Alright, so here's the problem:
For the past seven years, school has been hell for me. I barely scrape by, I'm completely uninterested in anything other than English and New Media (the filmmaking course at my high school), and my grades are barely there. This fall I will enter my senior year, which I have every intention of passing simply to get out of school, and I am just starting to look for colleges (I've visited Pratt and USC). I originally thought I wanted to go to film school, but now I'm wondering if I want to go to college at all. I'm confident of my talent, which I think could at the very least land me a job doing an independent feature for someplace like InDiGent or Warner Bros. (that sounds ambitious, I know, but that's the most egotistical I've ever been, I'm compensating for those who already don't think I have any talent whatsoever) I've already worked on a feature film as an intern/sound assistant (I'm credited, look up Conor Stratton on imdb) and have made several contacts within the "business", people who have seen my work and already said they would be happy to be involved in further projects of mine. Should I spend a couple thousand dollars on college and suffer through another four years of school, or do my own thing after I graduate and take my chances? Or, as a possible third option, rot to death in a gutter babbling semi-coherently about "exposition" and "frames per second"? Also, if I do go to college, I'm probably going to take a year off before going and work as an actor in order to finance my movies. Respond or laugh at my plight, either is acceptable (and expected).
Thanks.

The decision that plagues us all.

I have no idea what I'll end up doing. Film school sounds good, but I don't have the financial backing to go to a top of the line college. My only hope would be a scholarship, which I doubt I'll get. In the movie industry, it's about who you know, so would film school even be worth it aside from the connections I MIGHT meet?

I'm like you, I've debated about this many times. Should I go the school route, or just try my hand at working as "the coffee guy" on the set of some low budget movie and work my way up?

A hard decision, and I have no answer.

well, i was in the same positiona t this time last year, i too only liek english and my film class, in fact those are the only 2 classes i didn't cheat in to pass (well i cheated in english too, but i at least liked it). im going to college myself this year for motion picture production, but i didn't have the option cause before this year i hadent completed any films and had only written short screenplays. u seem to have some connections and oppourtunities, so, i can't tell u what to do cause u have to decide for urself, but u could always save the university/film school a few years if u wanted too and do whatever else u want. i meen lots of ppl have to work for one or two years before they can even afford tuitions and university, so if u have the mney now or will etc... u can always save it till later because it won't hurt u in the long run. plus if u find going straight for the business was a better approach, u save alot of money. sometimes u dont really need post secondary to get into the business, alot of actors etc... dont even ahve a high school diploma, so u can always take a few years to figure out what direction u wanna go in life, the best thing to remember is to have fun while ur life fall to pieces around u, i know i do

Conor Noirboy (I love film noir too),

The past seven years of school are completely irrelevant. Once you’re in a college program you basically can take whatever you want. There might be several small classes that might suck you need to get by but a C here or there will not kill you. I’ve gotten some of my own (most film programs require less of you in departments you might not like, i.e. mathematics, sciences, etc).

I really recommend that you do go to college and even if it isn’t film school. A degree in anything shows you’re not a quitter. You also should get a well-rounded education. It is very important. I’ve spoken to several industry people who have said to get even a non-film education so you have “something to make films about,” and I’ve also heard “we hire college graduates at our company because it shows they didn’t give up.” You don’t need a degree in film to set up a C-stand or be a sound assistant like you were, that’s true, but in the future it will definitely help. Any degree will help you. Breaking into film with a degree in English, Quantum Physics, and Film will be all the same path. It helps to have one, whatever it is, and a load of ambition.

You should work on those applications as soon as possible and get together a resume. Believe it or not having a credit on a feature film WILL open A LOT of doors even if nobody has heard of it. I know, I’m on IMDb too for such stuff: Eric Szyszka. I think due to working on a feature, and going through college come hell or high water got me my current internship. This fall I am working on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and to intern you have to be in college. There’s a lot of great companies in NYC (not just NBC, but places like New Line Cinema) that you can intern in (even if you’re not a film major) and make connections and have the possibility of being re-hired after college.

