Should you go to film school?

Here’s a question I feel decently qualified to answer because I went to certain well known film school in the LA area (considered by some to be the top film school in the country, and blah blah blah).  So, was it worth it?  Should YOU go to film school?  The answer is: MAYBE.  Let me explain…

First, I HIGHLY recommend getting a 4 year degree in SOMETHING.  Most places won’t let you fetch coffee without a college education…whether you study film, econ, or dead languages of Mesopotamia, just get a 4 year degree. 

Now then, should you focus on film?  I’ve worked on shows where every higher up was a film school grad and they loved it/wouldn’t be where they were without it.  On the flip side, I’ve worked in offices where the higher ups did not go to film school and they REALLY looked down on it.  Both groups made great projects and were successful.  So, how do you know which category you fit in?  I think to decide, it’s important to think about two things and those are: CONNECTIONS and something I’ll call, JUST DO IT.  

CONNECTIONS: I've mentioned the importance of connections before, and my agent friend also mentioned connections (AKA referrals) as the best way to get representation...so yeah, connections!  How does this relate to film school?  Well, I suggest taking a route in life that will allow you to make the most connections (whether that's film school or not).  I think moving to LA for film school allowed me to make a lot of connections because I was surrounded by peers who all wanted to work in the industry.  I got my first job out of school from my friend/classmate and my second job off my school’s job board…and every job since then through subsequent connections via those jobs.  But hey, connections are everywhere, and I know people who didn't attend film school, or had non film majors who got the EXACT same jobs as me via totally different types of connections, so yeah, to each their own.

JUST DO IT: Regardless of your education credentials, if you want to be a director, you have to direct, if you want to be a writer, you have to write.  If that means attending film school where you might pay a lot of money up front to have professors, crew, equipment, and facilities at your disposal, then so be it.  If you can do it without film school, then so be it as well.  What’s important is that your creative life doesn’t end when school is over.  Just doing what you want to do is the first step to success…if you think film school is gonna help you do it, and do it better, then go for it, if you don’t think so, then don’t…but either way, if you don’t "just do it" (thanks Nike) it’s never gonna happen.

So…film school might be right for some, and wrong for others.  I think there will always be a bias for or against it.  I loved film school because things worked out pretty well: I love the friends I made, most of my professors, everything I learned, I didn’t “waste a bunch of money” (a common complaint) because I was lucky to receive a scholarship, and I got work after graduation.  Despite all this, school didn’t magically give me a career, but it gave me connections that led to jobs and it taught me skills I needed to “just do it,” like how to write a script.  Could I have gotten connections elsewhere or learned to write a script by reading a book (or blog)?  Maybe…but I didn’t because I knew I needed a more structured environment.

I think most people who say DO FILM SCHOOL say so because it helped them in some way (or they saw it was helpful for someone else).  Those who say NOOOO, well, chances are they went and things didn’t work out well so they blame film school for taking their time/money while promising a lot and giving nothing in return, OR they found success without film school so they see it as a waste of time/money, OR they dislike film school people because they see them as snooty and entitled.  Hindsight is 20/20 and everyone’s case is different.  Don’t go to film school thinking you’re buying yourself a career…while some schools might imply this is the case, I can assure you, it isn’t.  If you do go, do so to learn, make connections (i.e. your friends), jump start a career…and know the real work starts after you graduate.