Filmmaking » Film Schools http://www.filmakers-tools.co.uk Film and Video Information Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:54:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Tips On Selecting A Film School http://www.filmakers-tools.co.uk/tips-on-selecting-a-film-school.html http://www.filmakers-tools.co.uk/tips-on-selecting-a-film-school.html#comments Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:57:07 +0000 admin http://www.filmakers-tools.co.uk/?p=2361

Filmmaking is not only an interesting, enjoyable and fulfilling career but very lucrative as well. Unfortunately, realizing the big Hollywood dream entails hard work, commitment and great amount of skill, right attitude, guts and some luck, too. While it is true that youíre not in full control of your fate, the initial steps toward being a successful filmmaker depend on you. Choosing the right or the best film school where you would hone your talents, develop more interest and learn more knowledge in filmmaking is your first step. Your decision to choose a particular film school is very crucial to your success as a filmmaker since that film school shall equip you with or shall help you gain more knowledge, skills, techniques and experiences, which are essential to a filmmaker. Those are his tools in filmmaking that cannot be bought but are earned and cultivated through time.

1. Know What You Want

First of all, you have to know what you want. Ask yourself what realm of filmmaking do you want to venture in or what kind of films do you want to work on in the future? Do you want to be an independent filmmaker or a simple film artist? There are so many film schools in the country as well as in other parts of the globe and each has its own expertise. Knowing what you want in the first place would allow you to focus your research and thus refine your choices for good film schools. Also, this would help you save time and effort in searching for schools as you have already eliminated those that may not fit your interest and criteria.

2. What Are Your Considerations?

After deciding on what area you want to concentrate, you should also identify your major considerations in choosing a particular film school.

- the affordability of film courses
- the facilities of the film school
- the accessibility and proximity of the school
- the film schoolís reputation and quality of education

3. Don’t Skimp On Your Education

Remember that a good film education is really expensive so do not just choose a film school that offers the cheapest film courses. It is important to consider the quality of education and the reputation of the school above all else. Remember that with that school, you are building a career that is supposed to be a life-long profession. Short-term film courses, say a 2-yr filmmaking course may be a lot cheaper than a 4-yr course and is quite helpful as most provide hands on training and a lot of project work. If you want to really excel in this field, however, you might opt for a longer course as it is more comprehensive.

3. Identify Where You Want To Study

Knowing where you want to cultivate your skills and intensify your interest in filmmaking is essential in selecting the right film school for you. This would refine your search as well since you would have to concentrate in looking for film schools only in one particular area or locality. New York is one of the best places to study film. It has the most developed art scenes for film and a number of reputable film schools. If affordability of the film course is one of your major considerations, you can choose a film school in Chicago and Milwaukee, which are known for having the most affordable film schools in the country. If you want to make it to Hollywood, better start your search for the best film school there in Los Angeles and nearby cities. There are lots of renowned film schools there that offer short and long term film courses.

4. Explore Colleges and Universities

Now that you have refined your criteria: the area in filmmaking you want to concentrate in, your major considerations such as the affordability of the courses, the schools reputation and the place, you can now do some research. As you explore your options, consider the things you have identified earlier. It would be better if you list down every film schoolís advantages and disadvantages so you can easily compare and contrast them. Also, as you examine the schools film courses and their special attributes, you can add some more considerations to your list and see which of the film schools you have considered meet the most of your requirements.

5. Narrow Your List

After going through several colleges and universities, narrow now your list by eliminating those that do not meet your criteria. With your short but well researched list of the best film schools, you can be more confident now of making a right decision. But before you finally select the film school, seek for other peoples advice and recommendations, especially those who are well familiar with filmmaking.

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Film Schools are educational institutions that impart teaching that is necessary for entering the film industry. The schooling provided is sometimes referred to as ëthe artistís MBA,í as they encourage the creativity of the students and skillfully it. With its beginnings in the early 1970s, film schools have now grown to a great extent with an increasing number of schools as well as courses.

The schools provide bachelor, doctoral degree and certificate programs, along with hands-on practical knowledge. Professional film making and production techniques are included in the curriculum. The areas of specialization includes producing, directing, sound and production design, cinematography, screenwriting, editing, acting for film and filmmaking. These schools are the best options for those who wish to start a career in the film industry.

Traditionally, film schools are classified into three types — independent, industry and experimental. The independent schools provide better choices for those students who want to raise funds independent of the Hollywood system. Here, students are taught to focus on the fundamentals of filmmaking. In the industry type, training helps the students cope with the standards and structure of the Hollywood film industry. The final type concentrates on teaching the art of filmmaking, and goes on to encourage students to explore their individual creativity and experimental potential in order to produce unique representations.

Film schools vary from university departments to degree specific schools and online programs. Schools can either be private or public. The government does not usually offer any loans and grants for the students. As a result, studying cost is high in private institutions. Some of the prominent schools in the nation are American Film Institute (AFI), California Institute of the Arts, Columbia University School of the Arts, The North Carolina School of the Arts, and the schools at New York University (NYU), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Southern California (USC), and University of Texas at Austin.

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American film schools have a rich history dating back to the 1970s, when there was little chance to get film education. The only option to gain knowledge was to go to Hollywood at a young age and work along with people in the industry. By the 1970s, many major universities began to offer classes in film technology. Over the years, many film schools have opened with numerous educational programs that provide actual industry experience along with education.

American film schools are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST). The schools are commonly departments of universities, divisions of colleges or separate schools. There are some privately owned film schools as well that are not connected to American universities. Most of the schools provide undergraduate and graduate degree programs and some have graduate programs only. Various techniques involved in movie making, including film production, film theory and screen writing are taught. Hands-on practical knowledge and intern programs are included as part of studies.

Some schools are considered top in the nation. New York Film Academy, Los Angeles Film School, USA Film School, San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking, and FSU Film School are among them. These schools are located in prime areas of cities including New York and Los Angeles, and provide better education and have good infrastructure. But studying in these schools is quite expensive.

Founded in 1929, The University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television is the oldest film school in the nation. Some other good schools are the American Film Institute (AFI), California Institute of the Arts, Columbia University School of the Arts, The North Carolina School of the Arts, and the schools at New York University (NYU), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and University of Texas at Austin.

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