Full Sail

[Wes Shinn]

haha. Ok. Shoot.

[John Schlater II]

I think the last three posts were really valuable. You all had some really good points.

 

School gives you excellent networking ability. A LOT of Full Sail students that I went to school with are actually working in L.A. and New York. Some landed really cool jobs. I do envy them in that regard but...none of them...at least so far...aren't making the money I am making. Who's to say that they won't though? Not me. I think they are all very capable filmmakers and workers. They have the knowledge to support their work. Some DID give up. Like...they went to L.A....lived 5 people to a 2 bedroom and floundered in looking for work. They gave up...went back to mommy and daddys house and waited for something to hit them in the head. These are the types of ignorant people that expected their degrees to magically land them on a big Hollywood set or on Skywalker Ranch or something.

 

School is what you make of it. I quite honestly had no outlet for film/video production in my city where I came from. I wasn't ever involved in video classes in high school or even my 1st college. I actually got a B.A. in Communication before I went to F.S. So I had one better on a lot of students. Most of all, I knew how to study. A lot of young F.S.r's didn't. I had no clue about how to set lighting or audio recording or film cameras or...pretty much anything that had to do with production. I had no clue but I wanted to know. I applied at a few local colleges for Film. Like the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. They have an excellent experimental film program there but they only accept like 10 students a semester!!!! I was like...that is so stupid! They have this ideal there that "not all film students are created equal". Like...someone that is interested isn't good enough. They had to have actual film experience before they apply!!! Where was I going to get film experience BEFORE college in WI? No where. I wanted to GO to college to get experience!!! Duh. What is school for? To learn...to gain experience. For them to deny people on the basis of being underexperienced is ludicris. Seriously. Does that make any sense?

 

So...I too checked out Emerson College in Boston and FSU in Florida and Columbia in Chicago and AFI in Calli and you know what? All of them had these extreme academic requirements for entry. None of which I had because lets face it...I was no A student in High School. I had ADD and learning for me was difficult...UNLESS it was something I was REALLY interested in. In this case...at FS...I rapidly accelerated in this school very quickly. The way they design the school was actually good for me in the end. Its an immersive environment. You are totally surrounded by gear almost every single day. We could touch it and work with it and when we had shoots...the shoots were designed around learning. The teachers didn't do anything for us...we did everything on our own. Like on a real film shoot.

 

Landon...your right. At Full Sail...if you want to be a UPM or a 1st A.D. you better show that to your peers and teachers. Its a 50-50 thing. If you don't show the zeel for your chosen position...you won't land that job on the set. After all...to get the position on set...we had to apply for the position like a job. The teachers hired us for our positions. I was in the camera department all the time. I didn't want to know anything BUT camera. I DID on the other hand have a lot of experiences that allowed me to become more well rounded. In my present position...I am a "Jack Of All Trades". I learned a little bit of everything from F.S. and my fellow students too. In my real life job...I am satisifed with what I know. F.S. also taught that learning was not going to end when we graduated...that we should keep current on new technology and continue to learn from people as time goes on but also get ready to teach what we were taught too. For those of you that work regularly in this field...you know that you work with people everyday ...like the newbie P.A.'s...that you have to show them how to do stuff...so they also taught us to have patience with our peers!

 

When they say Real World Education...they mean it. I am just now understanding this. I also have regrets that I was a trouble maker for that school at some points. I should've been much more forgiving to some people. It was hard at points and stress will sometimes turn you into some body that your not.

 

Now let's talk about the price. This was the big thing for most people. I got an A.S. from there. I spent 26K on the degree program and 22K on living expenses. I am not sure of their B.A. program or its cost but I would never pay 60K for a B.A. from FS. They are known as a Tech school...their B.A.'s aren't going to be worth as much as some other B.A.'s I am very proud of my B.A in Comm. from the University of WI-Parkside in Kenosha, WI I got in 2000. Honestly...if you can get an A.S. in Film/Video I think that is the best thing. Its a technical field and naturally...a tech degree would be a very good choice.

