Film School

I'm not sure if I ever spoke to you about film school. But here goes...
...for most of you out there that went to any school, and have a little experience behind you...trade school is useless. Simply put, this is a business about experience. And though it's good to be around people who focus solely on films and make connections, for the most part, you are wasting time and money. I went to film grad school. And though I have absolutely nothing but respect for my professors, none of them offered me placement after school.
A lot of young people in the business look to film school either to A) spin their wheels until their parents get off their back B) really crack into an industry.
I have a friend now who is in film school, who has no greater aspirations than to work in schlock cinema. This guy will make it. Why? He understands that the studio system isn't his cup of tea and that his interest are more for the cinema aspect of it rather than the job. Also, the job are available to more people since people typically want to work for the studio.
To me film school also teaches you poor habits. That you will always work with friends is among the most harshest. On a film set, you aren't there to "hang out." It's always been business first.
Regardless of what behind the scenes videos or commentary tell you that "if you aren't having fun, why are you doing it?" The simple answer is rent, kid's college fund or mortgage. And if you are above-the-line a trophy wife you have to maintain. The rest is just 12 hour days.
Film school also teaches you that it's your way or the hard way. David Fincher is, perhaps, the most damaging influence on film school. He's got a Stanley Kubrick style work flow. And none of which function to anyone fighting a budget. Film school students idolize the guy (personally, I like his movies, but they do, as mentioned in previous notes about him, choke the fun out of cinema). To film students, he is the modern day Kubrick. His vision will get on screen REGARDLESS of how many takes or how abusive they are to talent. Which is done to no other reason then to emulate him. I think there was one guy like that in my grad class (every class has one or many). They are dictators as that's how they think directors should act. In other words, they act like they are a director. Not my style. If you're aspiration is to work in studio, you are bookended by executives and the direction is by committee. Unless you are David Fincher.
Also, film school is insulated. You get low insurance to rent equipment, permits and so forth. In the "real world" if you intend on making your own projects...good luck. It's expensive. The cheapest thing you can hope for is the camera itself. Once you put your own money into a project, you discover really quickly how fast what is worth the money. Only if you care. And I've noticed once you are out of film school and put your own money into things, cutting corners and justifying it is a language onto itself.

Film school isn't a complete waste of time. I find people who do my workshop who are in film school find it disappointing in the end. Their teachers are trained professionals themselves, but are most likely distracted. Or bitter. Or whatever the students layer on them. They most likely can see talent. Or the talent of the student. To me, ambition, grit and interest means so much more. If I were a professor, I'd focus on the guy who has a very realistic goal (this usually launches people further) when it comes to his work (most want to direct right away, which is fine, if you're rich...I went to a rich person film school, those guys are fine). I would also focus on the guy who knows how to put things together rather than is a film fan.
Being a film fan is great, and you should study cinema, but for the most part, I found most film fans are horrible filmmakers...a result of people like Quentin Tarantino.

So you're probably thinking "what makes you a fucking expert at this since you seemed like a failed filmmaker?"

Fair enough, it depends on your definition of "failed." I did go to film school, when I graduated I did grip work. Got fired on my very first gig. Then went to electric. Where I worked for a few years on some really terrible Israeli shit. Then was one of the youngest cinematographers to shoot a feature....for a Korean company that had Steven Seagal but most likely was run by mafia money. So there's that. And now I work in post-production, comfortably buying motion picture cameras, eating well and living by myself in an apartment in Van Nuys...making films on my own time.

What I'm saying is, these are insights into MY experience in Hollywood. Yours will be different (probably not as fun, since the politically correct, meToo'ers have taken over. Also, social media and camera phones ruined location shoots. Trust me, those were rambunctious. And you can heed what I'm telling you now. Most people in front of the camera are oblivious to this production nonsense. Which is good because they have their own debaucherous nonsense going. But, if you truly care about what you make, it will drain you. I've noticed the people who drift from job to job tend not to have this effect them. And perhaps that is the way to function if you want to work in the long run. But poor catering and poor hours should amount to something you do care about. I'm sure there's a personality type that can balance the two. To me, it better be something YOU make rather than make for others if you are going to die on it.

To me, film school should teach the realities of going your own way. There are too many variables to contend with. In the end, I direct you to these workout guys who state in their videos "this is just me talking, you can DO WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT"
Seems to me, though you can see their results (Hodge Twins) as buff gym rats, people STILL question their workout regiment.