, but it is usually only a fraction of the actual expense. So, in addition to tuition, don't forget to add the cost of your film projects.

Here is a worldwide Film School Directory with hyperlinks to the schools. We hope this guide is helpful in researching the right film school for you!

Film School Directory     Film Education     Free Downloads

Copyright © Film School Reporter!