 

I agree with your arguement Landon...about buying equipment and making 4 feature films. Lets just say I did that and didn't go to school. I tell you the truth...from my viewpoint...I'd have a whole bunch of quality equipment but no idea how to use the stuff. At least by going to school I was able to gain a practial methodical approach to film/video production. And it really does show. When I go out to help people in the school district I work for...I REALLY know what I am doing. I blow people out of the water with how fast I can get things done and solve problems. Although I work in a school district...it would be the same thing for a production company or a film set. I get the job done quickly and efficently. Now instead of having 40K worth of equipment...I have a job that pays 50K a year and the ability in the future to move on to a even better job that pays even more AND I have the education to back me up.

 

Lastly I would like to appoligize if I have irk'd anyone with my antics...its just that I get a little peeved when someone bashes FS like it is a POS school with nothing going for it...because that is the farthest thing from the truth. If somebody were to go to FS...and they were serious about their studying...they could actually be the next big thing IF the cards come up in their favor. Seriously...don't let the negitive hype that surrounds FS at times fool you...when your considering a school...I would say look at the equipment first...and try to go somewhere that has as new of equipment as possible because your not going to break into the film industry working on WWII Bell & Howell's.

Edited January 31, 2006 by John Schlater II

[Stephen Williams]

From your website:

"While HD( High - Definition ) is rather new, it is becoming ever more so popular. It is cheaper than film and looks just as good. In fact, HD is so good the post-production process is about 50% faster unless you attend on doing telecine. Using this new intermediate can elimate the painful process of waiting for 35mm film to develop. Whats so amazing about it as that is this HDCAM solution has the same resolution as film.

 

There are many ways that you can subsitute HD instead of a 35mm or 16mm film camera. You can rent our purchas a 35mm adapter so that you can fit the prime lenses by whom you desire. The HD lenses canon makes for the camera might be superb for that documentary, but, if you want to squeeze out more depth of field the prime lenses are the way to go. Perhaps the coolest part about the camera is the paint box settings. You can play with the color settings of your subject on the fly with percision. That maybe what seperates from film camera's. It the painful process of waiting for color correction."

 

I don't think you'll find many people who agree with your assessments on this forum. Also, I know of a good copywriter if you're interested... ;)

 

Hi Brian,

 

Thanks for those quotes, they made me laugh! The website seems to be down, just linking to Microsoft right now.

 

Cheers,

 

Stephen

[Chris Fernando]

Think there's a future in proofreading for a film school grad?

[Brian Wells]

Thanks for those quotes, they made me laugh! The website seems to be down, just linking to Microsoft right now.

Sometimes you just can't make these things up! The website is online. Try removing the first set of "http's" from the link. Then, it should work.

 

Cheers!

[Stephen Williams]

Sometimes you just can't make these things up! The website is online. Try removing the first set of "http's" from the link. Then, it should work.

 

Cheers!

 

Hi Brian,

 

His site www.wesshinn.com has made my day! He also offers himself as a writer.

 

I like this quote"The average 35mm feature film costs anywhere from $500,000 to $800,000 for the film alone!.If one were to shoot the same project in HD, the total HD cam cost would be around $15,000."

 

Cheers,

 

Stephen

[John Hoffler]

Hey, new guy here! Resurrecting an old thread!

 

I've been reading these forums for a few months now and I just took the Full Sail Tour and wanted to ask some more opinions of the school. (yes I read all the posts above)

 

It is now $62,000 for the 21 month program (plus you have to buy a $5,000 MacBook Pro....it's only $2,500 for the students though). It's a Bachelor's Degree Program and they've added a few new things to the school (3 new soundstages/film center etc.)

 

I was really stoked coming out of there (they're excellent at "selling" the school) and due to my not-so-great high school track record (dropped out so I could work fulltime b/c I couldn't pay my rent, but I did get my GED)I probably don't stand a chance of getting into FSU, USC, UCLA etc....

