Film school
From Freepedia
A Film school is a generic term for any educational institution dedicated to teaching moviemaking, including, but not limited to, film production, theory, and writing for the screen. Usually hands on technical training is incorporated as part of the curriculum, such as learning how to use cameras, light meters and other equipment. Most schools are tied to existing colleges and universities, often in art or communication departments. Some are privately owned and not tied to universities, such as technical schools offering associate degrees.
Various debates have raged over the years on the importance of film school in allowing one to enter the film industry. Of course, examples can be offered from both sides, as directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola graduated from prestigious film schools, whereas Quentin Tarantino had no formal film training. The rapid rise of independent filmmaking and digital video have changed this debate somewhat, as anyone with a few thousand dollars can shoot their own film (and some have done so quite successfully) with little formal knowledge of the industry. Thus, it can be argued that the cost of attending a film school can now be better spent on making a film. Others argue that film school is important because it allows students to network and connect with others interested in filmmaking, as well as with those who may eventually offer them careers in the industry.
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Film schools in the United States
Some prominent film schools in the United States include:
- American Film Institute (AFI Conservatory)
- California Institute of the Arts
- Chapman University
- Columbia University - School of the Arts
- Columbia College
- Florida State University - School of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts
- Emerson College - Department of Visual and Media Arts
- North Carolina School of the Arts
- Northwestern University
- The New York Film Academy
- New York University (NYU) - Tisch School of the Arts
- San Francisco State University
- SUNY Purchase
- Syracuse University
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - School of Theater, Film and Television
- University of California, Santa Cruz - Department of Film and Digital Media
- University of Southern California (USC) - School of Cinema-Television
- University of Texas at Austin - Department of Radio, Television and Film
- Yale University
High school film programs
Due to the increasing ease and low costs of digital video production and post-production, high schools are slowly starting to build programs that teach film technique. Perhaps the most successful of these programs is Grant High School in Los Angeles, California. Grant has won seven CINE Golden Eagles in six years (this is better than USC's or UCLA's current track record).
Prominent high school film programs in the United States include:
- Dearborn High School in Dearborn, Michigan
- Grant High School in Los Angeles, California
- Kamehameha High School in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, Maryland
International Film Schools
Film schools outside the United States include:
- Beijing Film Academy
- Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK)
- National Film and Television School (UK)
- National Film School in Lodz
- Vancouver Film School
External links
- IMDB Directory of Film Schools (NB Not complete; notable omissions include Moscow's VGIK)
- The Clapperboard A new film making resource.
