Applying to Film School
Who is a typical film school applicant?
There is no typical applicant. Some students love to film extreme sports documentaries, films of kayakers going down waterfalls or skiers doing x-game tricks on the slopes. Other students use their films to educate their audiences, telling heartfelt tales of overcoming anorexia or interviewing young transexuals in San Francisco. Then there are students who work for hours to edit their films, or find the exact right music or even write that music when they can’t find it. All of these students work very hard to perfect their craft and tell unique stories.
What is the difference between a BFA and BA film program?
You will probably see that some programs offer a BFA and some offer a BA and wonder what’s the difference and why choose one over the other. A BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) is a more comprehensive artistic degree. BFA programs usually require that you take about 70-75% of your classes in your artistic major, the remaining 25-30% of your classes will be general education classes such as writing, history, math and even science. These classes will often relate to your art so a science class could be the Science of Light or Sound, a history class could be the History of the Horror Genre, math is usually in the form of an entrepreneurship or business course. Don’t worry, you won’t have to take high level math or a lab science. Some BFA programs might allow you to study a minor together with your BFA but it will take careful planning on your part. Students might minor in business, screenwriting, psychology, or any other area of interest. Some BFA programs also have study abroad components so if this is on your wish list make sure the school can accommodate it as BFA programs usually have a prescribed flow of courses.
A BA (Bachelor of Arts) requires about 50% of your classes to be in your major, so it is less intense and all encompassing than a BFA program. With a BA you will have a lot of space in your curriculum for electives and most likely could easily take a minor, in some programs you might even be able to double major. For the most part BFA programs require that you apply directly into the program whereas BA programs allow you to declare the major just as you would another major. Most film programs offer BFAs, most universities and even some liberal arts colleges, offer BAs. The right choice is the best choice for you.
What is Film Studies and how is it different from Filmmaking?
Often students confuse Film Studies with Filmmaking and they are very different. Film Studies is the analysis and study of the social practices of film, such as the culture, history, psychology, and theory. Students who major in Film Studies may pursue careers in film criticism or film education. Filmmaking is the creation of films, it often includes screenwriting, photography, editing, lighting, sound, directing, and producing. Filmmaking is the major most students think of when they want to study film. There are a few schools which even combine the two subjects.
What is the challenge of applying to Film School?
I asked a student applying to film school what her biggest challenge was and she said "strategizing." Let me explain. For each program she must submit three to five essays, a portfolio or a five to ten minute reel, a creative resume, and for some schools a 30-90 second "personal video." This holds not only for film makers but also students interested in production design, editing, directing, screenwriting, sound and lighting.
How do you do this, all while not repeating your story, and continuing to peel back your onion to let admissions learning more about you? It's really tough, and it means you have to start early so you have the experiences schools are looking for and the body of work to support your application. You're going to want to show leadership, collaboration and storytelling. And to show all of this you need creativity, risk taking, and breadth of ideas. It's a challenge.
How to be a successful Film School applicant?
This is the biggest challenge as film schools have notoriously low acceptance rate, the top schools accept far fewer than 10% of their applicants. You have to make your application stand out, and that takes very strong essays and polished creative supplements. The best way to write compelling essays is to be a good storyteller, not all stories have to be about monumental events, students have written about the value of their pen pals, the lessons they’ve learned from boxing, and about family hikes in the rain. What these essays have done very well is to paint a vivid scene and allow the reader to be in the story, much as you are when you watch a good film. The other critical component of your application are your creative supplements. You can submit both photography and films for these supplements as often students do both. For film most schools accept no more than 10 minutes, some as few as three minutes, so what you submit must be really well filmed and edited. You don’t need a fancy camera, most applicants film their submissions using their digital cameras (with a tripod or other stabilizer) but you do need to produce a very well edited final product.
If you're considering film school starting early in high school is a must. Many students attend film programs over the summer of both sophomore and junior years. Some students volunteer with local organizations or for their school sports teams to film events or create short informational or marketing films. These are all great ways to practice your filming and editing skills, learn how to tell a story in a short amount of time, and take initiative. These are all skills schools look for in their top candidates.
Applying to film school is not for the faint of heart, here's a list of the top 50 Film Schools. If film school is in your future, here's my calendar, schedule an appointment to talk today.