 

I've been studying everything I can about cinematography...(I bought almost every book recommended by this site off of Amazon and read them all exstensively/i've got a 3CCD Mini DV Cam to fool with)...and it seems like an endless amount of info, most of which probably needs to be learned hands on....and I was curious if Full Sail was the type of place where I could REALLY get the education I need. If I'm going to drop $60,000+ i want it to be worth it. I'm not going to bust my ass at a school that won't benefit me.

 

Any more responses or recommendations would be really appreciated!

Edited April 3, 2007 by John Hoffler

[Adam Butterworth]

I've heard of Full Sail and, as far as I know people like it. Personally though, I don't think school is worth it. If you have a 3ccd camera now make some films get good and work on some indie projects. That's what I hope to do after I finish my degree in web design.

Don't take my opinions to heart though, I'm only a student and I have no industry experience.

Edited April 3, 2007 by Adam Butterworth

[Brian Wells]

I was curious if Full Sail was the type of place where I could REALLY get the education I need.

What kind of education do you think you need? Only networking will get you into the film industry. What matters is that you get along real well with people. If you do, you're much closer to finding work than someone with a lot of knowledge that no-one likes to be around, imo. All the technical skills you need to know will come to you with experience, but a positive attitude and solid work ethic (can-do attitude) are the most important skills you can bring to a set... those are the skills people are looking for in new crew members.

[James Brown]

> Only networking will get you into the film industry

> What matters is that you get along real well with people

 

Brian makes great points. If you start throwing your reel at people screaming "hire me hire me, i went to UCLA/SAIL/AFI" you will be quick to get the cold shoulder.

 

People from all disciplines need to warm to you. Be courteous, confident and passionate. School doesn't teach you that.

[Brian Dzyak]

Hey, new guy here! Resurrecting an old thread!

 

I've been reading these forums for a few months now and I just took the Full Sail Tour and wanted to ask some more opinions of the school. (yes I read all the posts above)

 

It is now $62,000 for the 21 month program (plus you have to buy a $5,000 MacBook Pro....it's only $2,500 for the students though). It's a Bachelor's Degree Program and they've added a few new things to the school (3 new soundstages/film center etc.)

 

I was really stoked coming out of there (they're excellent at "selling" the school) and due to my not-so-great high school track record (dropped out so I could work fulltime b/c I couldn't pay my rent, but I did get my GED)I probably don't stand a chance of getting into FSU, USC, UCLA etc....

 

I've been studying everything I can about cinematography...(I bought almost every book recommended by this site off of Amazon and read them all exstensively/i've got a 3CCD Mini DV Cam to fool with)...and it seems like an endless amount of info, most of which probably needs to be learned hands on....and I was curious if Full Sail was the type of place where I could REALLY get the education I need. If I'm going to drop $60,000+ i want it to be worth it. I'm not going to bust my ass at a school that won't benefit me.

 

Any more responses or recommendations would be really appreciated!

 

As mentioned, school is only part of the equation to establishing a career. Except in extreme circumstances, the nicer people will get the calls for work and the arrogant pains in the butt will sit at home wondering why their genius isn't being recognized.

 

That said, you have to have a base knowledge in what you want to do. The arrogant guy who knows what he's doing technically is still better than the nice guy who is still finding his way.

 

So, with that in mind, you have to first figure out exactly what it is you want to do. Do you want to be the DP on features, episodics, music videos, movies of the week? Do you want to do high-profile studio projects or is the indy world more your style? Or do you prefer shooting corporate work, or documentary? Maybe live TV, like sports or live events?

 

Once you figure that out, find out what type of technical requirements you need to know. Features use different equipment than corporate work, for example. Also, the working protocols are very different in feature-type work than, say, in live TV.

 

The way you begin in various genre/media varies too. If you think you can start out at the "top" as the DP on a narrative project, then go for it. The other route is to work your way up through the Assistant chain. That could take years and doesn't guarantee that you'll ever be a DP. But neither does throwing yourself out in the market, particularly if you don't have the knowledge to pull it off. In contrast, there aren't a lot of "assisting" opportunities in the video/TV world, so you'll just suddenly have a camera on your shoulder one day.

