Film school has always been a mixed bag for me, not because I don’t believe in them but because I don’t think they cover the full gamut of what it means to make a film and/or be a filmmaker. Now, to be fair, I didn’t go to film school, though the college I went to, Art Center College of Design had a film program. Me, I went through the advertising track and to be frank I’m glad I did because with advertising you have to sell a product, which is one of the big things I think film schools should teach their students.

So, what I’d like to do is list 10 things I think film schools should teach students and/or are teaching their students wrong. This list is not meant as a slap in the face to film schools and or current students, it is simply a list of items one should consider while in school or consider before choosing a film school and potentially graduating and thinking you’re God’s gift to celluloid. Feel free to disagree with me and if I’ve left something off the list please let me know. Also, if you’re a current student at a film school or program and feel that your particular institution does cover these topics then please share, for you may be helping someone make a very important decision.

In no particular order here we go.

1. The Internet

Now, this may seem a bit odd or a no brainer but many film schools don’t truly acknowledge the Internet for what it is, and that is a legitimate distribution and promotional tool that is essential for not only promoting a film but getting your name and work out there. The new breed of director isn’t going to be born out of traditional means or methods for audiences are adapting and they’re becoming accustomed to viewing and learning about new content via the web. When I was in school I had a teacher refer to the Internet as a “fad.” Personally, I tried to opt out of his class the second he uttered those words for I felt here was a man who was not in touch with reality and I fear many traditional or theory based schools continue to perpetuate this old mantra simply because the teachers themselves do not understand it. Using the Internet goes far beyond having a website to showcase your reel in the off chance someone with ten dollars to spend will want to give it to you to make a film, it’s a way to create hype for yourself, raise your own money and show potential investors and/or a studio that you’re worth taking a risk on. Not to mention if you’re an indie filmmaker it’s a viable way of selling your film and potentially earning money to make another.

2. The Value of Being Commercial

A lot of film programs teach film as an art form and in many respects it is, however it’s an art form that is fused with commerce if you want to actually make films. Yet, despite this fact the idea of being “commercial” is frowned upon like it’s a bad word because by being commercial you are somehow less of an artist. This attitude permeates seemingly every facet of a lot of film schools, which is why most graduates come out citing the same five movies by the same five directors of which they aspire to. I’m all for having a hero or mentor but I truly believe one should be taught the theory along with the business and the best way to learn about the film business is to look at the films and the directors who actually make money. If you look at these films and decide that’s not what you want then great, however to simply dismiss them as not “real” movies is a mistake.

3. Digital is a Fad or Not a Real Movie

Like the Internet many film programs are late to the digital filmmaking party or dismiss it all together or worse, claim it to be the medium of choice for hacks. Now, this mindset may be fading since I last stepped foot in a film school though I know it’s still prevalent in many circles. Film is great. It is. But so is digital and a director must be armed with equal knowledge of both to make an informed decision versus simply regurgitating what some old fart told him/her inside a classroom about how things are supposed to be. Digital is here to stay, I’m sorry but it is. Will all films be shot digitally in the future? Maybe, maybe not but it is a legitimate format and one that filmmakers should be knowledgeable about beyond just the budgetary aspects of it.

4. You’ll Actually Be a Director

This is simply not true, but allow me to explain. Many film programs and schools in general tend to fill their students with a false sense of security and trumped up sense of worth. I’m not saying you can’t be a director or that you’re worthless, but one needs to arm oneself with a dose of perspective. Take for instance my personal experience. While in school, granted I was in advertising, we were constantly told that by going to this particular school and graduating with these particular achievements we would land in the top echelon of the job market where by employers would seek us out and offer top dollar for our services, expertise and training.

Not true.

Advertising, like film, is a crowded market with many talented individuals all vying for position. I graduated with honors and had a portfolio to prove it however there were no jobs being offered to me, despite how many people I impressed and the ones that were eventually offered paid very little. However, I managed to find employment and climb the ladder through skills learned in the real world and not in school. All the while some of my classmates struggled to find work at all because they were still holding out for that golden ticket that ultimately never came. School is good at teaching you a certain skill set but at the end of the day it is up to you to go out and make yourself a success. Which brings me to number 5.

5. Patience

Not many schools are willing to admit this but let me tell you, you are going to be solely responsible for what becomes of your career and it is going to take time. Upon graduation two things instantly consume many students, student loans and finding work. Now, student loan repayment is a beast all its own and one I’m not going to get into, however the need for money drives many graduates down false paths and or into projects that are ultimately detrimental to the bigger picture. Worse than simply finding work are those who believe they’ll set the industry on fire once released from the shackles of school. You are not going to be Steven Spielberg right out of the chute no matter what your reel or anyone tells you for Steven Spielberg wasn’t even Steven Spielberg when he first started.

I blame this anxiousness partially on school and partially on today’s current media and economy for we often hear about how some first timer lit the world a blaze with their first film and think this is common and/or repeatable. The reality is that when a director is heralded as a genius out of the gate it usually has a lot more to do with marketing than it does anything else. Take for instance M. Night Shyamalan, many people believe The Sixth Sense to be Mr. Shyamalan’s first film. Why? Simple, that’s what Disney wanted you to believe because it added to the mystique of the film. Truth be told The Sixth Sense was Mr. Shyamalan’s third film, his first two films Praying with Anger and Wide Awake failed to set the industry a blaze however they kept him in the game and while not really the types of film he’s currently known for they served a purpose. He was patient and continued to work towards a larger goal.

