i am graduating this year with a major in communications and a concentration in media production. i was just wondering if i should go for some sort of graduate degree? or a 6 month or year long type of film school? my parents said they will pay for it but i dont know where or what i could do. what would be a good idea for me to do? i really wanna learn more about making movies, most of what ive done in my major is in a studio or non video related

...don't waste your money with a vocational-type school. Getting an MFA is not a bad idea but probably won't provide any tangible benefits in terms of getting a job.

umm? what im trying to ask is are there any graduate schools or film schools that last 1 year???? if so what are some?

I've heard that NYFA has a 1-year MFA program. You may want to check that out.

quote:

Originally posted by Evan Kubota:
Getting an MFA is not a bad idea but probably won't provide any tangible benefits in terms of getting a job.

Unless you ever want to teach at a university. Of course it not the ideal job but alot of filmmakers fall back on teaching jobs, continuing to work while teaching classes. And colleges almost always require at least a masters level background for their teachers.

Go for the real deal MFA (which means more than a year at an accredited college), escpecially if its being paid for by your folks, that's an opportunity you have a responsability to take advantage of, alot of people aren't so lucky!

Good luck!

I agree with Red, vocational school for filmmaking seems like an absolute waste of time to me...I'd like to see a list of people who made a solid living making movies coming out of a school like NYFA. My guess is that it would be pretty short.

Whoa! I'm not knocking Voc schools, they're a great option! But for this guy it's a choice because he has a bankroll with his folks. He should take full advantage and get a degree that will hold weight if he wants more options down the road, like teaching.

But voc schools are a great way to get into the industry. I have a freind at LA film school who got an internship at Robot Chicken a month into his stay there.

As we all know in filmmaking there is no clear path to success on the high end like Writer, Director or producer but degrees do hold weight and open doors in other arenas and should be respected.

I agree, get the MFA, especially since your parents will pay for it. That's what I'm gonna do (i.e.-If I can be a graduate TA and they pay for my MFA, I'll do it, otherwise just a BFA will do). Go for it.

does anyone know if there are any other schools with 1 year MFA programs? i looked at the NYFA site and it looks like the 1 year film school is to get a ba degree and the MFA program is at least 2 years long. Im from NC so would the NC school of arts or wilmington have this? i cant really find much on either school.
also im not trying to go to one of these schools to get a job or become a teacher ever, i just want to learn how to make movies so i can start off with small independent films and maybe one day work on bigger films. ive been making stuff for 3 years on my own and still have no idea what im doing with lighting or working with cameras and i cant submit anything i have to anywhere b/c i dont know rules on copywritten crap and locations or anything like that... for once i actually want to go to a school to learn, weird.

An MFA is a terminal degree, so you need to do a thesis. Just about all programs are three years. Tough there might be ones that are two.

The only place where you can do a one year MFA (actually a BFA/MFA in 5 years) is if you do well in NYU's Dramatic Writing (Screenwriting/TV Writing/Playwriting). You can actaully do that program in four if you get 32 credits of transferable credit to get rid of your first year of college, which is what I'm doing with the film program (i.e.-2 year BFA in film).

If I were you I'd look into film schools, or, if you can't afford it purchase $30 Film School.

okay now im more confused... I am about to graduate from college, so transferable credits for my 1st year of college wont do me any good... i am not trying to get an mfa or anything to help me get a job, i am trying to go somewhere to LEARN how to make movies, whether there is a graduate degree program or a year long type film school or something? anyone know of a type of grad school i could go to or any other options?

Dude, if your parents are paying for it, go to grad school. For one thing you’ll get more of an education, which is very important, but you just have to research the right school.

I don't think there are any schools out there where you can get a MFA in just a year. The shortest is about two years. These one-year programs don’t offer degrees; they offer “certificates,” which is completely different. Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California, for example offers a 2-year MFA degree:

www.artcenter.edu

Michael Bay, Zach Snyder and Tarsem Singh came to Art Center; hey even Brad Pitt went here for a couple terms back in the day.

A Bachelors degree in a year...What? What school offers that? NYFA? It took me four years to get my BFA. I would never trust a school that offered a BFA in just one year. Unless they offer this degree to people who already have a bachelors degree, then I can see it working...maybe.

But yes, most MFA programs take three years. Are you graduating with a bachelor’s degree? If so, you can apply to most MFA film programs, some require a certain grade point average, and most if not all require that you submit a portfolio of your work.

So long story short, if you already have your bachelors or will be getting it soon, you should definitely try getting your masters degree. You'll learn more and you'll have the opportunity to shoot more.

Research the schools you would feel most comfortable with. Do you want to write, direct, edit, or be a cinematographer? Most schools allow you to declare your choice of either.

Anyway, that’s a little info.

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

AFI is 2 - 2 1/2 years. I don't think there are any 1 year MFA programs, and I don't think you'd really want one. If you really want to learn how to make movies from A-Z you're best off going to a 3+ year MFA program like NYU or USC. A one year (Non-degree) program will teach you how to use a light meter and some other equipment (Great stuff to know). The 2 year MFA's tend to be discipline specific (Good if you already have some experience or majored in film for undergrad and know what you want to do). The 3 year or more programs cover just about everything to some extent.

Nota "Terminated!" Mono

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

quote:

Originally posted by NotaMono:
A one year (Non-degree) program will teach you how to use a light meter and some other equipment (Great stuff to know).

Nota "Terminated!" Mono

okay, before this post i had never even heard of an MFA, im not looking for that or a degree. my original question was are there any one year programs like you just mentioned? and what are some? any near north carolina especially?