Grad school a good idea for wannabe DP?

[John Crow]

So I never actually went to film school, I just started working on set as a PA after college and worked my way up to electrician. I'm doing pretty well free-lancing, but I'm starting to think what I really want to do is work as a DP. It seems like most of the really successful DPs I've worked with did some sort of film school to get where they are, so I'm now wondering if I should maybe give grad school a try and see if I can launch some kind of cinematrography career, I know it's long and expensive and a lot of people tell me it isn't worth it, but at the same time I don't know any good DPs who didn't go to school for it. Anybody have any thoughts or suggestions on this or recommendations for good programs to look into?

Thanks

[JD Hartman]

NYU has a program which is basically tailored for "real" people with "real" careers in other fields who want to enter the film world. From what I recall it emphasizes more of the nuts and bolts of production, fewer elective requirements and less of the BS. I've worked on quite a few grad school/master thesis films, both Columbia and NYU and found that the filmmakers were fairly clueless. They just lacked the total immersion of a four year undergraduate education. Having an undergrad law degree isn't necessarily helpful on set.

[Ben J]

You don't know any DP's that didn't go to film school?

 

Oh man...