 

So, back to your question. Is the school worth the money? The answer is a solid, maybe. It all depends on you. I can't speak to that specific program, but any schooling is better than none. You also have to combine that with real world experience eventually, which is where the practical knowledge will be gained. And you'll never stop learning. It comes down to understanding your own skills, your limitations, and making the decision to go out into the world when you think you know enough to make it happen. Some people might need to spend sixty grand in four years to be ready. Others may only need a month of hands-on and observation. There's no one way to do it and no path guarantees success or failure. The "cream" does not always rise to the top and there are some undeserving people getting work. All you can do is learn as much as you can in any way you can so that you are comfortable stepping behind a camera and knowing how to run the machine technically and knowing how to run the set efficiently and professionally. Anybody can learn to hit a button and make a shoot day happen. What excellent professionals get paid for is when things go wrong...or better yet, professionals have the depth of experience to forsee problems before they happen so that nothing goes wrong. When you feel like you can do that, then you're ready to go. If a school can teach you a portion of those skills, then maybe it's worth the time and money. If you can get that education in quicker, less expensive ways (like an internship?), then maybe that's the way for you.

 

 

Good luck!

[John Hoffler]

Thanks for the input. I really want to strive to be a DP on features. I'm probably going to write a million paragraphs now.............time for a life story.......lol

 

I've been floundering around in my career plans for the last few years with the mindset of "I can't afford the education/it'll be impossible to be a DP etc..etc.." and have always worked in customer service (restaurant management/waiting tables/sales) and the main selling point I have on my resume (b/c of the lack of college or High School diploma) are my references and recommendations for being a hard worker and being great with people. (not to toot my own horn or anything :D

 

I've always loved movies and the process of making them has always fascinated me. My family and wife has tolerated my film addiction for years (dragging them to indie films/small film festivals and my 1,400+ DVD's :P )

 

The bug to make movies was really planted when I started really listening to commentaries on DVD tracks. That's when I suddenly began to notice all the subtle nuances of the camerawork and lighting to evoke mood and change the dynamic of a scene. One of the standouts was a dvd feature about Conrad Hall's work on American Beauty....it was short feature that showed storyboards and then the corresponding scenes, but Sam Mendes pointed out the lighting work and how it played into the story........it hadn't occured to me all the little things that went into what I thought was just "lighting a room"

 

I began seriously thinking about doing something in the field. It seemed I worked SO HARD at my other jobs and was SO UNHAPPY at the end of the day and wanted to escape into my "little world of movies" as my mom used to call it.

 

But I became almost obsessed with being a DP after watching "Children of Men" Lubeski's camera work and the production design had my jaw on the floor. During the car scene and the ghetto battle I was just elbowing my friend going "I don't see a cut! Where are they cutting??? This is impossible!?!?" and I walked out of there going "I WANT TO DO THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't care if I'm the guy on set polishing the camera department's shoes! I want to do that!!!!!"

 

That's when I came on this site, started reading all the books I could find (Cinematography Third Edition/Strike the Baby Kill the Blond/Making Movies/Cinematography Theory and Practice/Film Lighting/Directing Shot by Shot etc...) subscribed to AC, bought a used DVCam off of ebay. My cousin had been to FS for Show Production and he seemed to enjoy it so i thought I'd check it out. And the "tour" was pretty impressive. Then I started reading all this Negative stuff online about FS and got nervous about going.....that's why I posted.

[Guest]

One day this question of "to film school or not to film school" needs to be answered with some empirical data.

 

A non-biased survey of 1000 working professionals, asking them if they received formal training at an institution for film or not. If the answer is, yes, from 800 of them that says some thing. If the answer is, no, from 800 of them, that says some thing entirely different.

 

At least it would give prospective students some thing to go on.

