School recommendations

[Jim Absher]

Hi all, long time listener, first time caller... I was hoping to get some advice from the braintrust here at the forum.

Long story short, I am looking for a film school with a well-rounded curriculum.  Unfortunately, attending a full time brick and mortar type of school is out of the question due to family responsibilities.  I am aware of the many online schools, which is probably the direction I am going... Is there any online school that you think stands out above the rest?

Also, I would be very interested in a school that does some sort of hybrid schedule.  For example: The majority of the class is online but a couple of weeks are in person.  I feel that having some actual hands on time would be extremely valuable.  This all being said, I haven't come across any programs like this.  Do you know of any?

Thanks for your help!

[Philip Forrest]

I'm not a cinematographer, nor do I plan on being one. I'm just a hobbyist with motion picture gear. That said, I come from a career in photojournalism and I'll honestly say that there is no replacement for experience. I was a photographer in the Navy and when I got out, I went to school to get my BA. I didn't learn anything about journalism in college that I didn't already know, but I did gain a great network, and a I minored in history, which was equally enriching, but I digress. While you want to go to school to learn a craft, what needs to happen is to do the craft in order to learn it. This isn't a great time to be getting into college to learn a craft like filmmaking or photography but at the same time, it's a great time for innovation and exploration. You might think about reaching out to whomever you can find just to be a PA, even as an intern, just to begin getting experience. I'm sure others will chime in here, but there is no substitute for the actual experience of flashing a can or magazine of film, or any of the other numerous mistakes you'll make on your journey.  Good luck!

Phil Forrest