The internet is full of sites and articles proclaiming the virtues of the top film schools. They will detail explicitly the benefits of attending one institution over another. However, what they do not tell you is that the school itself likely owns the website or is paying an entrepreneur commissions for sending potential students their way.
Many people will find this little tidbit shocking, especially since these are many times highly regarded universities. Yet they are stooping to spending millions to promote and advertise their film school. However if you look into the history of these types of schools it is less surprising. You may even change your mind about attending if you look a little deeper.
The very first movie making school was founded at the University of Southern California, but before that movie studios largely relied on training their staff in house for their entertainment manufacturing. In those days movies were not considered a form of artistic expression and they were forced out in assembly line fashion. Workers were paid a tiny wage for the small range of specialty tasks they would perform.
Glamor was definitely not the order of the day and turnover was extremely high. They figured out the job was not all it was cracked up to be. Studio execs came up with a devious solution to the problem of training costs and high turnover. They worked with U.S.C. to institute a film school that would train potential workers. The school and the executives came out ahead on this deal, the school could charge tuition and the movie companies could simply wait for the best and brightest among graduating students.
This may sound unbelievable, however when you look at the origins of school, particularly public school, you will see that the industrial revolution and the need for factory workers was a driving force. There is an added bonus for schools, it seems to be quite the profitable venture as students will compete and pay huge sums happily just to be able to attend.
To add insult to injury, top rated film schools can charge up to $100,000 for degree coursework but the resulting degree will only qualify you to work in the lowest paid and most menial positions with today's movie production companies. If you are thinking seriously about making big money in Hollywood you will want to look at the individuals in the industry who are doing the same and train for a similar position.
Million dollar salaries in the film world are only going to the rare and extremely talented individuals, namely popular actors and film directors. Unfortunately, these are also the exception to the rule in Hollywood. Most actors and film workers are unemployed and struggling to make ends meet.
For the most part large salaries in the film industry are reserved for producers, lawyers and executives who control movie production and provide representation for the different artists involved in a project. Do not be fooled by the glitz and glamor, the film industry is a business and training for success in the field is best done with a law or business administration degree with a focus on the film industry.
There are several schools in this country who offer these types of degrees and while it may not sound as fancy or exciting as film school, in the end your success will likely be much larger.
You can find a complete guide to top film schools and the entire movie making process at 4filmmaking.com. Click here to learn about the top film schools at 4filmmaking.com.
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