 

R,

[Brad Grimmett]

My opinion has always been that working as a P.A. for a couple years is it's own film school. You just don't learn how a professional set works until you're working on one (in some capacity). In my mind, if you go to film school, you come out with a very basic knowledge of equipment and the way things work, and then you get a job as.....a P.A. Except now you're $62,000 poorer.

I went to college (not film school) and I don't regret it, but I didn't learn anything about the film business while I was there, so while I learned a lot about life in college, I didn't learn anything about my future career. In other words, my career would have taken the same path whether I went to college or not. No one cares if or what school you went to when you start in this business. They just care that you work hard and learn fast.

My opinion is based on working with and talking to a lot of people who went to film school, and comparing our career paths. In some cases my career has progressed faster than those people, and in some cases it's progressed slower. Other peoples experiences will vary.

[Brian Wells]

I really want to strive to be a DP on features.

There is no doubt in my mind that you are capable of shooting a good looking movie. But, realize there are only a few hundred working cinematographers in the world. You have to be real good with people to rise to the top. There are thousands of good looking movies shown at film festivals every year. And new people enter the field all the time. They all think they will be recognized for their efforts and be offered more DP work on increasingly upscale productions. A more likely scenario is that you shoot a good looking low budget movie and be offered some PA work on a higher level production as a result. But, that's not so bad, is it? ;)

[Bruce Taylor]

Thanks for the input. I really want to strive to be a DP on features. I'm probably going to write a million paragraphs now.............time for a life story.......lol

 

I've always loved movies and the process of making them has always fascinated me. My family and wife has tolerated my film addiction for years (dragging them to indie films/small film festivals and my 1,400+ DVD's :P )

 

 

I am no expert on getting jobs in the industry, I came to Los Angeles to work in the field but life circumstances changed my path. BUT, I have made some observations in the last 20+ years of the lives that my friends and neighbors lead in the film (and TV and music) industries. First, be careful what you wish for- 'cuz you just might get it. Over the years I have watched many families fall apart in part because of the extreme demands of the business. Second, loving to watch movies has little to do with making them. It is very hard and unglamorous work when you're doing it. Third, many people I know worry about when the next job and check are coming their way, especially if they have a family. That can lead to a lot of stress.

 

Getting an entry level job to experience what it's like would be a good first step. So would taking classes at a community college, which is practically free, you would learn the basics. I have a lot of skepticism about a "trade school" like Full Sail. I am in another industry, but we have for-profit trade schools that turn out graduates in a similar manner. 90% turn out to be terrible and unemployable. Get out there and learn about what the job is really like, be an unpaid intern, whatever it takes, and then decide what you want to do.

[Brian Dzyak]

One day this question of "to film school or not to film school" needs to be answered with some empirical data.

 

A non-biased survey of 1000 working professionals, asking them if they received formal training at an institution for film or not. If the answer is, yes, from 800 of them that says some thing. If the answer is, no, from 800 of them, that says some thing entirely different.

 

At least it would give prospective students some thing to go on.

 

R,

 

You're right, that would be a valuable study. The thing that most schools fail to disclose is that while they tend to concentrate on the glamorous jobs, like Directing, DP, and Acting, what you can find with an unofficial polling of people in the industry is that most who did go to school for one of those things wound up doing something entirely different "in the meantime."

 

For instance, the standard Actor who works as a waiter is the obvious example. But many aspiring Writers and Directors and Producers wind up in development or as Production Managers or in some other "untaught" area of the industry. The unglamorous jobs, like Loader for instance, are never really taught as a serious career choice. Just look at any call sheet and you'll find only one Director, one Writer, and a Producer or two. The rest of the page is covered in jobs that are rarely formally taught in any program.

 

The odds of getting one of the glamour jobs is seriously low to begin with, so no film school, no matter how "good" it might claim to be, can claim to give its students a better chance than any other experience. That isn't to say that someone doesn't have to be skilled and talented to achieve great things, but luck and opportunity have a great deal of say in the matter as well.