Making movies is what fuels people like us. It’s very important. However, working on crews and paying your dues like by going to college will help you. Once I got to college, my life changed for the better, I met amazing people. People who have the same passion for cinema as I do. I am really glad I went and for me, it’s nothing like high school. Heck, you don’t even have to go to some fancy school. I go to SUNY Purchase. It’s cheaper, it’s state, and it’s still a good time. It’s also a good school. Apply to many places and have hope.

You also need to get your confidence up. Don’t worry; I was just like you once. However, get the confidence. You are going to make it. You’re not going to rot in a gutter. You’re a filmmaker. You’re going places. You’re head-strong.

Conor, the world is yours. You just got to get up in the morning and make it happen.

Yeah, it's a big gamble either way. I've heard a lot of people say that you use your college money to finace your first movie and pray that it does something for you. I dunno, maybe it is just I bothered with a year of it, but I kind of think a little college is better than none. Though you sound like you've been schooled on the basics, and there's nothing you can't come here to learn about; so, school may not be the only option. Honestly, what I'd do is call up your contacts, try to schedule lunch with them and get their opinion and ask if they're strong enough to help launch you. That should give you a good idea.

-Elliott

Film school is by no means necessary but can't hurt. More than anything you meet people and make connections. If your heart isn't in going to college don't, otherwise your just pissing away the money. I'm sure I'm gonna start drama here but you should think about Full Sail. A good film school that doesn't care about your High School grades. It is expensive but you can get student loans. Just an idea.

Good luck deciding.

Cammo

Survive highschool.
Take a year off to get your head right and research schools. (Don't get aressted or anyone pregnant during this time)
Stay creative by working on your own projects during this time, if somthing big happens it happens. Plus you'll have a nice arsonel of content to develope in school.
THEN GO TO COLLEGE.

College will focus your talent, expand your horizons (that was worst thing I ever wrote)and give you access to other creative minds. Like William Goldman said we are all at the mercy of others.

And besides Chickenheads have no time for hombre's without direction. So when you say "I'm enrolled in film school for next fall" they will say "ooooh how sassy!" but if you say "I'm pulling cables as a PA" they will say "Stand back I have mace!"

Ego is energy, use yours as motivation not as an excuse to do nothing but dream. Good luck.

Thanks, everybody. It means a lot that people in this community cared enough to respond, and as a result I got some great advice out of it. So far the majority seems to suggest that I should go to college at least to become a college graduate, which after thinking about it doesn't sound too bad. I will do my best to get myself into a film school but if for some reason my grades are below par for a "big" film school, I'll simply be "the filmmaker", unique and unchallenged, at another school. No matter what, I'll take a year off, but I'll be back in school Fall '06. I'll do the time I need to do in order to make the films I want to make. I'm making it a point to send my stuff in so I can become a more involved member of this site, so look for me in the future (near and long-term). Thanks again.

Some additional perks of college is you meet a lot of people and make great connections. One of my best friends (met freshman year of college) is really cool and his family works in broadway/tv/film, through this I ended getting my new short film partially funded by Danny DeVito's cousin. I could go on with more information on connections, but just go. You never know who you'll meet.

Yeah, I've talked to many many counselors/parents/people in film about this, and they all tell me basically the same thing.

Go to college and work like a normal person until you get your big break. Nothing is guaranteed in the movie business.
Get a college degree and work. Continue to make your movies and get experience wherever you can. One day, all the extra work will pay off.
Either some one will have worked with you/ heard about you/ or reccomended you.

That's the course I'm taking after I graduate, and it doesn't look so bad.

Whats the good of making movies if you don't have enough money to buy food?

I can live without food, but an existence without making movies would starve me even more.

Noirboy, you may think that now, but believe me, when the landlord is kicking you out on the street, you have to pawn your camera equipment to not starve, and your family won't take you back because you've become a homeless, worthless, workless loser, it sucks.

Go to college, earn some money. You will still be able to make films.

Yeah, I'm not saying give up your camera, you can still make movies on the side.

I don't know how long you've gone without food, but I tell you, three days SUCKS! I've done just to see what it was like. I felt like fainting all the third day, it was terrible.

Try that experiment and you will want to take my way.

I didn't read past Dawsons post... and only read half of his... sorry, but here's my two bits.

