Posted by sean at threshold7n.jpmorgan.com on August 09, 2002 at 14:59:45:
In Reply to: Los Angeles Film School posted by bostonkid on August 09, 2002 at 13:38:35:
: I know that Kevin went to the Vancouver Film School for a little bit before Clerks was made. I am in LA and I am looking at the LA Film School. It is a one year immersion program where you learn everything. It is a heft $25,000 for one year but you are guaranteed to make films and most like get a job after graduation. There is no degree, just a certificate. It looks good but I wanted to see what you guys thought.
Here's the thing ... obviously, you know what you want out of film school more than I do. But me? I have to say that, from reading the website, it sounds like the reason they'll able to do in less than one year what most actual schools [as you said, no degree] spend four years teaching is that they eliminate the point where they teach. It sounds, from my experience looking into various film schools and actually going as well, like it's the kind of place where they give you a camera and say "Go shoot a film", thus guaranteeing that you've got a film done. This can work just fine, if all you want to do is make a movie for $25,000 plus cost (I only know of one school where the school itself pays for the movie, and they, because of this, own your film). It sounds like the type of place where the teachers don't even show up except the first and last week, though their TAs are always available by phone. [This may or may not be unfair; I'm comparing it to the New York Film Academy, whose ads and website are EXACTLY THE SAME as this, only with more testimonials.]
There's a website on Yahoo! somewhere that gives a lot of detailed specific feedback from students who submit whatever comments they have. You've got to watch out a little, because a lot of schools, apparently, pack it up with positive feedback, but you can always spot that because of how vague and generic it is. Kind of like the 'testimonials' on lafilm.com