6. Film Jail

I cannot take full credit for this story or advice because another director, Michael Bay, gave it to me while I was still in school. Now, there’s no such place as Film Jail however the analogy goes as follows. Upon graduation there is a director who is lauded as the next IT director. He/she does a couple of commercials on their way to being groomed for the big show. Maybe six months out of school their agent lands them the directorial gig for Some Huge Movie starring That Guy and it makes all the trades and the director is now on their way. They can write their own ticket. The movie costs 75 million dollars and is…a disaster. It is wildly panned, audiences don’t see it and the studio and everyone involved with the project blames the director. The director begins to speak out and say how the studios got in the way and it turns into a fiasco. When the dust settles the director is known for helming one of the biggest flops in history and can’t find a job directing a local dog food commercial let alone a film. He’s been sentenced to Film Jail.

The point of this story is this, don’t take on more than you can chew for if you set your sights too high then you may only get one shot at the brass ring. Be patient, be humble and be smart. Michael Bay was one of those IT directors shortly after graduating from Art Center however he stuck with what he knew and that was music videos and commercials until the right project came along of which he was offered many. However, he didn’t pick the most expensive ticket to test the waters, he picked a low budget action film originally written for John Lovitz and Dana Carvey, Bad Boys. The rest is history. However, Michael’s story is rare and while the story above represents a rare case as well, its outcome is far more the norm than Michael’s.

7. Have Your Own Voice

This may seem like an odd thing to include on this list but all to often a school has a “look” and potential students are attracted to the school based on its particular sheen. Art Center was known for being slick and cool, very commercial and very popular. USC is much more theory based and they rest heavily on their alumni, and so on and so forth. While a school’s reel is a powerful tool in recruiting potential students be careful not to go through the program only to become another me too filmmaker. Have a voice and a style that is unique and your own because like I said earlier, you won’t be the next Steven Spielberg simply because the world already has one.

8. Business Classes

I know many of us go to art schools to avoid the troubles of having to attend finance or business classes however they are of the utmost importance and should be required by all art schools film or otherwise. In many respects if you’re to become a filmmaker you are in business for yourself and as a self-employed person you have to understand the ins and outs regarding how to manage your finances. Further more if you’re an indie filmmaker chances are you are going to have to manage the books for the film or at the very least know who to hire and what questions to ask of said person when they’re handling it. This is important. Trust me.

9. Don’t be a Film Major

This may sound odd, but truthfully you don’t have to be a film major to be a filmmaker. Many film programs offered through traditional universities can be taken as minors affording you all the same benefits, or at least most of them, while still allowing you to get a degree in a field that may benefit you more during tough economic times. Being a filmmaker is good if you’re making films however, it doesn’t serve you well if there aren’t any films to be made and you’re trying to get a job as an Account Executive or business manager.

10. Don’t Be Afraid to Quit

What!? I’m not saying be a quitter or give up on your dream, not at all. I’m saying don’t be afraid to walk away from spending a potentially large sum of money in a school for a skill that seemingly is good for only one thing. One of my professors at Art Center once told me that if I was truly as good as he thought I was I would leave Art Center immediately and begin working for I’d learned by then that a lot of what I was being sold was pie in the sky. Now, I didn’t quit because I made a commitment to myself to finish higher education for I wasn’t much of a model student prior to that and I felt that by finishing my degree, as useless as it may have been, was more or less a point of pride for myself. That being said, had I listened to my professor I wouldn’t be under such a mountain of student loan debt for his advice would’ve saved me close to $50,000.00.

Beyond that a lot of film students don’t have any real life experience for they went to high school made a couple of shorts with their friends and got accepted into film school and graduate having no real life outside of education. Quitting may throw your whole world into upheaval however out of struggle comes drama and who knows by taking a risk and betting on yourself, provided you have some perspective, it may make you a better story teller and a better director. If it doesn’t you can always go back, but maybe during that turmoil you’ll also learn making films isn’t for you.

Bonus: Being a Director or a Filmmaker is Cool

Okay, it is cool and fun; however being a filmmaker is also very difficult and at times emotionally and financially draining. It is one of, if not the hardest job I’ve ever had and I work tirelessly on it seven days a week often-countless hours on end. It is consuming and if not handled with the proper perspective and expectations can overwhelm you. When it’s going good there’s nothing like it however those moments are few and far between but you keep at it because they far outweigh the lows. You have to be prepared to face yourself day in and day out and be brutally honest. You also have to be able to take whatever someone wants to sling at you good and bad for your creation is subjective. You have to be willing to keep the momentum going even in the face of opposition because you believe, not to mention you have to be willing to slug it out with your film for years because that’s how long it can take for a film to be a success. Nothing, and this is important, happens over night and a career in film, much like a film itself, is a marathon not a sprint. 

Keywords: 10 Things They Don’t Teach You in Film School But Should, Film School, April Showers, USC, Art Center College of Design, HD Filmmaking, Independent Film, Andrew Robinson

1. danmcclure Says:
   July 14th, 2009 at 7:14 pm

   I have felt these thoughts about the business called school many times. More and more students are finding themselves deep in debt and left with only their imagination about what the future holds. Even more frustrating is that they spend countless hours sitting in a class room bored out of their minds learning something they’ll never use which will only confuse them when they hit the real world. I believe that those of a creative nature are often better served by learning on the job and getting paid while they learn. If nothing else one can volunteer their time learning the trade or art until they become worthy of an income. At least they aren’t left with a pile of debt and nothing to show for it. Could this all have some underlying relation as to why there exists so much tension in schools? Could this all add to students low self esteem and confusion? Might this lead to turmoil and violence. Well, we can only speculate, but I have a hunch it does.

   Good incite Andrew and important for those new to the field. It is generous of you to share your real experiences with those dreamers which could be potentially setting themselves up for a world of disappointment.

   Dan

You must be logged in to post a comment.