Los Angeles Film School, AFI, Maine

[photogurl5]

I am trying to choose a film school and the more I look the harder it is. I have been looking at the Los Angeles Film School. Is it credible? I haven't been able to find much about it on the net other than their website.

 

Should I apply to AFI instead?

 

Or should I just go to the summer workshops in Maine?

 

I have a BFA in photography. I'm not sure I want to spend 3 more years in school and then start at the bottom with everyone else.

 

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[benspo111]

Hey,

I actually just visited the film school...it looked great, a great guy named tony gave me a tour, I saw students there working too. They are in the end process of getting credited, so you can apply for FAFSA, but for right now they have other loans. It looked great for cinematography and directing, production design all that. They were actually shooting a thesis project on one of there two huge sound stages, it was great too see, very proffessional and there were working professionals in hollywood just walking around the school it was kinda cool. the first couple weeks is boot camp you learn about all the equipment and right away start making short films. They are one of the first schools to get like 30 xl2's and they have some panasonic dvx100/a. They have film 16mm and 35mm, Panavision, they have everything you could need, you visit lighting companys for school trips, it looked great, I suggest going and checking it out. I am applying for sept. 2005.

[photogurl5]

I also visited LAFilm back in May, but wasn't convinced I would learn what I needed. Plus, I haven't heard anything about their reputation in the industry, other than they are owned by FullSail which has a horrible reputation for not delivering what they promise.

 

Does anyone know someone who went there? What was their skill level?

 

Is an AFI fellow really gauranteed more respect than a graduate from a different school?

[Tenolian Bell]

I wouldn't count on any film school guaranteeing you much of anything.

 

Outside of putting you into dept.

 

It's more your responsibility to take the expeirence and make something of it.

[billdillasc]

I wouldn't count on any film school guaranteeing you much of anything.

 

Outside of putting you into dept.

 

It's more your responsibility to take the expeirence and make something of it.

Tenobell makes a very good point in one regard. No one, film school or anyone else, can promise to make you a professional cinematographer. However I do believe that you can get more ou of a strong cinematography program than just debt.

 

I think you should demand three things from a cinematography program:

 

1.) Real answers to hard questions. You should be both challenged to ask them and you should receive the info you need in order to answer those questions yourself. You should not be spoon fed.

 

2.) You should have the time away from commercial concerns to explore your own aesthetic. "What do I consider beautiful?" In fact, what is "beauty" anyway.

 

3.) You should learn the primacy of story over all other distractions. How do I engage in a dialogue with a director to ferret out what we all came here to say? In that regard, you should be asking yourself: "Why are we making this movie?" "What have we come here, (at some considerable cost as well as some physical risk) to say?" "If this is all we came here for, why bother?"

 

If by the time you leave that program you haven't gotten these things, Tenobell is right, you've wasted your money and ,worse yet, your time. Life is short.

 

bd

[Eric Steelberg ASC]

Where do you want to be or what do you want to be doing once you get out of film school? That would help you get a better response. You are in a similar position I was. But instead of going to film school, I saved my time (and lots of money) by going the still photography route for a short time becuase I knew that translated to cinematography easily. Between that and shooting short films (and lots of books and movie rentals) I became more skilled to the point where now I'm able to support myslef and family as a DP. I did go to The Workshops for a couple weeks and had a good time, but didn't really learn anything knew. It WAS valuable to talk to other people and see how differently they approach the same problems.

 

If you're goal is to shoot, I would say take some workshop classes to get you familiar with motion picture photography. Film school won't guarantee anything. The only thing you will get is alot of friends competing for the same jobs once you graduate.

 

The other thing I always say is to take the money you'd spend on film school and make a couple of your own short films. You'll learn FAR more than you will in a organized environment where 'everything is given to you.' That's not real world and I don't understand how it trains people for the real world. It IS a good marketing tool though.

[Joe Black]

I work in a Post Production house in Burbank.

During season, we see alot of indie work & student work.

