Hi,
I'm thinking of getting into the film industry. I'm native american, but have been living in Israel for most of my life - am moving to the states soon - so therefore i don't have an american highschool diploma, and now i'm working on my GEDs. my questions are;
A. what are the requirments for most schools-collage, university, courses? and will a GED be relevant?
B. Which of the above give me a better chance of getting jobs in the industry?
C. How do i decide what school to go to? there are so many! (looking more in the Cali area...)
thanks for da help!

Welcome Nate

Are you looking at film schools? Or just regular colleges?

Also, I'm a little confused about question B...

Thanks.
What i meant in b is, is there a better chance of working in film (getting a job) if i graduated from a college, or it does'nt make a difference and there's just as much of a chance if i did it through a school.
Are the GEDs good enough for any of them?

I'm still kind of confused. You guys might use the words differently over there, but college, school (assuming it's not high school or grade/elementary school) and university are all basically the same thing over here.

The way it works is that the name of the film school you went to will get you the interview, and then it's up to your portfolio and skills to get you the job. So, yes, coming from a prestigious film school will help, but it won;t guarantee anything.

The GED should be helpful for getting you into college. The schools to look into for film are: USC, NYU, Chapman, Emerson and a few others which other people know more about.

There are private schools, and there are universitys/colleges. take for instance from this list from imdb.com

California

Academy of Art College (San Francisco, CA)
American Film Institute Center for Advanced Film and Television Studies (Los Angeles, CA)
Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, CA)
Brooks Institute (Santa Barbara, CA)
CalArts School of Film and Video (Valencia, CA)
California State University, Long Beach Film & Electronic Arts (Long Beach, CA)
Chapman University School of Film and Television (Orange, CA)
Film Connection (Los Angeles, CA)
Los Angeles City College Department of Cinema and Television (Los Angeles, CA)
Los Angeles Film School (Hollywood, CA)
Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television (Los Angeles, CA)
New York Film Academy, Universal Studios (Hollywood, CA)
San Diego State University School of Communication (San Diego, CA)
San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (San Francisco, CA)
San Francisco State University Cinema Department (San Francisco, CA)
Stanford University Graduate Program in Documentary Film & Video (Stanford, CA)
University of California, Los Angeles School of Film, Theater, and Television (Los Angeles, CA)
University of California, Los Angeles Extension's Entertainment Studies Department (Los Angeles, CA)
University of California, San Diego Department of Visual Arts (San Diego, CA)
University of Southern California School of Cinema Television (Los Angeles, CA)
Video Symphony (Burbank, CA)

that's a long list, and it's not the only one...
Some of them are Universitys/colleges, which means 2-3 years of school, and some are just film schools where sometimes it's just a 1 year course.
now maybe i just don't understand, and ther'e realy just the same thing...
At most, the difference is the price...or the length of time...
so to make things short, how do i know what's best, or better? is it worth it to pay more and go to one of the schools that specialize in film only? or going through a full time studying plan at a university?

Ah. I see what you mean now. The terms are interchangeable with the exception of school, which can apply to either a univesity/college or a technical school that has short specialized programs.

In general, any public college is not as good as a private one. Colleges with state names like New York University and University of Southern California are actually private colleges despite their names.

I would argue that it's better to go to a real university that has a four-year program and teaches more than just film than it is to go to a technical school like the New York Film Academy that teaches skills only, for a much shorter time.

Again, that's just my argument and there are others who would not agree.

I would say it is all what you think about their curriculum and what works best for you as a filmmaker. Personally, I would get run into the ground at a normal university. I tried it and I got bored. It wasnt for me. Thats why I chose an Art School (Art Center College of Design) for film. Which is a private school and has a 4 year program. As a filmaker, I am more design and visually oriented. Art Schools will cater more to these types of people with their curiculums. If you are more of an academic inclined person, a normal university with a good film program would be good. It all depends on who you are and what your work style is. Other than that I would stay away from "For-profit" or "propriatary" schools. In other words they are a business rather than a school. Their focus is more on making money rather than the students.

My way is pretty much to learn and know the stuff concentrated, and in the least time. I'm more the ideas and creativity rather then the art and design.
How can i tell a "for-profit" or "propriatary" school from one that isn't?
Do you know any in particular in the California area?

To tell if they are a for profit you simply ask them. In california the first one that comes to mind is the Academy of Art College. Great program, great equipment, but everyone gets accepted. Just as long as you finished highschool you can go there. I didn't like that idea much.

What are the most common education demands for film school? And what are the highest?
Btw, i appreciate your time 'n' help...

I'm not 100% sure but I will give you an answer based on my knowladge. At an Art School they will usually require the minimum Liberal arts and Science or general education (english, math, humantiies, etc) credits that that state requires. In california I think its something like 40 or 45. You will end up doing around 70-75% of your focus (film) and 25-30% of these general education requirements. If you go to a normal university, there will be more general education required. I think.