Film School: To go or not to go?

I’d say about once a week, I get asked about the value (or not) of films schools. Since I didn’t attend one, it puts me in an awkward position. So I thought I’d ask the GITS community to weigh in on the subject, especially those of you who have majored in film studies as an undergraduate or received an MFA.

Speaking of the latter, here is a list of the top 14 graduate schools for film in the U.S. (MFA) as ranked by the U.S. News & World Report in 2001:

1. New York University

1. University of Southern California

3. University of California-Los Angeles

4. American Film Institute

5. California Institute of the Arts

6. Columbia University (NY)

7. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

7. U of Texas-Austin

9. Florida State Uni

9. Northwestern Uni (IL)

9. Temple Uni

12. Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)

12. San Francisco Art Institute

12. U of California-San Diego

Those of you who may have attended one of these schools, did you enjoy it? Was it a good experience? How has it helped you understand the craft of filmmaking? Has it advanced your career as a filmmaker? Do the benefits outweigh the negatives (e.g., time, expense)? What do you consider to be the single most valuable aspect of your MFA education?

Those of you who are considering an MFA program: Why? Which schools are on your list of interest? Why? Have you considered alternative forms of education? If so, what? If you had the chance to ask any question of an MFA graduate, what would it be?

Let’s see if we can shed some light on this question: whether to attend film school or not?

[Originally posted December 14, 2010]

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