Film School Confidential

Film School Confidential

Thinking about going to film school? Don’t send in that application just yet–first read this book, the definitive guide to film schools around the country. The 26 institutions reviewed are rated according to the quality and accessibility of their equipment, the kind of films their faculty encourage students to make (“industry,” “independent,” “experimental”), and cost. The authors discuss the schools’ programs in detail, advise readers about whether film school is the right choice for them, provide tips about getting into the programs, and describe what to expect once film school begins. Karin Kelly and Tom Edgar’s prose is spirited and their entertaining introductory portrait of the state of American filmmaking will interest anyone who cares about contemporary movies. An informative and amusing glossary closes the volume, which explains why no one should try to lift an ARRI kit by the handle, why “experimental film” is just another word for “cinematic masturbation,” and why no good movie script ever contained the line, “you just don’t get it, do you?”

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Chose Chapman U
Does say what it claims to do. Excellant guide, helped me choose Chapman U due to its excellant equipment and policies.

4 Stars Good overview of graduate film programs
Overview of the top graduate film programs: gives good insight into each program and their respective strengths and characteristics. Very helpful in understanding the ‘signature’ of a school. Would be great to have an equivalent for undergrad film programs!

3 Stars A few issues
The book has its value for discussing in detail several schools throughout the country. I would even say it is a must-have before you visit ANY film school (even if’s not in the book). The grudge I have is how the authors sometimes weigh in with their personal preferences while discussing school facts (eg, they call Valencia, CA “depressing to live” – while that may be true it is highly subjective and should not be mentioned in a section which is supposed to inform an applicant). The introductory chapters are helpful, but the authors on occasion fall for juvenile foot-in-mouth comments like minimizing the work of McKee and Field by arguing they haven’t had any produced screenplays (which is ridiculous – that’s like saying a Superbowl team coach sucks because he can’t throw a ball like Joe Montana). The glossary is tongue in cheek but is obviously filler, no substance. Other than that, if one ignores these annoyances the book can be helpful.

4 Stars Book worth it, film school…?
Excellent- great discussion of the value proposition of film school. One thing I found odd though- they estimated one year rent and living expenses in New York at $20k. Living where, in a cardboard box, eating ramen noodles? Anyway, I highly recommend the TV reality show series “Film School,” on DVD. As for the question of whether to go, I think it says a lot that the #1 reason to go is the contacts you’ll make. Do you need to spend three years and god only knows how much money to make some friends/contacts? Anytime that’s used as a justification for the cost of grad school, watch out! They say the same thing about business school, and I don’t know a single person who wouldn’t be where they are today if it weren’t for b-school.

5 Stars Must-read book
An absolute “must-read” for anyone contemplating educational options in this industry. Very easy to read but dense with useful and practical advice.

Would have appreciated more coverage of undergraduate options, though. While the authors make the case for undergraduate school as a time of broad educational exposure, it is conceivable to do that within a context of film.

For a young person interested in film, it is hard for them to delay their involvement until graduate school. They can certainly get a liberal arts degree (and thus the broad exposure) with a film/film studies major and then decide if they want to continue on to grad school (and if so, what particular emphasis). However, there are also undergrad options that are more concentrated on the actual production side of things. Some coverage of the undergrad options would have been very much appreciated.

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