Winterreverie, I was actually thinking of PMing you on Friday and asking if you wouldn't mind showing me and my friend around the Dodge building... but I thought it was probably too last-minute to do something like that. I wish I had thought of it before I flew out to LA... it would have been nice meeting you!

Hey, Maseiya--

These photos are, well, bodacious. Just no other word.

They actually mix up my impressions a bit. I'd heard that AFI was a little run-down and depressing--but, from the pictures, I'd be inclined to describe it as fricking hot.

Sadly, UCLA looks like a pit, and Chapman looks like a suburban mall.

But I'm curious--were those your impressions, being there? I hear tell that you artistic types can fool me with your trick photography.

--IA

Wow-- what do your malls look like?

In all fairness-- chapman had many main campus shots depicted (and didn't show old town which is actually interspersed through the main campus and the film school), and didn't really show the highlights of the film school-- Just the foyer and the entrance. But it was a weekend and without our pass cards, it'd be difficult to get in to those areas. If I have time I'll see if I can't get other pics...

Hey, Winter--

Sorry! I didn't mean to trash your school. I was referring only to its depiction in a few snapshots. I'm sure it's lovely. I don't actually know much about it, but I have heard that it is very rich, and presumably, riches still buy beauty. (-:

--IA

Now that's a really interesting point you bring up, Icarus. =) Sure, my wide lens may trick your eyes in certain ways, but I think a lot of us read recently that AFI seemed to be a crusty, run-down and depressing place. Words, too, can be used to trick people. Especially since everyone has their own impressions of places, and once something becomes a memory things get a little more hazy in the recalling.

Which is precisely why I went to visit AFI for a second time in a year. I took a campus tour last May, and I remember falling in love with it. I didn't, unfortunately, sit in on any classes back then, but everyone that I talked to about the Institution only had good things to say. (I have yet to encounter anyone who regrets their decision to study there, and I've talked with a LOT of Fellows.) I decided interviewing at the Conservatory would be a good idea, because, as I've said before, memories sometimes don't match up to the reality, and I was wondering if AFI really WAS a depressing place... I wondered if maybe I had romanticized AFI a bit too much in my head, and had done so more and more as the months passed.

That was actually detrimental. When I walked into the school again last Friday, my rosy recollections were tainted with exactly those words--"crusty, run-down, depressing"--and I let those ideas run through my head as I looked at the school again. I understand it now, but as I stood on those steps I thought, "It IS crusty and run-down"--depressing didn't last--but as I walked around and took pictures and listened to the Fellows and the professors interact, the walls seemed to widen, the roof seemed higher, the whole place seemed to glow. My initial impression of AFI, from back in May, returned quickly. The negatives dissipated in the face of my actually being there again.

Friday night I sat in on Bill Dill's class--the Narrative Analysis, I think--which I would like to point out Chapman doesn't have, although Bill Dill teaches mainly at Chapman, and only the one class at AFI. Well, this class blew me away. We watched two Cycle 2 films which were very "student filmmaker-ish" (Bill Dill's words!), and while that certainly was sad to see, it was Bill Dill himself that gave inspiration. He's tough, brutal, completely honest--and he'll inspire you with what he has to say about your work. Well, he'll either inspire you, or he'll kill any aspirations or beliefs you may have about your natural talents. He told me he holds grit, hard work and tenacity over mere talent--he'd rather have a hard-working and tough student than a talented "I'm already brilliant" one.

One of the things he said that caught my ear (he said a bunch of things that caught me, but I'm not going to type them all down here) was in reply to a question I asked him: "Why are you so brutal?" He said, "I want to make these students disappointed in themselves for making absolute crap, which a lot of cycle productions [note: First-year short films] are. Sometimes a student will become so ashamed of turning in mediocre work that the next cycle film he makes is a complete turnaround, it's brilliant, it's what I want to see. But if I'm nice and comforting, and I say 'Oh, this was good, but why don't you try...?' then they'll ALWAYS come back with the EXACT SAME MISTAKES in their next films, and I'm like, 'What the devil??' So that's why I'm tough and completely honest. Because it works."

