Jump to content

Best Film School In LA?


Recommended Posts

  • 8 months later...

Hi, I'm new here, this is my first post. Found this forum in a really appropriate time and hope to collaborate. I'm upping this post to avoid creating a new one and because it seems that you guys in here can easily help me.

I work for some time with cinema and video production and it's time for consistent MA in cinematography. I look for a 2-3 year program in a respected institution with a hands on approach. Of course my first choice is AFI and the second is NFTS in London. I know there are some other very good schools as USC and Tisch but I really want a course devoted to cinematography, not a wide angle film program with a specialization. I'm also aware of UCLA's MA but 4 years to much time for me.

Can anyone help me pointing other institutions that offers this kind of MA i'm looking?

 

Best!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Slightly old thread, but I have to say:

 

Yes, if you're industrially inclined, location of a school can have a huge effect. Folks who go to film school in NYC or LA often end up working there or in one or the other. Other large and cinematically productive cities like Austin, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston (just naming a few) also tend to be magnetic because of their smaller communities of professionals, companies, and collectives.

 

If you think you might work in a place other than the area your school is located, then plan ahead. Make sure you know people. I will not offer the usual "the film industry is incestuous, it's all about who you know" because that is not the only truth at work. However, after experience has been acquired, and someone has learned enough to get some sort of job shooting or editing etc., your little sphere of people, contacts, and friendships will have a huge effect of where you land and what you end up doing. There is a practical side to this, and that is the hugely collaborative nature of filmmaking. It's only natural that people talk up other people and opportunities are had, and careers are launched.

 

As far as a graduate program goes, I believe that graduate school offers the potential for students to involve themselves with the learning process in new ways, ones that are often less formal, more mentored, and more advanced. AFI, USC, NYU, UCLA are all world class institutions in film production, but be honest with yourself what educational priorities you are after. Those schools will orient you specifically within the artistic and aesthetic principals of the commercial film industry, the LA schools to a huge degree will push you within the bounds of the American / Hollywood standards, while NYU is a little more open the singularly driven "auteur" practices. Like I said, all great schools, all enormously wealthy, and otherwise they have all proven themselves as world class universities in every other field of endeavor (except for AFI, which is still superb within those bounds).

 

But they are traditional. They hire people, sometimes famous, expensive and BUSY personalities to help teach their courses. I have heard from friends and colleagues that this can be the sort of experience that leaves some students at a bit of a loss, because teachers in a directing class (for instance) may not even require students to be done for their thesis project by the end of the year. I know of a few instances where this was the case. I won't say which school it was, but it was a big one, where people were walking away after having only shown rushes or something of a similarly non-advanced state. Now, I know people who, after five years out of leaving this program, are still picking away at their 20-minute movie. Big problem, and not practical, even for the so-called standards that drive the film industry, which runs on time and money almost exclusively. These schools have such a high success rate partially because 1) They are centrally located within their industries 2) Because of that the connections available are top-notch, and student have there choice of which area of the top-tier they will occupy. 3) Additionally, these places demand a certain amount of dedication, and in the grad programs especially, you can rest assured that none of those who are granted admission are non-workers. You will find yourself among a diverse array of students, and they are all there essentially because they are willing to out so much effort forth. That environment is one thing that these schools offer– a state of mind where one witnesses people constantly practicing what they are after with top-of-the-line facilities at their disposal.

 

So I encourage you to call these places and see who you can get on the phone, see who will meet with you for a tour, see who is open to the projects that you are interested in. There are many great schools out there, far more than the five or six that are most frequently touted in this country, and you may find yourself suddenly attracted to an institution because of some unexpected factor. Lots of options.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...