 

What's more "troubling" is that filmschools tend to teach the art and technical aspects of "filmmaking," but don't often get into the ins and outs of the actual "career" as a freelancer in the real world. Being an uber-auteur in school is all well and good, but if that kid can't pay the rent, what good does it do him? There has to be a better balance between teaching those esoteric aspects which make filmmaking so attractive in relation to the realities of life and business.

[John Hoffler]

I have no preconcieved illusions about being a rich Hollywood DP shooting with directors and producers that will give me full creative freedom and an unending budget. I understand there are a million other jobs that are in the industry and to be honest any job I could get (as long as I make enough to live comfortably) on a film set would be a dream come true for me. My wife and I have no children and we're still young (i'm 23/she's 27) and have the flexability to adapt and move.

 

Right now I work two jobs...one Mon-Fri 8-5 and then I wait tables on Tues/Wed/Fri/Sun Nights and I am never home, and it's also very unfulfilling, so it seems like I am wasting my time when I sit around at my office all day (on the cinematography forums) and dream of being on a set. (and somehow still finish all my work) I try and get MiniDV projects off the ground, but everyone I come into contact with is flaky and lazy and nothing ever comes of it. I feel like film school is where I need to go.

 

Sure, I'd LOVE to be a DP and will strive and work hard to try and achieve that goal. Even if it is on low-budget features or a TV show or a bunch of shorts and commercials. The "art" of visual storytelling is what excites and intrigues me. The ability to tell the entire story visually and guide an audience through a journey and evoke emotion and mood is what I want to achieve ( i know it won't come overnight and it is a constant learning process). And if I can be a part of the process (i.e. another job in the camera/lighting dept) it will a 1000 times more satisfying than sitting at a desk calling Insurance Companies all day or waiting on tables all night. I see film school as a place where I can get the technical knowledge I need as well as begin to network with as many people as possible to try and get a foot in the door.

[Brian Dzyak]

I have no preconcieved illusions about being a rich Hollywood DP shooting with directors and producers that will give me full creative freedom and an unending budget. I understand there are a million other jobs that are in the industry and to be honest any job I could get (as long as I make enough to live comfortably) on a film set would be a dream come true for me. My wife and I have no children and we're still young (i'm 23/she's 27) and have the flexability to adapt and move.

 

Right now I work two jobs...one Mon-Fri 8-5 and then I wait tables on Tues/Wed/Fri/Sun Nights and I am never home, and it's also very unfulfilling, so it seems like I am wasting my time when I sit around at my office all day (on the cinematography forums) and dream of being on a set. (and somehow still finish all my work) I try and get MiniDV projects off the ground, but everyone I come into contact with is flaky and lazy and nothing ever comes of it. I feel like film school is where I need to go.

 

Sure, I'd LOVE to be a DP and will strive and work hard to try and achieve that goal. Even if it is on low-budget features or a TV show or a bunch of shorts and commercials. The "art" of visual storytelling is what excites and intrigues me. The ability to tell the entire story visually and guide an audience through a journey and evoke emotion and mood is what I want to achieve ( i know it won't come overnight and it is a constant learning process). And if I can be a part of the process (i.e. another job in the camera/lighting dept) it will a 1000 times more satisfying than sitting at a desk calling Insurance Companies all day or waiting on tables all night. I see film school as a place where I can get the technical knowledge I need as well as begin to network with as many people as possible to try and get a foot in the door.

 

 

The trick to getting started is having low overhead (expenses) and very little holding you back in terms of schedule so you can take every opportunity that comes up. If your wife can support you while you have to work for free for a year, then you have a better chance. I'm not saying that you will have to work for free for that long, but you have to be ready for that possibility. If you're chained to another job because you need that income or the insurance then you won't be able to take those last minute day calls which are the way you meet the people who help create an actual career.

[John Hoffler]

Well....we could live off of my wife's income just fine (thank god) and by the time I go to FS, which will probably be November we will have no debt other than our Mortgage. And with my experience in the restauraunt industy I could always find the occasional part-time table waiting gigs while I work up the ladder!

