THR: The 25 Best Film Schools Rankings
Via THR, here are their list of the top 10 best film schools worldwide:
1. American Film Institute
2. University of Southern California
3. Beijing Film Academy
4. New York University Tisch School of the Arts
5. University of California Los Angeles
6. California Institute of the Arts
7. The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
8. Columbia University School of the Arts
9. Wesleyan University
10. The National Film and Television School
It’s an informative article with a summary of each school, notable alumni, and importantly tuition.
If the latter gives you pause, here’s a free approach: Deep Focus: The Go Into The Story Movies Project. Under your own tutelage, you can study:
Movies
Scripts and Screenwriting
Film Analysis and Criticism
Filmmakers
The Evolution of Filmmaking
There’s even a short version of the program.
All free. Many of the resources available online.
Of course, if you really want to boil down an alternative film school education, you can do this [say it with me]:
Read scripts.
Watch movies.
Write pages.
So question on the table: Is a film school education worth the time and money?
For more of the Hollywood Reporter article and the rest of the top 25, go here.
UPDATE: In comments, Alex offers a terrific piece of advice about filmmaking:
i really wish people would focus on how broad an education they can get, and how many interests they can cultivate, rather than which vocational school to pick from. because ultimately, what you have to say, “your voice,” will not come from any school, but will come from being an interesting, active, curious person.
Each one of us should print this out and tape it on our foreheads. Not only about screenwriting, acting, directing, but also about life in general.
Thanks, Alex, for that insight.