There are some professions in which having a college degree is not only recommended, it's a job requirement. Then there are some in which having a degree may or may not be worth it. This great video explores why one filmmaker got a college degree and if he thinks it was worth it.
Coming to you from Brandon Li, this great video explores a topic many budding photographers and filmmakers face: the decision to go to college or not. Four years of study with student loan debt vs. an apprenticeship with a professional during which one learns practical skills and generates income can be a tough sell, and it's certainly not worth it to everyone. Now that I'm on the cusp of finishing my time in music school, I can definitely say that it's made me better in ways nothing else could have, and it's also helped me quickly build numerous connections with other budding professionals that I know I can rely on for the rest of my life. On the same token, it's easy to think when you're in school that that's all you need to worry about, but the truth is, you need to constantly be promoting yourself outside it, as it's only the beginning, and art schools are notoriously bad at teaching students entrepreneurial skills. Looking back, the majority of my professional opportunities have come from outside academic sources. So, while I certainly don't regret the time I've spent in music school, I can also affirmatively say it takes more than school to be successful.
Lead image by Pixabay user paseidon, used under Creative Commons.
Very good, Alex. This is exactly what I tell my students.
The difference with and without school start to show after few years on the job.
As a production house, I have stopped anyone with a degree in film for applying to work with me.
Long story short, How to break the rule is you don't know them.
These day, way too many creative are able to offer a decent camera, but they forgot that the way you act on location is as important as your aesthetic.
Go to school, learn the boring stuff, experiment after that. Not the opposite
I went to film school way back in the late 80's because you had to - there was no other way to get ahold of gear unless you were very wealthy. The invaluable things you learn in film school are teamwork, meeting deadlines and, like Brandon alluded to, peer review. Get getting critiqued every day causes a natural weeding our process where the talent begins to rise to the top and those who thought film school sounded cool but had no aptitude or real desire get left behind - just like team sports. Those that stay learn to respect the craft and that's the biggest problem I see with young wannabe filmmakers today - lack of respect for all phases of the creative process from prep to post.
For the last few years I've done a lot of work for a friends distribution company - they will get a film in that has some promise but is still in rough shape - usually first time filmmakers with no film school background. This "roughness" is really due to the lack of respect for the craft and never getting peer reviewed like you do in school. I have to turn the film into something that can sell by fixing story (editing) sound design, color, score etc. These are simple things but the same problems happen over and over. Would film Schoo have helped these folks - maybe. But then again they have a film on the market hopefully paying back their investment. If they can learn and get better each film that's great.
Do I recommend film school nowadays - I'd say no unless you have mega rich parents. The tools available today for cheap allow anyone to go make a film but you still have to know and respect the process. Working on a indie crew on a few features even as a PA is probably worth more than time spent in film school.
Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule applies here - it's going to take time master your craft and I think it's important to start any way you can - whether in school or out.
agreed-good article
This is an interesting topic. I completed a 4 year degree in TV/Film Production at Western Kentucky University from 2007-2011. For the longest time I was a proponent of NOT going to school in this field, but as I started to reflect on my own experiences my schooling was a huge contributor to my career success. While I was a student I was making connections and ended up getting my first paid gig doing a commercial for a fire department through which I got from a friend in the marketing field at WKU. Then as I started shifting to the Nashville I worked on a number of television shows and was able to get those jobs because WKU alumni were working those jobs. Fast forward to today, I work in the Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at WKU where I create high quality video content for the classroom and the only way I as able to get this job is by having a bachelor's degree in the field and strong recommendations from my peers at the university.
Ultimately there is no right answer to this question because it's unknowable. So much of "What should I do?" is contingent on who you are and your motivation, situation, and other uncontrollable factors.
As the manager of an institutional studio, if a resume arrives with no educational experience it goes in the trash, I don't care how good the portfolio is. Self-taught photographers might do fine in their own business, but trying to work with them with gaps in basic knowledge is beyond frustrating.
I've seen many - everything from no understanding of what influences depth of field to basic color management. It would serve no purpose to ennumerate more.
Since "best" is an arbitrary judgement, that statement really doesn't mean anything to me. In 14 years of hiring my experience differs, but whatever.
"general consensus in the industry" - which industry is that? Photography in general? Portraiture? Architecture? You have no idea what "industry" I'm in and yet I'm still to hew to some generalized definition of "best"? You're right - those two general knowledge aspects I mentioned do not require one to go to school to learn, but I have discovered that it's far more likely that one who goes to school knows them versus the opposite. Again, I don't know what you do for a living, so maybe your experience differs.
"The industry of photographers is photography." And the industry of engineers is engineering. Would you classify an electrical engineer as one of the "best" structural engineers?
When hiring at our level, if I have to add "understanding of basic photo skills" as a prerequisite, I'd rather just quit. I'd be like hiring a chef and listing "know how to turn a stove on" as a prerequisite. I don't have the time.
You make the mistake of assuming that all photography is subjective. Google "technical photography" and you'll find that it's as non-subjective as engineering.
And, since I'm not getting persuaded and starting to suspect you're trolling, go ahead and have the final say.
As a production manger for the online video department at an art university I can say that Brandon hits on some great points with a few asterisks that seemed to fly by -
* Critiques - even if you have to pay for them are one of the most valuables things you can get and learn to deal with. You will be critiqued for the rest of your career, start learning to deal with it now, how to accept it, how to read someones bulls*t, are life skills.
* Move abroad - Brandon breezes past it but it is so important. He built his career overseas. Before going into debt, take a year off and go away. One year teaching English somewhere will test your mettle. You will learn real budgeting skills when you make crap money. You will make do with what you have and not get stuck wishing for new gear and not making images. You will be forced to interact with people and learn to build rapport. You will see what other people think is good/cool/interesting. And - if your lucky - you might get some real work. I spent 8 years working in China on small local projects and big international ones because I realized, oh yeah they have magazines/tv shows/commercials here too, heck all over the world! When I hire staff now, I look for overseas experience as it shows they can handle change, handle different attitudes, and hopefully have a broader world view.
* A 4-year program is only as good as the track/facility/instructor - and even that will fluctuate during your time at a university. Good teachers will make all the difference in the world and will tell you what you really need to know. Find those old timers who are full of tricks you can borrow/steal after listening to them babble. Find out who they are and take their class. I took a class at the university I work for form a working churn and burn movie of the week director and the tricks i learned from him were awesome and are now my tricks.
Brandon is right in that a lot of techie stuff is already free to learn through websites and getting up of your seat and practicing. Take a couple of classes, one at at time, at different schools. A lot of creative/art universities are open enrollment which means you do not need to worry about trying to "get in" - you pay, you go, you learn. It is on you.
My asterisk - Personally I would not recommend going into an art/creative program right out of high school, you need far more seasoning in life to handle the barrage of wackiness that the creative world throws at you. Do a gap year, take some classes before going into debt, screw up a few times, then if you really think you can do it - glove up and dive in.
I think the school of films is very cool and students who are planning in the future in the field of cinema should definitely finish it. Perhaps in the course of training you will have problems with writing a dissertation, I can recommend dissertation writing service like this https://uk.edusson.com/dissertation-writing-service to you, I think this service will be useful for you and help you successfully complete this school.
recently, I graduated from film school in LA... an unforgettable experience I was looking for my whole life. It was totally worth it. The knowledge and experience I got can not be compared to self-education.
Thank you for your article, by the way, I happened to find this website, here https://pro-papers.com/blog are tonnes of useful articles I used during my education program. hope someone finds it useful