Yet again, well said! As an aspiring cinematographer I can assure you that film making is a highly technical craft. Let's put it this way: can we all wire a plug? - probably. But, would you wire all the electrics in your house yourself? - unlikely. Before anyone posts saying they've wired their own house or something stupid like that just remember it's an anology: you might be able to do something to a passable standard, but some training certainly helps when dealing with technical details such as lighting and composition.Essentially we could all go out and film something on our Nokia N-whatever camera phone and post it to YouTube, heck, if you're gifted it might be brilliant. But don't be so arrogant as to think you can't learn *anything* beyond your own innate talent.
Going to film school tells you very little about how to have something to SAY. But that didn't seem to be the point of the article, at least from my standpoint. Watching lots of movies and getting a cheap digital camera and playing with it doesn't automatically give you something to say either. Someone who is self-taught can have just as much to say as someone who went to film school, and vice versa. It's just the guy who went to film school has far more savoir faire, and speaks the language. He's not walking around with a translator guide in his pocket, constantly fumbling.
I graduated from NYU's film school about 4 years ago. I'm currently working in the industry making a very good deal of money and so are most of my friends. On top of that, we're all doing what we love and what we have a strong passion for. Could we have done it without film school? Perhaps. But when I'm hiring someone, I look for a resume that shows a person's passion for this industry. When I see as resume from someone that went to college as a major that's far disconnected from Film, TV or communications, I have a lot of doubts about them. It shows that they don't know what they want to do, or they don't follow their passions. I want someone that does both of those. It's one thing to sit in my office and tell me you always wanted to be in the film industry (it sounds like a whim), it's a another to show it on your resume.Whether or not the school itself (classes, resources) is worth the money, it depends on where you go and how much you put into it. But having graduated from film school serves as a signal to employers that you're in it for the long haul.
Robert Rodriguez had to sell his blood and subject himself to medical experimentation in order to make El Mariachi .... Do you have the determination to go that far in making your film? No... Then take the shorter road and go to film school. I did, and it was an excellent learning experience and a much shorter road into IATSE and pro film making... Sure, you can do it on your own, but having a typewriter doesn't make you a good writer.btw, 1080p is a much lower resolution than 35mm... no contest
Robert Rodriguez had to sell his blood and subject himself to medical experimentation in order to make enough money to make El Mariachi .... Film School was easier for me........ most of the other "didn't go to film school" success stories were financied by mommy and daddy...
hbuswellOct 12, 2006
Yet again, well said! As an aspiring cinematographer I can assure you that film making is a highly technical craft. Let's put it this way: can we all wire a plug? - probably. But, would you wire all the electrics in your house yourself? - unlikely. Before anyone posts saying they've wired their own house or something stupid like that just remember it's an anology: you might be able to do something to a passable standard, but some training certainly helps when dealing with technical details such as lighting and composition.Essentially we could all go out and film something on our Nokia N-whatever camera phone and post it to YouTube, heck, if you're gifted it might be brilliant. But don't be so arrogant as to think you can't learn *anything* beyond your own innate talent.
remo2012Oct 12, 2006
This guy didn't go to film school and this is the best indie Sci-Fi movie ever!!The best movie ever!!!!<a class="user" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5470953043480704557">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5470953043480704557</a>
bleutunaOct 12, 2006
Going to film school tells you very little about how to have something to SAY. But that didn't seem to be the point of the article, at least from my standpoint. Watching lots of movies and getting a cheap digital camera and playing with it doesn't automatically give you something to say either. Someone who is self-taught can have just as much to say as someone who went to film school, and vice versa. It's just the guy who went to film school has far more savoir faire, and speaks the language. He's not walking around with a translator guide in his pocket, constantly fumbling.
matt23Oct 12, 2006
I graduated from NYU's film school about 4 years ago. I'm currently working in the industry making a very good deal of money and so are most of my friends. On top of that, we're all doing what we love and what we have a strong passion for. Could we have done it without film school? Perhaps. But when I'm hiring someone, I look for a resume that shows a person's passion for this industry. When I see as resume from someone that went to college as a major that's far disconnected from Film, TV or communications, I have a lot of doubts about them. It shows that they don't know what they want to do, or they don't follow their passions. I want someone that does both of those. It's one thing to sit in my office and tell me you always wanted to be in the film industry (it sounds like a whim), it's a another to show it on your resume.Whether or not the school itself (classes, resources) is worth the money, it depends on where you go and how much you put into it. But having graduated from film school serves as a signal to employers that you're in it for the long haul.
drunkenrobotOct 12, 2006
Robert Rodriguez had to sell his blood and subject himself to medical experimentation in order to make El Mariachi .... Do you have the determination to go that far in making your film? No... Then take the shorter road and go to film school. I did, and it was an excellent learning experience and a much shorter road into IATSE and pro film making... Sure, you can do it on your own, but having a typewriter doesn't make you a good writer.btw, 1080p is a much lower resolution than 35mm... no contest
drunkenrobotOct 12, 2006
Robert Rodriguez had to sell his blood and subject himself to medical experimentation in order to make enough money to make El Mariachi .... Film School was easier for me........ most of the other "didn't go to film school" success stories were financied by mommy and daddy...
thinkboxOct 13, 2006
Thanks for contributing to the mass of s**tty and uneducated movies.
filmfan16Mar 20, 2009
Film school still offers you good contacts and networking. I agree practical experience in filmmaking is more valuable than the academic study of movies.<a class="user" href="http://www.wheretobuy16mmfilm.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.wheretobuy16mmfilm.com</a>