Best Film Schools - 3 Vital Things You Won't Get

Even at the best film schools you will find that the "professors" are most commonly former film school graduates who tried for a couple of years to find a real job in the movie industry and have given up. They are still hoping to get their big break but in their heart-of-hearts they realize the industry is too difficult to break into.

Check with the any of the best film schools as to the qualifications of the instructors and don't be surprised to find that none of them ever had a key job on a feature film much less made a feature of their own.

Understanding this basic fact about film schools, that the instructors are not professional filmmakers, will explain why you won't get 3 vital things you will need to be a filmmaker someday.

Something that is vital to the advancement of every student is good feedback. Film school professors may have a good understanding of academic film theory but that has nothing to do with the economic realities of the film industry.

The typical film student applying for a job imagines the interviewer is looking over their portfolio or reel to evaluate their talent and artistic vision. In fact the interviewer is asking themselves: "Can this kid make me any money?"

That film student would be much better off creating and submitting short films to film festivals and hope for some feedback from the audiences and possibly a film professional who is attending.

Success in filmmaking is all about who you know. People will tell you to go to a top film school because they can give you those contacts.

Realizing that the professors and administrators are probably failed professional filmmakers themselves should inform you of the likelihood of that ever happening. Even your fellow graduates will not be very helpful as they will be your competition for the few entry level jobs you will qualify for.

It is simply very unlikely that any film school is going to plug you into a great job upon graduation.

Most students pick a top film school because they imagine that will be how they get to become a famous film director or possibly a screenwriter working with glamorous actors.

Actually there is almost no demand for directors or screenwriters in Hollywood. Those jobs are held by talented over-achievers who aren't about to let you take their job. Most directors and screenwriters are in fact working incredibly long hours doing very boring things for very little pay.

The real moneymakers in Hollywood generally are the producers, agents, lawyers, business and money men who work the deals and make sure they get the biggest cut.

Film schools teach screen writing and how to work the positions on a film set. These are the lowest-paid, most boring and least in demand jobs in the industry.

Even going to the best film schools around is not a sure route to success. It's more like a sure route to failure if you listen to most former film school grads. The best routes to filmmaking are still to find your way onto film sets and learn all you can, network, and generally work your fanny off until you find your niche.