I graduated. And had a full year off. It sucked. I was supposed to go, but was with a girl at the time and didn't want let her slip (which like all sad stories, she obviously did).

I was pretty angry with my choice. I ended up with dick ******* all.

Then I realized... I'm 19 years old. I'll live to be old... hypothetically.

What this means is, if you **** up now; you can fix everything later. Probably.

Conor, you know it, you rock, you could proably get away with not going to college, but I personally think you should. You know me, I'm in a similar situation, but there are tons of colleges out there that have GREAT film programs and you dont need grades to get in. Some examples....

NYU Tisch (if your movies are good enough, they will ignore your grades)

SVA (Everything about this school rocks)

Concordia (In Montreal, a ton of film classes)

Some others to consider:
Hampshire, USC (right on), Texas State (Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson got there careers started there).....

Conor, this is your world.

BTW Conor......how does tues 6pm sound to do the narration?

So what did you exactly do as a sound assistant?

"Also, if I do go to college, I'm probably going to take a year off before going and work as an actor in order to finance my movies."

Acting for who? Probably independent productions, right? Hate to break it to you but they barely pay anything. Maybe enough to cover your expenses. Are you a member of SAG? If you're going to have a speaking role and get paid above a certain amount, you'll need to be.

"but there are tons of colleges out there that have GREAT film programs and you dont need grades to get in.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. A film school is a college also, it's not a vocational program. They do care about grades - simply being able to make films isn't enough.

Have to agree with Evan here.

Don't try to make money acting. It's almost impossible unless you're someone like Tom Cruise, and even those big stars, had **** jobs that barely paid them enough to have sloppy joe's on weekends.

Film schools actually require a lot of good grades. It's also a college and the good film schools are what? NYU, UCLA, USC? Yeah, those need the grades to be at least a little up there. Don't even think you'll get an interview with a 1.0 GPA and an amazing tape. They won't even look at the tape.

Wow, I have not checked this forum in a while. I feel quite bad, people have been really responsive. So far I have decided to apply to 3 colleges, the only three that I really care about going to, get my sh!t together regarding school (I have a C average which, I everything goes well this semester, will be brought up to a B), and reinforce some of those contacts I was talking about. To respond to some of those more "recent" questions (sorry, RFranco, you posted in October and I'm answering in January):
RFranco, I was basically a sound assistant in title only. I circulated around pretty much every department, helping with set creation and props, setting up c-stands and wrangling light cords, changing tapes and batteries for the camera department, reading lines with the actors, setting up tents for the equipment when it looked like rain, wrangling extras, hanging out with the director and producer and suggesting shots (one of them they actually used!), assisting the DJ in the nightclub scene, guarding cockroaches, fetching food for the bigwigs, heavy lifting (ever cleaned out a 10'x10' storage room filled to the brim with lighting equipment and having to transport it down two flights of stairs with only one other person to help you? Not the best time on your first day), directing traffic, being an extra, lighting candles around the production office when all the power in the northeast went out, assisting with post-production foley sound effects, shooting all the b-roll "behind the scenes" footage, and making coffee. What a great time.

Evan Kubota- I know quite a few people with regards to acting jobs, commercials and modeling and so on. School's been pretty much the only reason I haven't gotten into it more, but we still get some calls every now and then with regards to auditions. I'd love to act in some independent features, though, despite the low pay. Hell, it'd look great on a reel, which I'm already putting together.

Postal Pictures- Hey, man, I'd be an idiot not to get a day job, I'm not gonna rely on acting for cash. Also, as fer NYU, UCLA, USC, they're way too big, no interest in going. I'm applying to Brooklyn College, SUNY Purchase, and SVA because they're small and will give me enough freedom to do what I want while still giving me a good education. Brooklyn College has a 2-year certificate program for film production, which means ONLY film classes taken part-time, giving me the time to act, work, and make my own films on the side. SUNY Purchase is a great school which is independent narrative-oriented, perfect for what I want to do, and it's a conservatory so I won't have to bother with science or math classes. SVU, well, have you seen it? Beautiful. Those are pretty much the only places I want to go, and if Whoever forbid I don't get into any of them, I will find a way. Thanks everyone for posting, your advice has been invaluable.