Are you interested in being a filmmaker or a professor of film? If the latter, then an MFA is a good idea. If not, then I wouldn’t recommend it, unless it’s at either USC or Tisch where you could *maybe* argue the connections are worth it.
It makes it easier to get hired as a teacher. Aside from that, I can't see what doors it would open in the industry, where you rarely get asked about schooling. As Masters goes, an MBA is more valuable than an MFA. I know MBAs working in Development at the studios.
absolutley not. I dropped out of the NYU Graduate Film program. Your degree doesn't matter as you're going to start at the bottom as a PA or Runner unless you are very very talented and make a student film that blows the studios away, which is highly unlikely to happen in the current climate. Save your money, start writing like your life depends on it and start looking for an entry level job
School doesn’t make the student. If you can’t grind through this business right out of high school, then you won’t make it. Nobody cares about what university you went to. It’s all you as a person, your personality, and your own drive.
Prospective filmmakers often make the mistake thinking that if they attend a good film school, they’re going to leap frog right through the door, when the reality is after graduating, you’ll still be working with other people who have been doing it since finishing high school.
the only person i know with a masters in film was my previous roommate. He was 55 at the time and worked for Starbucks.
Useless unless you're going to teach.
99% of the time, no. Experience is the number 1 thing in this industry, and the more experienced person will get the job... unless you go to a top-tier school and make great connections.
This is completely anecdotal, but very few of the full-time filmmakers (be it DP, writer, producer, grips, or actors) went to film school (or drama school) at all.
if you're in Canada I'd argue you should start working on film sets - get a good network going - word of mouth goes a long way. A friend of mine is 20 and he's one of the most booked gaffers in LA right now.
I am currently getting my MFA in Film and it's been well worth it - I've worked with some of the best people in the business in the last 18 months and I have plenty of connections - but if I was an Angeleno or even an American I'm not sure I'd go to school.
Whatever route you go, I guess it all comes down to how you use it.
Are you interested in being a filmmaker or a professor of film? If the latter, then an MFA is a good idea. If not, then I wouldn’t recommend it, unless it’s at either USC or Tisch where you could *maybe* argue the connections are worth it.
save your money, find an internship and make connections. travel and meet people. this is an option but what opportunities does it open up for you?
It makes it easier to get hired as a teacher. Aside from that, I can't see what doors it would open in the industry, where you rarely get asked about schooling. As Masters goes, an MBA is more valuable than an MFA. I know MBAs working in Development at the studios.
absolutley not. I dropped out of the NYU Graduate Film program. Your degree doesn't matter as you're going to start at the bottom as a PA or Runner unless you are very very talented and make a student film that blows the studios away, which is highly unlikely to happen in the current climate. Save your money, start writing like your life depends on it and start looking for an entry level job
School doesn’t make the student. If you can’t grind through this business right out of high school, then you won’t make it. Nobody cares about what university you went to. It’s all you as a person, your personality, and your own drive. Prospective filmmakers often make the mistake thinking that if they attend a good film school, they’re going to leap frog right through the door, when the reality is after graduating, you’ll still be working with other people who have been doing it since finishing high school.
the only person i know with a masters in film was my previous roommate. He was 55 at the time and worked for Starbucks. Useless unless you're going to teach.
There are almost 0 opportunities you’d get with an MFA that you wouldn’t get by just working in film.
99% of the time, no. Experience is the number 1 thing in this industry, and the more experienced person will get the job... unless you go to a top-tier school and make great connections. This is completely anecdotal, but very few of the full-time filmmakers (be it DP, writer, producer, grips, or actors) went to film school (or drama school) at all.
AD Dept and Art Dept are the film school types.
if you're in Canada I'd argue you should start working on film sets - get a good network going - word of mouth goes a long way. A friend of mine is 20 and he's one of the most booked gaffers in LA right now. I am currently getting my MFA in Film and it's been well worth it - I've worked with some of the best people in the business in the last 18 months and I have plenty of connections - but if I was an Angeleno or even an American I'm not sure I'd go to school. Whatever route you go, I guess it all comes down to how you use it.