These two schools will probably go further down into the "safety" range, for applying. I'm just wondering which one to waste my 50 bucks on for applying. their both in really cold dreary places of ny, but have decient film programs. i see a lot comming out of syracuse for this site, but a few people from my high school have attended/are attending/or applying to ithaca.

thanks. any input is most welcome.

i live in binghamton which is an hour away from syracuse and a little ways from ithaca. I havent been to syracuse university, but ithica is a pretty cool school, but both are really expensive, and ithica has been voted as a high ranking film school, and is very hard to get into. so i doubt you will put that on your safty school. i know one person who goes to ithica now and says its hard but very good.

I visited and toured Ithaca and their film program didn't seem that strong. They integrate the film major with photography, so you gotta take a bunch of photography classes too, which I think is pretty useless, especially if you already know how to do all that photography stuff.

I go to Syracuse and I like it. I really like the school but the town of syracuse is crap. I have a feeling that ithaca might be the same way though.

i considered Ithaca, but decided against applying there. I liked that film and photography are combined because I'm obsessed with photography and felt I could probably do advanced stuff, rather than basics. But in the end I turned it down cause its way out in the middle of nowhere and I already have seven schools on my list.

I thought the ithaca film school was crap when i toured there a few years back. Plus I dont think its that fun of a school. The town of Ithaca is a LOT nicer than Syracus. As Dpete said, syracuse is pretty much a **** hole (there are a few nice places). My bro goes to Cornell so ive hung out in 'downtown' ithica, and it is nicer although Syracuse has more to do. Apply to SU.

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Originally posted by Trespasser:
you gotta take a bunch of photography classes too, which I think is pretty useless

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Being good at photography makes you a much better filmmaker. It focuses a lot more on color, framing, and composing shots, and really gives you a better eye for that kind of stuff. I took some photography courses and they were absolutely invaluable in this regard. No filmmaker should ever knock photography.

yeah, i like to say "not all photographers are filmmakers, but all filmmakers are photographers."

embrace your inner photographer!

To some people going to Ithaca or Syracuse would be a dream. Not everyone may have the grades but have the talent. So I think opening your statement with "these are way down for safety schools" and "which one should I waste 50 bucks on" is not something you should say on this board. I congradulate you for being so smart that you can put these as "safety schools" but you don't need to rub it in to kids who may have had their goals be to attend one of those colleges. I'm sure you wouldn't want someone belittling your top choice.

Im sorry if you took it that way, buddy. Obviously that wasnt my intent. But before start making claims like that, i suggest u hang out here more often. I know these boards better than you do, and im sure 80 percent of the people reading this didnt take offense to it. nevertheless, im sorry u feel that way.

And besides, i dont understand how u could classify them as being a dream... its far too cold there and the film school is slightly above mediocre. Aight, so their really pratictical communication schools, but i wouldnt cream over them.

I must apologize I didn't know I was talking to a "sophomore" on the boards here who doesn't "cream" over Syracuse/Ithaca. I agree, you do know these boards better than me. That's because I don't spend every waking minute on them. I have a job, I do things. My life doesn't revolve around a student filmmaking website, but I do enjoy the site when I come to it because it has a lot of information. I just hate things like this when people basically act superior and arrogant because they can just toss good schools like that on their "safety" list and can't decide which one to "waste" 50 dollars on. And people have many different dreams pal, I can assure you there are people who have dreampt of going to Syracuse or Ithaca for a long time. Just because it's not your dream doesn't mean it's not others. So I wish you luck in whatever school you decide to go to and I hope one day you make big movies that gross millions of dollars and Spielberg has you on his speed-dial, I just hope you don't have to succumb to going to one of those schools since you are so very superior to them... and plus it's really cold up there right?

Dude, i dont wanna get in a fight over this. lets just drop it.

I grew up in Ithaca, so I can tell you what it's like to live there vs. Syracuse. Ithaca is a very odd town - it's population doubles during the school year because of Cornell and IC. The winters are terrible, but the summers are beautiful. There are all sorts of outdoor activities around Ithaca, not so much in Syracuse. Ithaca is a hippie intellectual town, Syracuse is more mainstream and a bit economically depressed in parts. Syracuse has more atheletics and the greek system, Ithaca not so much. . . Ithaca does not have a decent movie theater, but neither does Syracuse so that's no big deal. You pretty much have to drive to Rochester for that.
I went to USC film and I also took classes at Ithaca College in film. I found their film department excellent and flexible. The staff was great, but the facilities were not what I was used to - there wasn't as much access to great equipment and such. I've heard they've expanded since then, though. My friend just finished and he is finding work easily.

Welcome to the boards SplitPeaSoup

JW, I am completely aware of the advantages of learning the aesthetics of photography and I whole-heartadly agree that it does make you a better filmmaker, it has benefited me greatly. I never took any photography classes because I already learned and understood practically the concepts from my neighbor who is a professional photographer. I began developing my own pictures when I was 14 and what I meant in my last post here was that I chose not to go to Ithaca because I didn't want to waste my parents money (and my time) on learning something I already understood years ago.