I got this comment on my blog today. You sound like a bitter Betty who is making a profit off of your own personal failure in the film industry. Both of my brothers graduated from NYU’s undergrad film program this year and are already working on high profile network TV shows, and this is largely due to the connections they made at college. And many of their friends have found similar success. Oh, and only two directors from NYU’s undergrad film program are well known? I’m guessing you never heard of Oliver Stone? Or Joel Coen? How about M. Night Shyamalan? Vince Gilligan? Yeah, thought so. - Cara To which I replied: Hey Cara, Your brothers are working right alongside folks who never went to film school. So while I’m glad they are hustling and doing what they want, it certainly doesn’t mean that their dropping $100K at NYU made any difference in their career. Also, what are they doing specifically? Likely working as PAs or Assistants. Nobody that comes out of school segways that into a legit production gig. For every person who claims it was a connection they made in school they couldn’t have gotten anywhere else, there are people working as PAs, Line Producers, Writers, Writer’s Assistants, DPs, Special Effects Supervisor, and Directors who never went to school. It’s the reality in this industry – it is not an Academic field. Your stupidity in dropping the names of people who went to NYU 30 to 50 years ago is staggering. It blows my mind that anyone could justify the investment of $60,000 a year to play with some video cameras in 2014 because some talented folks attended a program nearly half a century ago. Think about it. When Oliver Stone (who went to the Grad Program) and Joel Coen, as well as Scorcese, etc. attended NYU, you couldn’t just pick up a video camera and shoot. You couldn’t edit on a computer. Tuition was also much less expensive. Back then it made sense – but give me the name of ANYONE who graduated within the last 10 years that is Directing? And for every film student who may have gotten a job in the industry there are hundreds who are clueless. The main contention is that film schools don’t teach students to do the one thing most people attend school for: to make a feature film. They don’t teach feature screenwriting, audience engagement, fundraising, or marketing. And that’s why though some grads do get below the line work almost NONE go on to Direct. You can’t argue this – look at the numbers. And even if out of 2,000 graduates a handful actually even makes a feature, those are terrible numbers. I find it hilarious that you’d criticize me for profiting by sharing my experience and actually helping young filmmakers with practical advice for a reasonable cost when these schools are leaving their graduates financially crippled. You’ve got 20 year olds with $80,000 in debt coming out of these schools, debt they will never pay off, debt that can cost them $700 to $1,200 a month in loan payments that reduces their earning power by 70%. I actually outline the entire NYU Curriculum in my book “Film Fooled” – which has not been updated since the late 1960s. I know this because I am friends with the USC Professor who helped design the program in 1968. He actually reached out to me and told me how much he likes this site and agrees that undergrad programs are a waste. At NYU you spend the first year making a slideshow (Frame and Sequence) and doing a Radio Drama. Then you spend your second year making black and white silent films like any shmo can do in a community darkroom using 50 year old Arriflex Cameras. Thanks for the comment. Think a little more critically before you speak next time. My response may sound harsh, but its necessary - people are using VERY stupid reasoning to invest way too much money into programs that are not helping them achieve their goals. Thats why Im so passionate about this site - take my student Dylan Martinez. He started working on pro film sets when he was 17. Hes worked on the Warner Brothers lot and connected with people on high profile network TV shows. He didnt need to go to NYU or invest a small fortune to do it. He could be $70,000 in debt with no professional experience, but he isnt. Thats why I continue to share this message even in the face of nasty comments like that. https://youtube/watch?v=higIQ4A-B5k To learn more about the right way to start Directing and getting on pro film sets go to: filmschoolsolution/makemovies
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 19:47:24 +0000
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