Introduction

It has been ten years since we researched and wrote the first edition of Film School Confidential, and the world of film has changed tremendously.

To a person pondering how to start a career making films in the twenty-first century, the way things were way back at the end of the twentieth century will matter little, so we'll try not to spend too much time on this. But forgive us if we take a moment to mention some of the more important changes since the first edition, as it may help illuminate the road ahead for you.

In the past ten years digital video has emerged as an accepted medium for shooting feature-length narrative films. New and improved DV formats such as 24p and HDV, which utilize small, inexpensive cameras but are better suited to theater projection than standard definition video, make DV features better-looking all the time. With the release of Apple's Final Cut Pro application, nonlinear editing went from an expensive technology that only professionals could use to the standard way independent filmmakers cut their films. Production and post-production audio have gone entirely digital as well. It is now possible for a filmmaker to do all of the post production on a film --including editing the picture, building the audio tracks, and even performing the final mix--on an inexpensive desktop or laptop computer.

Ten years ago cell phones were expensive luxuries that few possessed. And the Internet was only a rumbling in the distance, something that was discussed in computer journals as a possible replacement for dial-up online services such as AOL or CompuServe. Few foresaw that it would change the way films are made, marketed, and distributed.

Who knows what's coming in the next ten years? Certainly high definition video will come into its own as a dominant medium for both production and distribution, and more and more of our entertainment will be distributed over the Internet. But enormous changes in the technology and technique of filmmaking are coming that we can't foresee.

One thing of which we can be sure; ten years from now we will look back and shake our heads at how limited our tools were back in the first decade of the twenty-first century, how backward and inefficient we all were, and how much has changed since then.

One striking change that we noticed while researching this second edition is how happy students are with their film school experiences. Ten years ago students we interviewed complained about everything; they hated their teachers, they never got enough time with the equipment, the equipment was old and constantly broke down.

We suspect this is primarily due to the emergence of digital equipment for production and post-production. Ten years ago students edited their films on flatbed editing machines. Flatbed editing machines were expensive pieces of equipment--schools could rarely afford to buy enough to go around--and they broke down frequently. Film was a delicate medium that would break or scratch or be ruined in the processing. Today most film students shoot on inexpensive and reliable digital video cameras and edit on computers using Avid or Final Cut Pro. This equipment is inexpensive enough that even the most underfunded public school can afford to buy enough to go around, and it is reliable enough that students rarely lose work or time to equipment failure. Some students still shoot film, but they benefit as well--with most students shooting video the film cameras see much less use and abuse, so they, too, are more reliable.

But beyond the equipment, the programs and professors are constantly evolving. As more film programs are created, all are looking for ways to distinguish themselves, to provide better educations, and to turn out better filmmakers. Based on our conversations with professors and students alike it is clear to us that there has never been a better time to study film.

Another change from when we attended film school, and one so novel that it's a little hard for us to accept, is that an ability to make films has become a marketable skill, and an M.F.A. from a well-known film school is in some situations an advantage.

At a time when outlets for visual material are multiplying--from satellite and cable networks offering hundreds of channels of programming, to flat-screen displays on buses and in supermarkets, to video-enabled cell phones and mp3 players, and so on--there is an ever-greater demand for video content, and for people who can create eye-catching and entertaining content. Businesses and governments are increasingly dependent on video to disseminate information amongst their clients, employees and constituents. And any web page can contain video and animated material, all visible to millions of people. Grassroots organizations with little or no money can, if they have someone with the right skills, broadcast their message to the world in a powerful way. The ability to make a film is akin to operating a printing press in an earlier era. It is a powerful and valuable skill, whether you use it to express your own, or other people's ideas.

In the twentieth century, for someone seeking a job in corporate America, an M.F.A. in film marked one as frivolous, unwilling or unable to study something useful such as business or law. But today a film degree can actually be an advantage. The New York Times in 2005 ran an article suggesting that an M.F.A. in film may be what the MBA was not long ago. We wouldn't go quite that far. But literacy in visual media--the ability to author it as well as understand it--is unarguably becoming more useful and valuable with every passing year.