Yeah. Also, I think many people here would be interested to know that Bill doesn't mind people coming to sit in on his class, so long as they sit behind his students (Fellows sit in front, visitors in back). I was informed by an amused 2nd year Cinematography Fellow that a lot of "spies" (students from other film grad schools such as UCLA, USC and Chapman ) come to Bill's AFI class because it's just so darn illuminating. But Bill likes to share the wealth of his knowledge (is the impression I got), and as far as I know he's never told anyone to leave his class.

As I said before, and I know Bandar will be happy with this: our art and our knowledge is all meant to be shared. As Bandar told me yesterday, If you're scared to share your ideas, if you're afraid they'll be stolen, you'll never make it. You'll never be seen. (Plus even if someone else stole your idea, it's not like they could execute it the same way you could... and what's the chance they'll do a better job than you? Believe in yourself!)

Hmm... I sidetracked, sorry.... This is becoming quite a long post, but I've been meaning to type this up for a while now, so please bear with me.

Anyway, there are numerous reasons why I hold AFI high in my opinion, but I can't honestly say I know enough about the other film grad schools out there to say "it's definitely the best!!!!11!1" I only know what works for me, and AFI works for me. (One reason is Bill Dill, and I've heard a Cinematography Fellow say he went to AFI solely because of him.)

As I've said before, I probably failed in showing UCLA at its best, one because I used flash photography, two because there was no one about when I went and so I had no way of knowing how to present its facilities in an optimal way.

As for Chapman, Winterreverie is right in that I only showed a few angles of the Dodge building. I have a lot more photos of Chapman, actually, but most of them are hallway shots. A lot of the rooms I passed were filled with busy film students, and I have a few with people who would be easily recognized, but I don't want to put those up, for reasons I mentioned before. Chapman is a very rich school, and it shows. And they don't flaunt it or anything, everything is tastefully presented, and the whole building is airy and full of bright light, and it's all very calming. I love architecture, and I love pretty modern buildings, and Chapman's Dodge building is definitely one of those.

Chapman's feel is very different from AFI, and I'm sure that anyone who visits both schools, half will prefer Chapman, and half will prefer AFI--based on their looks alone. I can't speak for anyone else, and I know this, so please don't think I'm trying to sway anyone on which is better, AFI or Chapman. Actually, if I don't get in to AFI this year, I'll be applying to AFI and Chapman next year. That's how much I like Chapman. (But I still like AFI better.)

I would also like to say that I saw two first-year films from Chapman grads. One of them was mediocre... really mediocre. Worse than the two AFI films I saw. The other one was AMAZING. Seriously. I was wondering why the guy was even in school, 'cause his work was so damn good already. I did hear that this guy was the best first-year Director in Chapman as of right now, but it doesn't matter: of the two schools, the best student film I saw was a Chapman student's work.

When I talked briefly about this with Stephen Lighthill (head of the Cinematography department at AFI), he said he was sure there are jewels at Chapman... as there are jewels at AFI, and at every major film grad school. That makes sense, and I wouldn't honestly say that Chapman's students are OVERALL better than AFI's students, or the other way around. There are brilliant students everywhere, but I don't think that should sway you, either.

I talked with maybe two students in Chapman's Dodge building, and both were EXTREMELY nice and helpful. As AFI's students are extremely nice and helpful.

The best thing to do is follow Jayimess' advice, and visit each school you want to apply to and get a feel for it, and TALK to as many students and faculty as you can. Research always pays off.

These photos of mine are partly meant to challenge whatever preconceived notions people may have had of AFI, because of what a few disappointed people may want to project upon others.

Also, to any other Cinematography applicants out there--I've heard/read from several sources that AFI is the best school concerning that discipline. (Another reason why I only applied there.) This could change, of course--everything changes, slowly and minutely, and all this will show over time. As of right now, though, AFI is the top choice especially for Cinematography students. I'm not sure about the other disciplines, but if anyone has anything to say about these (of AFI's, or any other school's), I'd be glad to learn about them.

=)

Wow-- what an informative post. I love how positive you are about things in general-- especially Bill Dill-- I know he's knocked the wind out of a few people.

