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Hello,

 

I found these two articles about the Top Ten Schools in UK & US. I'm mostly agreed but I wonder what this type of ranking can worth? I mean is this accurate? I know finding an University can be confusing.I know I'm confused myself right now looking for mine. But I wonder....

 

So In you opinion What are the best school and do you think, this kind of ranking is trustable?

 

Here the links

 

http://talesfromtheargo.com/uk-film-schools/

 

http://talesfromtheargo.com/top-us-film-schools/

 

 

Cheers Guys

 

PS : I read a lot of Bad reviews on MET Film School but apparently now it's recommended by NFTS???

 

https://nfts.co.uk/sign-me-up/pathways-nfts

 

What do you think of that as well?

 

 

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Really? Where is that data coming from?

 

Spielberg was famously turned down by USC...twice. Never went to any film school before he made JAWS.

 

Cameron was a truck driver before going into film and was self taught.

 

R,

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Really? Where is that data coming from?

 

Spielberg was famously turned down by USC...twice. Never went to any film school before he made JAWS.

 

Will the BBC do?

CSU 1965-8, returned and graduated in film and electronic arts in 2001.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1988770.stm

James Cameron read physics at CSU.

To be fair to him Axel didn't say film school.

Edited by Mark Dunn
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What I was trying to point out is that the two most commercially successful filmmakers of all time did not go to film school. Of course there's a long list of others that skipped the film school experience as well, which calls into question the entire point of going.

 

(Steven Spielberg is about to graduate from California State University, 33 years after he dropped out to start his film career.)

 

My alma mater, BYU, has won 5 student Academy Awards and 12 student Emmys (which I think is a record) and it wasn't mentioned on the US list.

 

R,

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Hello!

 

 

Thanks Mark for pointed out I didn't say film school!

 

An If I may quote Wikipedia:

 

"After moving to California, he applied to attend the film school at University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television two separate times, but was unsuccessful. He subsequently became a student at California State University, Long Beach."

 

"Cameron enrolled at Fullerton College, a two-year community college, in 1973 to study physics. He switched to English, then dropped out before the start of the fall 1974 semester."

 

But I was wondering if this kinda of raking was worth something? Of course when you are as talented as this two are! You need no film school or University but what is it for the common men?

 

So allow me to ask again:Do you think this kind of Raking worth something?

 

A.

Edited by Axel Morin
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I'm currently at a highly ranked university (at least in this neck of the woods). But seriously I wouldn't know it...

 

The rankings often reflect anything but the student experience.

 

Then again, a lower ranked one I attended previously wasn't any better, so go figure.

Edited by Chris Millar
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Your links all discuss film schools. Point remains....neither Cameron nor Spielberg graduated from any university in any program, before making it big in the film industry.

 

R,

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Hello,

 

I see your point Richard! But I'm just gone quote Martin Scorsese's Wikipedia page!

 

"Scorsese enrolled in NYU’s University College of Arts and Science, (now known as the College of Arts and Science), where he earned a B.A. in English in 1964. He went on to earn his M.F.A. from NYU’++s School of the Arts (now known as the Tisch School of the Arts) in 1966, a year after the school was founded."

 

Or Georges Lucas "Lucas then transferred to the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. USC was one of the earliest universities to have a school devoted to motion picture film."

 

See they went to film school / film studies at university! And I don't say one way is better than the other.

 

I'm just asking for example let say I want to go back to school to study Cinematography! And I want to do a really good school! do you think I can trust this ranking?

 

A.

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I'm currently at a highly ranked university (at least in this neck of the woods). But seriously I wouldn't know it...

The rankings often reflect anything but the student experience.

Then again, a lower ranked one I attended previously wasn't any better, so go figure.

Hello Chris,

 

Can I ask which one you attended? And in which one you are now?

 

Cheers

 

A.

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Keep in mind I didn't say film school either :)

 

Auckland University Architecture undergrad

Melbourne University Engineering masters

ETH Zurich was on the cards for next year to complete it (Disney Research!). But I've got a tempting project right here locally that l'd be silly to not take advantage of.

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What I was trying to point out is that the two most commercially successful filmmakers of all time did not go to film school. Of course there's a long list of others that skipped the film school experience as well, which calls into question the entire point of going.

 

(Steven Spielberg is about to graduate from California State University, 33 years after he dropped out to start his film career.)

 

My alma mater, BYU, has won 5 student Academy Awards and 12 student Emmys (which I think is a record) and it wasn't mentioned on the US list.

 

R,

Actually Richard, Spielberg did go to Cal State Long Beach and has already graduated from there a few years ago. He had to finish his studies in the film program in order to graduate. His graduate film that he turned in was Schindler's List! Isn't that hilarious? Only reason I know this is that I graduated from there as well back in the early 1980s.

