A Case for Super Powers

Film School Confidential

So, where I work now, one of my coworkers has a degree in film from Columbia University's film school. I know another guy who also went to film school. Both of these guys have caused me to realize something.

I am glad I never went to film school.

I've found that film school guys irritate the living hell out of me. Because they paid tens of thousands of dollars to go to a building to learn the things that I myself learned out of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Movies, Flicks, and Film, they are absolutely convinced that they know more about film and filmmaking than you do. Furthermore, and perhaps even more insufferably, they love to remind you of things like "you have better odds of winning the lottery than becoming a successful film director"...and although they don't say anything more than that, you could swear you can hear them say "unless you went to film school, like me". They are also convinced that they have a better chance than you of becoming a successful filmmaker. They refuse to acknowledge that a degree in film is as useful as a degree in philosophy. Tell somebody you have a degree in film and they say "oh, that's neat". Tell that to a producer and they'll say "oh, well, I can probably find you some PA work, I guess."

Let me tell you what unique opportunities film school gives you...are you ready?

Film school gives you access to equipment.

That's it.

And especially in these days, when the things professionals use is easily accessible by anybody, film school is completely useless. Sure, it was helpful back when Spielberg was starting out, when film equipment was not available to the average person, but that's no longer the case. The majority of indie films now are made on Mini-DV cameras, and edited on Final Cut Pro...both of which can be bought by you or me. Oh, they're not cheap, but they're a Stimulus Package away.

Want to be a filmmaker? There are three things you need to do:

Watch Film
Read About Film
Make a Film

And even the second item in that list is optional, in case you want to know history and theory.

Film School education is becoming more and more a waste of money.

In fact, it could be argued that with the state of the educational system in America, and the easy availability of information, that formal education in general is becoming more and more a waste of money.

Formal Education is therefore the process of paying certain amounts of money for certain pieces of paper. Those pieces of paper henceforth determine what kind of job you get, and how good it is. That job then determines your quality of life and social standing.

Formal Education, therefore, is the process of determining, via family financial standing, and validating, via a degree, whether one is a lord, a serf, or any caste in between.

Whoops, got off topic there for a moment.

The point is, your film school education makes you neither more knowledgeable about film, nor more likely to be a successful filmmaker, than me.

And Darkness and Decay and Silver held illimitable dominion over all.