Im sure like many people here, they love watching what they have created and everything to do with making films. I just graduated and was looking for some advice from someone at a higher level then me. I want to get as far as possible with what I love to do, for some its unrealistic that they wont make it far in the business, and I understand this. In High School I wasted a lot of time and didn't care so much about my grades but along the way, I loved making films more and more every day, its become a life style. I am looking for some help or possibly an answer, on what I should do. I will be attending a city college, and will be studying film. Ive had and thought about doubts since its not an actual film school, but does teach it. I am not a big fan of General Education classes, because in High School I always put them aside. Should I just go for a certifacte program in film, or get the associates degree and transfer to another school. Im thinking getting the degree is more important than the certificate, but im looking for some advice, maybe some inspiration, since I hate general ed. classes.. Thanks for any advice.

I'm sorry to tell you, but you're not going to be making much money. Ever...if you don't take "general education" classes.

Employers love people with serious (non-liberal arts) degrees. Degrees mean college. College means 4+ years of classes, the first couple of which you'll take "general ed" classes, such as computer science, or biology, intro to whatever.

quote:

In High School I wasted a lot of time and didn't care so much about my grades

That's a problem. I have no clue what to tell you. I have two neighbors, both of which are in their twenties and started off exactly like you're describing. One is a struggling filmmaker in LA who still lives off his parents, and the other had to drop out and now makes peanuts playing with a band in New York.

This may be a case of you putting your nose to the grindstone and actually doing something you don't want to do. Sucks doesn't it?

Yes, it does suck. But I guess its time to move on from the High School life, and do what I got to do, to get where I wanna get. Your examples of your neighbors are exactly what I dont want to be like..

Hey well I'm sure funkbomb's neighbour's never envisaged that they'd be in the situation that they are in. However, I think that it's just part of paying one's dues. (un)fortunately, nothing really comes without hard work these days, unless you have some serious cash.

I think you've got to be willing to suffer for your work...even if it means changing your lifestyle.

Also, you've got to learn to stay true to yourself. That's an old cliche... but I believe it is the only fact. People say it all the time, but very few actually live their lives this way. You have to be able to not listen to all of the non-believers, and for you to believe in yourself and your abilities. Never think about all of the others, they never thought about you.

Just think that every single person you look up to in film, at one point in their life were exactly where you are now.

All you can do at this point, is just keep working and believe in your craft. Make things happen.

what's poway like?

i was going to do the same thing, and then a stupid little cricket told me to get a degree and stop being such a lazy *****. now i'm almost half way to a degree, and the general ed classes i've had to take so far are so easy that there's no reason not to.

Haha.. Poway... Poway used to be a very very small town, but its growing as the years go on. Its a town full of low class-middle class-high class people (mostly rich stuck up people who think they are the **** in this low life town that is nothing to the rest of the world). Its a town where people think they are on top of the world, me of course realizing this as i grow up, am dying to leave this town immediatly. If any of you are aware of the band blink 182, they lived here, and they were lucky enough to leave Poway. Its a town that people might want, but once you live in it.. You want out.

quote:

Originally posted by paul:
i was going to do the same thing, and then a stupid little cricket told me to get a degree and stop being such a lazy *****. now i'm almost half way to a degree, and the general ed classes i've had to take so far are so easy that there's no reason not to.

How many classes are you taking at a time. Like, how many generel ed classes and film classes?

For the love of Steven Segal (god seemed cliche) get your degree! Certificate programs are for beauticians and auto mechanics! With a degree you'll be able to look at graduate school and provide a better back plan if Redford doesn’t see your student film and you don't make the cover of Premiere by the time your 27.

Plus general Ed can sometimes be inspiring, I took a World Cultures class with an Iranian teacher who would say things like "We are ruled by psychopaths" and "We used to have fangs but now we use our brains"

Point is a more rounded education gives you the tools to make your own way. Certificate programs produce Production Assistants. And that's the Steven Segal's honest truth.

I generally do 12-15 credits per semester (3 or 4 classes) and generally I'm doing mostly GE classes for my first two years and doing all of the fun stuff for my last two years. I'm also working full time, so I might be here for 5, but either way, it's fun and easy.

quote:

Originally posted by paul:
I generally do 12-15 credits per semester (3 or 4 classes) and generally I'm doing mostly GE classes for my first two years and doing all of the fun stuff for my last two years. I'm also working full time, so I might be here for 5, but either way, it's fun and easy.

Are you taking any film classes now, like one or two, or just getting GE classes out of the way?

I take film classes as well as GEs, but I'm taking primarily GEs to get them out of the way.