Genevieve
What are the best schools for majoring in film/cinematography production?
What schools would be best suited for this major? Are there certain schools that have an advantage over others? Would you immediately be able to work in the film industry following graduation and earning your degree? #majors #film #film-production #cinematography #film-schools #film-acting #television
2 answers
Scott Bedell
Scott’s Answer
Film production and cinematography are two very large areas. For the top 25 accredited film schools in 2017 check out the article https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/top-25-american-film-schools-2017-1029477/item/top-25-film-schools-1029481
That is a great place to start, but one of the biggest things about choosing a college for any field in the arts is location. If you dream working in New York, attending a New York film school will help you build connections for future employment while you attend college. Likewise, if you want to work in Hollywood, looking at film schools in California will help you with connections. This is not an end all be all rule, but it does help to have connections in the industry.
After determining location, the next big question to ask with film school is how often you will get hands on experience and access to technology. Numerous film schools ONLY let second or third year students work with technology. This can be a huge set back. Yes, theory is important, but hands on skills can be the difference in landing a job or not. Listing your ability to work with RED, Canon, ProTools, VectorWorks, 3D Automation, or so many other skills could help set you apart from the crowd. Best of all, working with this technology can be one of the most exhilarating parts of the college experience.
One of my friends that went into music recording and songwriting first attended a small college in Greenville, Illinois. After a year and half he did not touch a single bit of sound mixing or editing equipment. He transferred to a school in Nashville, TN and now has wrote four number one songs. The important thing is to find the right school to match your dream. Talk to the professors and staff of your prospective schools.
Finally, YES, you can get a job right out of college. In fact, you can get a job while you are in college. These jobs may pay next to nothing, but can teach you skills. IMDBpro.com has entire job boards and support for making connections in the industry. You could be working on your first film in no time at all if you are willing to do the grunt work, have a positive attitude, and approach the entire experience as a learning opportunity. Check out more tips for film crew, actors, etc at https://help.imdb.com/article/imdbpro/membership-benefits/pro-tips-for-crew/GJKR8ABSND66RBV9?ref_=helpart_nav_4#
Bowen Wang
Bowen’s Answer
2. UCLA;
3. Northwestern School of Communications;
4. NYU;