 

G

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Buuuuuuut, again, neither Spielberg nor Cameron graduated from film school before they made it big in film.

 

And I wasn't talking about Scorsese or Lucas. Spielberg and Cameron.

 

I swear on this forum I could post, "the earth is a sphere," and that comment would be met with 15 people explaining why the earth is not a sphere plus links to support their position. :blink:

 

R,

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Actually Richard, Spielberg did go to Cal State Long Beach and has already graduated from there a few years ago. He had to finish his studies in the film program in order to graduate. His graduate film that he turned in was Schindler's List! Isn't that hilarious? Only reason I know this is that I graduated from there as well back in the early 1980s.

 

G

 

 

I can't believe that he turned in Schinder's List, that's unfair and hilarious! I hope he got honours! :)

 

Best!

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Buuuuuuut, again, neither Spielberg nor Cameron graduated from film school before they made it big in film.

 

And I wasn't talking about Scorsese or Lucas. Spielberg and Cameron.

 

I swear on this forum I could post, "the earth is a sphere," and that comment would be met with 15 people explaining why the earth is not a sphere plus links to support their position. :blink:

 

R,

 

 

Yes I understand that! And I understand your point!

 

But:

 

- They are genius

- They started in a really different Times.

- They had really amazing ideas

- You can't do a generality after two guys and ESPECIALLY this two.

- For a Simple FACT there are not REPRESENTATIVE of the most of us!

- Spielberg came back to finish his degree even if didn't need it anymore

 

 

I see you point but you seem have trouble to see mine, maybe if you took a step back and look at my question differently, you will see

 

I'm not saying you are wrong just I'm asking opinions about these articles

 

Best wishes

 

A.

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I would like to ask you a couple of questions that I asked myself when I was looking for a university, Axel.

 

What's your long - term plan?

Why do you want to go to school really?

Do you know what you miss in your education if you miss anything? If you know what you miss, get the school that is the best at it.

Do you want a general cinematography course or you want something more specific?

Do you think you will find it in a school rather than on set?

 

And the most important thing, are you capable of being in a school non - stop without working at all for 2 years?

The Cinematography Masters in NFTS is not very expensive (according to USA standards) but it's expensive enough to ask yourself that question, you will need a Bachelor's Degree to get accepted too.

If you are taking a look at, let's say, AFI in the States, it is €120.000 the two years, living expenses included if you live cheaply, you will need at least 100 out of 120 in the TOEFL exam.

 

If I were you I'd suggest going to the Open Days in the different schools to ask around, usually students don't lie about the courses and you can get a bit of knowledge of the school by doing that plus you will get to know if that school in particular meets your needs and you can start networking also!

 

There are great cinematography masters in the East of Europe, Prague and Budapest have excellent cinematography courses and their aesthetics are definitely interesting, even more than the ones that they will teach you over the UK.

 

Best.

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Fine look at the big picture, the vast majority of film school graduates never earn a living in the film industry. The vast majority gravitate into other fields within 2-3 years after graduation.

 

A typical scenario is someone who graduates from film school with student loans. The loan company wants a payment every month, but you only work here and there and don't have a monthly pay cheque. Therefore paying back your student loan becomes a serious problem. Not to mention a landlord wants rent from you monthly whether you earn money or not. Plus you will need to eat at some point.

 

It's a tough scenario to deal with.

 

R,

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Don't have much time... but to answer the original question as best I can... that list looks quite poor. It looks like someone just googled for film schools and then tried to put them into a hierarchy based on what they could learn from their websites and if they are based in London.

 

Obviously missing are places like the Surreny Institute of technology and Bournemouth just right off the top of my head and erm Raindance is included and not these places? Quite odd.

 

The only thing I really agree with in that list is that the NTFS should be number 1 as indeed it is the main destination for anyone who has any kind of hope of having a career in the field. It is the most respected institution above anywhere else and is where you are likely to make the best contacts for the future which is way more important that collecting pointless bits of paper.

 

Freya

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Ah schools again.Still this is big life changing question to me.Im from Turkey working in the industry for 5 years high scool graduated applied 2 times film schools and turned down.Somehow i found someone from web and offered my free work to get in industry.After 1 year internship i became AC /DIT.worked non stop and purchased Red Scarlet then Epic now i own Dragon and various film equipments.shot few music videos and in a year im sure i ll dp' on commercials too.Question is playing big ,whether i stay in my country and be standart DP or move U.S /UK get in film school,sell all of my investment/ equipment pay tuition.Start from zero and try to be DP in there..Sounds like gambling isnt it :)

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