I want a career in film and/or television. Colleges?

[JohnDoe429]

Hi, I am 17 years old and am going to be a senior in high school this incoming year, which means I will be applying to colleges. But I am not sure which colleges to apply to or what I should study.

I have always loved movies and TV, I have even been on the set of some TV shows and met some famous actors. The whole environment of filming and producing TV and movies is what I like. Obviously I don't want to be an actor but I want some career in TV and/or film. I think that would be really cool.

How hard is it to get a job in this industry? How is the pay? How intelligent do you have to be? What colleges should I apply to (I live in Massachusetts)? What should I study? What kind of jobs in TV and film could I get?

I have average grades and am getting my graphic arts teacher to write me a letter of recommendation, even though I am not a very good artist. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[kervens]

it weird i have the exact the same problem except i never got the chance to meet some actors/actress

[Heisenberg-]

The greatest myth in the film industry is that you need a film degree to get anywhere. That's not necessarily true; some of the greatest filmmakers in history never went to or dropped out of film school.

If you want to be a television producer or something similarly technical like that, you can learn all the skills you need at a broadcasting or technical college. Look into International College of Broadcasting or The Art Institutes.

If you're looking for a more creative career in the film industry, such as writing or directing, then it's all about talent and connections. If you're a writer, the very best thing you can do for yourself is write a good screenplay. A screenplay gives you tangible leverage; if somebody likes your project enough, they'll meet your demands to get it.

It's said that it's extremely difficult to break through in the film and television industries, and it's true to an extent, especially if you're expecting to be working on wide-release summer blockbuster films. But the pay, if you make it to that level, is obviously worth the sacrifice. Pay varies, really, depending on the size and success of the project. You don't necessarily need to be an intelligent person to make it in TV and film, but you have to have talent. And you have to be able to work with a large group of people with differing priorities and viewpoints in order to achieve a goal. People skills are extremely important.

As for schools, if you really want to go to film school, be prepared to pay for it. And I'm talking a LOT. Some schools that are worth looking into are NYU, Southern California, UCLA, Ringling College of Art + Design, Columbia College Chicago, etc. But these schools range from about $35-$50k/year just for tuition, and that's what you can expect for a decent film education. Lots of film programs are very selective, also, so you'll want to build a strong portfolio before applying, even if none of the material is strictly film related. I got accepted into Ringling's film program based on my visual art portfolio, so it can be done, but it's gotta be good.

As for your GPA, you'll want it to be at least around 3.0 to get a decent shot of getting into any respectable film school. Ringling says that their minimum is 2.5, but I was told by an admissions councilor that nobody with a 2.5 GPA is going to get into the film program unless they have a really great portfolio.

So, yeah. There's about what I know on the subject, haha.

[esio_trot]

CalArts or Art Center in Pasadena might be up your alley. Both of them will probably facilitate taking classes in animation and graphic design to further diversify yourself within film, thus making yourself more marketable. Especially when it comes to furthering knowledge in stuff like motion graphics, set and character design, and much more.

Plus Art Center is one of them schools that try to stay right on the cusp of emerging technology and the such.

[Heisenberg-]

CalArts is more renowned for it's computer animation program than anything else. Ringling and CalArts are just about the two most direct recruiting grounds for Pixar and Dreamworks these days. If you're looking for a general film education, I'm not sure the CalArts will fit your needs.

Oh, and I forgot to mention The University of Texas - Austin also has a world-class film school. You could also look into AFI, but it's a general consensus that the program there has gone downhill significantly in recent years. But still, it's AFI.