Edited April 5, 2007 by John Hoffler

[James Brown]

I find hospitality was a great "second" job when trying to get work. The only job where you can call up and say "hey, i need the next two days off can you do my shifts?" or "I'm off for two months, have i got a job when i get back?"

 

The main problem is whatever second job you have needs to be unbelievably flexible because you will constantly be getting called up the night before or that morning being asked if your available.

 

Tough Gig.

[John Hoffler]

I find hospitality was a great "second" job when trying to get work. The only job where you can call up and say "hey, i need the next two days off can you do my shifts?" or "I'm off for two months, have i got a job when i get back?"

 

The main problem is whatever second job you have needs to be unbelievably flexible because you will constantly be getting called up the night before or that morning being asked if your available.

 

Tough Gig.

 

thats the wonderful thing about restaurants......call and give/pick up shifts at a whim.......and if they say you don't have a job when you come back then there are always a million other restaurants to find work in!

[Luis Otero]

My son is attending FS since January/08, and it is a very comprehensive program. Is it "expensive"? Well, depends on the way your calculator works: it is a BS Degree in Cinematography completed in 21 months. If you calculate how much it will cost to go to another college to get the same degree in 48 months, then when you compare apples to apples, the savings in living expenses in those 37 months is beneficial to your favor. In addition, all the equipment and facilities are state of the arts!

 

However, the make-it-or-not point is to be involved in projects since the beginning. My son has already co-directed a short (30 minutes), in which we used the Red One camera that I own. The post is not completed, but we are very excited about its future, and the great contacts he already has made are unvaluable

 

Just my two cents in my first post, which I hope is helpful to this community... :rolleyes:

 

Luis Otero

RED # 711

[John Hoffler]

Well not all of us here at FS have RED cams! :huh: :blink:

 

Most of us can barely afford breakfast! :D

 

anyway...

 

I've had the opportunity to DP 3 shorts so far, (5-7 mins, and only one in school) and have another coming up in a few weeks, however, for $65,000 I'd of hoped to have learned a little more by now from this school considering I am a third of the way through... this school is good for the contacts and the equipment (though it varies from class to class)... but it's basically up to the student how much they want to learn. You definitely have to shoot outside of school to get any sort of REAL education.

 

the problem is that they let ANYONE with 65 grand in the school and you get a lot of losers who want to be handed a job and a degree at the end, and then the classes cater to that demographic instead of making them work for it.

 

I'm in a digital cinematography class in which we don't get graded on cinematography?!?!?!?!? and was just recently in a storytelling class where you don't get graded on storytelling but margins and format by using their Macro for Microsoft Word... (just call the class "script formatting" or the Cinematography class "Basic set etiquette for dummies" )

 

Maybe I should've bought a RED instead... lol.

[Luis Otero]

Well not all of us here at FS have RED cams! :huh: :blink:

 

Most of us can barely afford breakfast! :D

 

Maybe I should've bought a RED instead... lol.

 

John,

 

I admit that my son is blessed with the fact that his father owns a Red, but that is beyond the point I am trying to convey here. :rolleyes: You can make great things with less-than-perfect equipment. You know that if you build a good network, resources are going to show up, just as it happened to my son's friends: all of them build a great network around their group and beyond, and who of them would have known that KO's father had a RED? They did not know!

 

He just was asked to co-direct a movie due to his exhibited skills, and it is when he asked me for help, and after having the crew organized, they knew that they will be shooting the movie with a Red. So the motivation was not on the tool, but on the fact that as a group they got organized around an idea, and where determined to make it happen without knowing what equipment they will be using...

 

Some people, an I am am sure you are not one of them in that demographics, do not understand that aside of having the passion needed to be a filmmaker, networking is MANDATORY to be successful at FS, or at any other Film school. E-mail me and I can give you his name, and contact information (however, I think he is the only one with Otero as his last name). He is also a third way through, and even with highs and lows (including lack of sleep), he is fulfilling his dream. And yes, with a hefty loan on his back as well as you!

 

Good luck!

 

Luis

Edited July 6, 2008 by Luis Otero