| American Film Schools cost anywhere from $15,000 | | | | paying $30,000 a year in tuition to shoot on a $6,000 |
| to $42,000 a year. When famous alum like George | | | | camera. Meanwhile, my friends Glynn and Frida shot |
| Lucas and Martin Scorsese went, the industry was | | | | their own 10 minute short by teaching themselves |
| very different, and their programs did not cost even | | | | and spending time on film sets. They spent about |
| a fraction of this amount. As a graduate of NYU Film, | | | | $4,000 to get a quality HD camera, hire a |
| I learned the hard way of the gross disconnect | | | | professional gaffer, grip, and location manager, and |
| between what is taught there, and how little it | | | | actors. They did not pay any tuition. And the dailies |
| prepares a graduate for either working in the | | | | look incredible. |
| industry or making feature films. With tuition that | | | | Myth #3: You Need Film School for Networking. Here |
| astronomically high, I want to help dispel 3 of the | | | | is how I met Glynn, the very talented film director I |
| biggest myths about film school that most people still | | | | mentioned earlier. I was in a Coffee Bean in Studio |
| believe in until they attend and graduate. | | | | City in Los Angeles. I saw he had a photo of James |
| Myth #1: Film schools have clout in the industry. This | | | | Cameron on his laptop. I turned to him and said "So |
| is not Business School. Going to Harvard may get you | | | | you like James Cameron?" That was it. We talked for |
| a cushy job at Goldman Sachs. In the film industry, | | | | about 2 hours and had a blast, and once I visited him |
| everybody works their way up from the bottom. | | | | on set I met about 15 more awesome people |
| Period. It does not matter if you went to NYU or | | | | working in or around the business. In LA, if you talk |
| USC. I recommend calling the Comar Agency. (I am | | | | to people and are nice, you will make connections. |
| unaffiliated with them). They are a staffing agency | | | | You do not need to take out a student loan to pay |
| specializing in the Entertainment Industry. Call and ask | | | | for that. And if you do not live in LA, you can use |
| them if a film degree makes you any better a | | | | the internet. |
| candidate for a job than someone without that | | | | The book "Film School Secrets" will inspire you to skip |
| degree. And if not, then why not apply for a film job | | | | school and start working on movies now. "Film School |
| right now? | | | | Secrets" is a hilarious class by class, dollar for dollar |
| Myth #2: You need a film school to teach you how | | | | account of the NYU Film Curriculum, designed to |
| to make films. This weekend I checked out two | | | | illustrated in detail exactly where that $42,000 a year |
| movie shoots. One was a student film being shot at | | | | goes, so you know what you are really paying for if |
| New York Film Academy. Here, each student is | | | | you go to any film school. |