We actually DO have the class Bill Dill was teaching-- Its actually split into two classes and tend to be taught by the screen writing professors vs. the cine profs. Its called short film Form and feature analysis.

I was wondering who's films you saw when you visited and which films they were? For the most part no one's done more than short exercises on DV, the first year major chapman project is the 321 which begins filming this weekend-- So I was wondering what you saw. Also, I want to know who really thinks they're the best LOL. You can PM me if thats more comfortable for you.

Oh and Icarus-- I wasn't offended-- i just wondered what your malls look like--Cause I've never though chapman looked like one (and I'm assuming you're speaking more of the main campus.

Thanks, Winterreverie!

Aha, I was wondering why the class was offered at AFI and not at Chapman, when Bill Dill is heading the Cinematography department there now. An AFI Fellow told me that the class was exclusive to AFI, but I'm glad to be corrected, as I was thinking that Chapman was lacking without that class. Now I know better, and I'm happy for Chapman. It'll definitely make it easier when I apply to Chapman next year, if I don't get accepted into AFI this year.

I saw two 7-8-9 projects, as well as other shorts. I'll PM you and let you know the Director's name, but I don't remember the other guy's name (the one who was mediocre). I only remember the first guy's name because I made sure to write it down so I could look him up on Facebook... which I still haven't done, but I'll do in a moment. =)

wow. Maseiya that was perhaps the longest post i've ever seen on here. But I was able to hold my attention span together long enough to get through it. I'm really glad you spilled your love for AFI. Personally all the research I've done on the school really turned me off. I think it's b/c i'm a producer applicant and I'm weary as to why they can't fill all their producer spots. The down side is now I think I only got an interview because they're desperate for people. But whatever. Play the system whichever way you can I say.

Yeah, sorry. I know I'm not the best writer out there. Which is why I'm not applying for Screenwriting, but Cinematography. I think only the best of writers can really get their points across online and also be as brief as they want to be.

I'm like Romeo or Juliet where AFI is concerned right now; I'm going to say a lot of things that may be too sweet for your tooth. If you like that kind of thing, that's fine. If you don't, that's fine too.

Honestly, I don't really care if anyone likes my posts or not; that doesn't matter. What matters is whether other people benefit from what knowledge I have to share about AFI, and especially for other Cinematography applicants out there--sorry if that didn't come across all that well.

Good luck in your search, redpokiepenguin, I hope it'll bear fruit in the end. =)

I have nothing in defense about AFI's producing discipline, since that is not what I looked out for.

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

I haven't been able to go ninja-ing yet, but I probably will tonight. I'll also try to see if I can get some pictures of the current facilities (shouldn't be too hard).

Oh, and if you get inside Chapman, it DEFINATLEY isn't a mall. Absolutely stunning facilities.

ninja mission failed on my part. i got kicked out of a lot of places as soon as i took a camera out. that and i think i broke my memory card so it's only taking about 10 pictures. i can report on what i saw though.

i got a little tour of the lucas post production building. there were about 4-5 flat bed editing tables. Maybe 6, but i didn't see around the corner. 3 private editing rooms for documentary. A huge room, shaped like a figure eight with about 20-30 PCs (i'm estimating numbers based on what i saw, could be way off) with avid for intermediate/advnaced editing. It was really dark inside, no windows, etc. A second rectangular room, better lit, had 20-30 Macs. He also showed me the decks for converting film to digital and about 15 G5 macs plowing away.

I peaked into a sound stage but got shoo-ed away pretty fast. I'll post pictures when i'm not on the road..so about next week or so.

my general impression is that it's....aesthetically boring. There's no great architecture, wide open spaces or even new looking facilities. In fact I thought it looked a little old. Probably why they're building something new. The film area is also small. I think i would use the phrase labyrinth to describe it because really there are stairs everywhere, dead-end hallways and dark corners.

Labyrinth is actually a pretty good word for the Lucas complex. And yes, the current architecture is a tad on the boring/old side (it was all built in the early 80's - what do you expect?). That is exactly why the new building is being built - I don't think USC (or Lucas) liked not having the best film school facilities.