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Is Film School Right for Me?
Four years! Tens of thousands of dollars?
Many considering film school are overwhelmed by the commitment
when they consider it, others never acknowledge to themselves
what's involved, and only realize later what they've gotten
themselves into. Going to a film school is no small matter,
and deserves all possible consideration.
 Much
difficulty lies in the fact that potential film students only
know that they love films, and have no idea if they have any
aptitude in making them. They consider film school to be the
place to find out, and they are mostly correct. The problems
lies in the fact that it can take a year or more before students
get a chance to make a film in film school, by which time
they may get too entrenched in the routine of what they're
doing to really step back and consider whether they have the
talent to justify the extraordinary commitment that a degree
program represents.
Those who are uncertain about their abilities or about whether
they will enjoy the filmmaking process are well-advised to
do anything possible to get some hands-on experience prior
to making a big commitment. It is possible to produce a small
film outside of school; however, working alone and without
instruction, you may stack the deck against success.
Another possibility is volunteering to work on someone else's
student film. This will provide a glimpse of the film-making
process, but won't provide any answers as to the individual's
abilities.
The best test may be a short intensive program that allows
a person to make a film, like the program at the New York
Film Academy where I worked as an instructor, in which students
make three to four short films in eight weeks.
In any case, it is ill-advised to enter any field blindly.
Enjoying museums won't make a person a good painter, nor will
it guarantee that they will enjoy the actual work of painting.
The same applies to enjoying films versus film-making. The
best way for someone to find out if film school is for them
or not is to try making a film.
Author
David Kost
New York Film Academy
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