Is film school worth attending, or should someone who wants to get into film just get internships at a studio, and major in something else to fall back on in case film doesnt work out?

I'm considering going to CSULB for Film, but I'm also starting an internship at Raleigh Studios as a gopher, and I'm curious if I should bother to get a degree in Film, or get a degree in something to fall back on, and try my damndest to get into the business?

Also, how difficult is it to get into the film editing business, just doing the cutting, editing, musical additions, special effect additions, etc?

I´m a camera assistant and all the directors I´ve worked with say that what makes a good director is "experience". If you can get a job at a studio go 4 it and work hard.
Film School is good because you get to know the right people but its not a "job maker", do you know what I mean?
I can give you a list of 100 good directors with film school degrees and another list with no degrees.

So, what makes a good director?

Many factors:

- Show yourself: write many good stories and make your own short films.

- read alot of books about filmmaking and books in general.

- know the rite people. "who you know" is also very important.

- Watch many films you can: old and new.

- learn the basics of filmmaking.

- be passionate about filmmaking and nerver give up.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Fellini77,

quote:

I can give you a list of 100 good directors with film school degrees and another list with no degrees.

I'd love to see your list, because I can't even come up with a hundred good ones currently working/alive, with or without degrees!

Education is always worthwhile, but in this case I'm not sure getting a degree in production is worthwhile. Saying that film school is not a 'job maker' (probably true, for the record) is basically a tacit admission that it's not going to help you find gainful employment doing what you want in the industry. I know that if I had money to disburse for a project I would want to see previous work from a potential director, whether short films or written pieces. This would be much more relevant than whether they had a degree, IMO.

The basic building blocks of improving your filmmaking capabilities are thinking, reading, and watching as many films as possible.

So would you recommend getting a degree in something else as a fall-back plan in case my plans as a film maker don't work out, or will a degree in "Film and Electronic Arts" come in handy somewhere else?

Also, I would love to be a film editor in charge of adding in the special effects once they come from the effects houses, or just splicing everything together... is this a tough business to get into, and will this degree help, or is it again just experiance?

Evan, I didnt said they were good...they have sucess. We cant denie that.

degree generation: all movie brats like scorsese, coppola, lucas, spielbeg, oliver stone and spike lee (later) - almost evreyone from NYU or USC.

Self made directors: sofia coppola, spike jonze, tarantino, rodriguez, michel gondry, kevin smith...

i think it dependws on who you ask. To some, education is really important. But I think most will agree that having a degree doesn't get you a job. School is good for learning and making contacts, but there are other ways to do this also.

yes education is important and a degree makes your CV a lot stronger.
I already have a degree (journalism) and because of that I could get in my national film school. I wont do that because its a lot of years (5) and I want to go to NYU.
I heard also that the 2 year program in USC is also very good.The guy who did donnie darko went there.

quote:

Evan, I didnt said they were good...they have sucess. We cant denie that.

Actually, you did use the word "good"... not sure how else I could have read it.

All film school is worth is the experience. It can't hurt you, other than take up a few years of your life, so I'm not completely against film school. Though, I always tell everyone, if you want to make a movie, you have to know how.

It's not at all like other professions. Especially if you're only going to work on an indie level.

Besides there's all kinds of free online film schools nowadays

--
Joanna Georgie
student loan consolidation