The most impressive stuff I have seen in terms of "film quality" has probably been the reels I have seen coming from USC. I've seen a couple from AFI as well. And they look very impressive as well. The quality of their final projects is definitely film quality. But then there's those guys who walk in, have a $2000 camera/editing system budget who did it all on their own, which can be pretty damn impressive as well.

 

But that doesn't mean the stories to their movies made any sense.

 

I have to watch movies/shows all day. But I would much rather watch an okay sound, Sony TRV900 shot edited on Final Cut Pro 2 movie that made sense and had a good story on a VHS, over something shot 35mm with perfect lighting & color correction post processed, edited through Avid with a $#!TTY story on a digibeta(or just one of those "artistic" movies you are supposed to analyze) any day.

 

My schooling was 3D animation. The only thing my schooling was good for was showing me what competition for a job will have to be. In the end... most the "work" experience I actually used and did, were much different techniques than in school. In school, stuff is handed to you. But in the real world, you might have a 1-hour show you've been editing for 2 weeks... and the hard drive crashes a day before deadline... "what are you going to do?" Now that to me is the best schooling experience.

 

I say, get to know as many people you can in the field you want to get into... because I think (especially in Hollywood) if you get a job, it'll be because of someone you know or were referred by. I don't think I know a single person in the pre production or post production biz who got a job just by walking in the door. Everyone I know, knew someone.

[Ellen D. McCarn]

I've taken several courses at the Workshops in Maine, and I was quite pleased with them. If you're looking for a "crash" course, and not wanting to spend more time in school, I highly recommend them. They are VERY intensive, but well worth it. In the AC class, we learned 8 or 9 camera systems, top to bottom, in a week. I can't claim I remembered everything, but I had a very good basis to work from afterwards. I highly recommend bringing a tape recorder or camcorder, etc. That week goes so fast, so it's nice to have that reference for later. After that, it's all what you make of the experience.

[Elhanan Matos]

I don't think I know a single person in the pre production or post production biz who got a job just by walking in the door. Everyone I know, knew someone.

 

I would have to agree with that. A good school might get you some of the knowledge and a little bit of experience, but unfortunately that won't get you the job.

[Jared Hoy]

as a graduate of the Los Angeles Film School, I can say that it is a well taught experiance. The system is set up so as you may take as much away from the school as you want. When I walked through the doors after graduation I had some 47 films under my belt, student films, but experience, none the less. If you have questions and you want some answers, drop me an email -

 

jared@hcqproductions.com

[photogurl5]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to repsond to my questions, especially Bill Dill for telling me what to look for in a school. I've decided (for now) to go to LA Film. I thought about trying it on my own, but I hate reading manuals and learning hands-on is so much easier/faster for me.

 

Thanks again!

Jessica

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Hmm. Hates reading manuals, doesn't want to start at the bottom. Do I detect the next big music promo director?

 

Phil

[Guest razerfish]

Here's a funny little story that a DP in town related to me.

 

He said every year he gets a bunch of resumes from film school graduates wanting to be directors. He tells them to come scrub toilets and pull cables for a few weeks, then maybe they can get paid as grips and PA's.

 

Seems film school graduate doesn't really carry that much clout.

 

Why not hook up with people in the community and make short films. By the time you've made 4 or 5, you probably have more experience than the normal film school graduate, and you've saved a ton of money.

 

Or go to work as an apprentice of some sort, or start as a PA. Nobody is going to hire you as director unless A) you can write a helluva script that everybody wants and you hold hostage until they let you direct, or B) you just direct a feature yourself, assuming you can either write or found great material on your own, or C) you spend years inside the industry and catch a good break.

[Guest]

All excellent points on what any film school can not guarantee you.

 

Several studies have shown that five years after graduation, 95% of film school grads are no longer in a film related field. You can't live off of TV dinners and use the bus indefinately.

 

Knowing this fact, getting a BA while you get your film education is even more important, as you will most likely need your education to help you get into a different field down the road.

 

Even many commission sales jobs these days go to university grads over high school grads.

 

Point is, you never know when you'll need that degree to fall back on.

 

Richard