Where can i go to get the best cinematography education?

D.Shkoditch · April 8, 2006

Im currently applying to USC, NYU, SUNY Purchase, New School, and SVA

Its looking more and more like im going to SVA. But i was wondering if anyone knew where i would get the best cinematography trainning?

Dominik Muench · April 8, 2006

i have no clue about US schools but....the best education usually doesnt depend so much on the teacher but on the student, if you truly want to learn about cinematography the school is only one of many helpful ways. read books about cinematography, talk to people here in the forum and most of all....the best theorie alone doesnt help anyone. if you get the chance to work on a production then do it, or even better, go out and shoot the sh.... out of everythign you can :)

good luck with your application.

timHealy · April 8, 2006

I went to RIT in Rochester which was a good experience but I think most undergrad film programs teach the overall beginning to end filmmaking process. One doesn't really get completely trained in any one discipline or craft. You could try and focus on cinematography by shooting all of your classmate work, but your time may be limited by the requirements of all of your classes.

All of these schools are different with respective pros and cons so do your homework and look at the programs. I personally did not want to go to say USC becasue of their very competitive practices. Correct me if I am mistaken, but if things are the same I think you may not even get to make a senior thesis if your ideas aren't good enough. You may wind up just crewing on the films of others.

But I agree with Dmuench. Shoot everything you can and watch movies voraciously. Try and emulate what you see and learn some basics about electricity.

Best

Tim

Ram Shani · April 8, 2006

hi

i don't agree with dmuench its true that it also deppend om the student

BUT

good school with big name in the industry will give you a much better start point when you finish it

and good school with big name has better lectures more equpment and more support for the student

pepole will look at you differnt if you study at AFI USC NYU UCLA then same schooll from i dont know were

its like product you by you allways looking for the name even if its not a better product

for me its allways been AFI for cinematography i think its the top school in the heart of hollywood

Scott Fritzshall · April 9, 2006

Actually, my school, Columbia College Chicago, allows you to specialize in just about every area of filmmaking if you want, including Cinematography. They've got a pretty in-depth curriculum for it, so you can learn a lot and get a lot of experience if you really push yourself. I don't know if it's the best cinematography education, but it's a lot more than you can get at many schools.

Edited April 9, 2006 by Scott Fritzshall

Robert Hughes · April 9, 2006

My wife worked at Columbia College, Chicago years ago - didn't know they had a film dep't.

If you're going to school to make powerful contacts, you'll need to go to a big name school. But if you're going to learn the craft, plenty of places will meet your needs - if you are willing to bust your butt and apply yourself. In my experience, most students wait to have their courseware served up to them on a silver platter by their instructors and make hardly enough effort to pass, let alone excel. But some become President that way, so maybe I'm all wet :blink:

If you expect to buy your way into the field without committing yourself, all out, you might as well spend the money on an MBA, which will net you a lot more cash in the long run.

Edited April 9, 2006 by Robert Hughes

Kirk Anderson · April 9, 2006

hey if you got 40k a year to blow on film school at USC, UCLA, NYU etc. you should go do it hands down.

If you're like me and support your own college education and would like to be less than $200,000 in debt by the time you graduate you should check out.

1) San Francisco State University. Awesome film school I'm currently attending very frequently named as number 5 best film school in the nation, behind, NYU, USC, UCLA, Loyola. Great teachers, sound stages, and in state tuition costs me around $5000 a year. supported mainly by Coppola and Lucas

2)Montana State Bozeman. Very Very up and coming film school, supported by redford. THey also run the local PBS station so you get to work on live television and editing sooner than anywhere else.

just my two cents. I wish my mommy and daddy would pay the Dean so I could go to USC or NYU, but they don't. and yes i am slightly bitter. check these out, best education for your buck and you'll meet the working man's filmmaker, not the spoiled child filmmaker.

Rik Andino · April 9, 2006

Im currently applying to USC, NYU, SUNY Purchase, New School, and SVA

Its looking more and more like im going to SVA.

But i was wondering if anyone knew where i would get the best cinematography trainning?

The BEST is always subjective...

With that said most consider the Top 3 schools for filmmaking to be USC, UCLA, & NYU

& most people agree that AFI probably has the one of the best cinematography courses in the USA

All these school are extremely selective and their programs are very competetive.

If you're undergraduate I recommend you check our Brooklyn College

http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/film/

It's one of the best undergraduate filmschools in the East Coast

It's cinematography program is better than SUNY Purchase and The New School and it's less selective

And it's cheaper than SVA and NYU's undergrad program.

If you're an undergrad it's recommended you don't spend to much for your undergrad education...

Because you'll wind up going to grad school anyways

So it's better to spend the money on your grad education and not your undergraduate eductation

Besides 4 years later you might not want to be a filmmaker

So what are you going to do with your expensive film school degree?

Eitherways

Good luck

Scott Fritzshall · April 10, 2006

My wife worked at Columbia College, Chicago years ago - didn't know they had a film dep't.

O___o That's odd. It's the largest film school in the country.

Matt Workman · April 14, 2006

I go to the University of Rochester, not to be confused with RIT.

The extent of our "cinematography" program includes a PD150 and 2 lowell kits. Its a liberal arts college, :unsure: But we have a great film theory program linked with the Eastman house.

What is great about the UR is their study abroad program. For the past 2 years I've been in NYC working at production companies as an intern and getting full credit for it. This semester I got to 2nd AC on a feature shot in NYC. I've also been shooting music videos and shorts with NYU students and independent companies.

While my school doesn't have its own 16mm/35mm cameras its flexible enough for me to learn on my own. Not many students get to take a month off to work on a feature.

In my opinion school can be a drag and turn fun subjects into horribly boring lectures and pointless labs. Not to mention fighting for equipment, actors, crew with no money.

It is quite possible to turn a small liberal arts education into a decent cinematography program by working on set and reading books and forums, but mostly working on set.

My two cents :ph34r: :ph34r: NINJA NINJA

Stephen Whitehead · May 3, 2006

Consider studying in Eastern Europe, like Poland or Moscow. Some of the Best cinematographers I've worked with come from that part of the world. They have a whole different mentality to them. I think to often north american Filmmakers learn to create film from an entertainment/business standpoint. In eastern europe cinematographers focus more on the art, making them in many instances far more well rounded than their north american counterparts...

jdtranetzki · May 4, 2006

Consider studying in Eastern Europe, like Poland or Moscow. Some of the Best cinematographers I've worked with come from that part of the world. They have a whole different mentality to them. I think to often north american Filmmakers learn to create film from an entertainment/business standpoint. In eastern europe cinematographers focus more on the art, making them in many instances far more well rounded than their north american counterparts...

could you name a couple in poland and moscow. I would be interested in checking them out.