As of this writing, there is much hand-wringing in the United States about the many jobs and industries moving to other countries. According to the economist Adam Smith, this is only sensible; that when China can make a better TV for less money than the U.S., then China will of course make all of the TVs. Therefore, Smith would ask, what products does America make better than other countries? One answer to that question is motion pictures. There are large filmmaking industries in China, Korea, India, Germany, and Nigeria, to name only a few countries, and each makes films that are popular in regions of the world. Yet none of those countries' films are as popular with audiences the world over, or as profitable, as American films. As other industries are shrinking, entertainment is becoming an ever-larger part of the American economy, with more people finding gainful employment in movies. So to some degree, learning to make films today is a far more sensible thing to do than it was in the past.

Another revolution, which is only in its earliest stages at this time, is in documentary. Though documentaries have been with us as long as the medium of film, they were traditionally so difficult and expensive to produce, and the audience for them so limited, that few filmmakers pursued the genre. But the advent of small, inexpensive, high-quality digital video cameras has made filming documentaries much easier and much less expensive. And the flowering of new film festivals, and new methods of distribution, has made it easier for documentaries to find audiences.

But the change we see from ten years ago that is likely to hit you the hardest will be what you face immediately after finishing film school, in how you then go about creating a career for yourself in film. Don't worry about this just yet; we'll discuss it at length in the "After You Finish" section. For now, just sit back and relax and allow us to discuss the ins and outs of getting in and out of film school in one piece.

This book contains objective and subjective information about schools in the United States that offer M.F.A. degrees in film. This includes film directing programs, plus some affiliated programs such as screenwriting and producing when we feel they merit inclusion. We obtained the objective information by talking with professors and administrators at the schools, and by perusing the schools' various published materials. The subjective information comes from interviews with students and graduates from these schools. The views expressed are those of the interviewees, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the authors. In the reviews of the individual schools, we're just here to pass on the opinions we hear; if students are happy with their film school experiences we'll say so--if they're unhappy we'll pass that on as well. Subjects we have strong opinions about are largely covered in the surrounding materials; we try not to let them slip into the coverage of individual schools.

Forgive us if we impart a dismal truth right up-front. While everyone who goes to film school hopes to direct feature films, the odds of any one student coming straight out of film school and getting financial backing to direct a feature are very small. We don't mean to discourage you; if you are determined to make it in film, you probably will. But the purpose of this book is to fill you in on information that the schools themselves will not. By definition, much of this news will be bad--if it were good, you would read it on the schools' websites. By getting all the bad news at the start, you will be well prepared to make the most out of the experience. And by hearing how other people have succeeded or failed in the situations you will be facing, you will be prepared to navigate safely through the many obstacles before you.

Film schools often do not have the best interests of their students in mind. Unlike almost every other kind of school, they provide little career guidance, few easy ways to find jobs or make contacts, and little or no help once diplomas are handed out. Film schools charge the same tuition as law or medical schools, yet offer little hope of the gainful employment after graduation that degrees from those other schools afford. They will offer you some classes, which may or may not teach you to make films, and they will give you access to some equipment with which to make some films. More importantly they will give you the opportunity to form lasting collaborations with other aspiring filmmakers. This is the most you can expect from a film school.

Since no one else will be looking out for you in film school, our main objective in this book is to help you keep track of your own interests. We will tell you what you should bring with you into film school, and what you should expect to get out of it. We will let you know what the various film schools seem to look for in applicants--and what Hollywood seems to look for in graduates.

If you are going to film school, you probably want to be a director. We will tell you the things to do in school that will most likely help you to direct once you are out of school. We will let graduates from the top schools tell you about the activities you should try to participate in, and the pitfalls you should try to avoid.

Most of all, we will try to give you the career advice that the schools will not. We will tell you how to make film school work for you in your quest for success in the film industry.

So, everybody ready? Quiet on set! Film School Confidential Scene 1, shot 1, take 2. Roll camera. Mark!

And... Action!

Sat 04/21/2007 7:22 AM

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