Film school is an educational establishment that focuses on teaching movie making. Film schools are either independent or part of a university. A film school typically offers courses or programs in producing, directing, acting and screenwriting as well as camera and filming technologies.
Although attending film school may not be mandatory for people who want to work in the movie and television industry, it can provide an opportunity to learn about all the components that fit together to make a production. Film schools introduce skills that interested students may choose to pursue further. A school of film often encourages students to work on small feature film projects they can use on their resumes. While graduating from a film and television school is no guarantee of a job in those areas, the education and film projects students gain can be used on a resume to help further their chances of being selected for entry-level work in TV or movies.
Film school curriculum is typically based around core knowledge in all areas of movie making, plus elective and specialty course offerings. In some film schools, after completion of core curriculum, students may choose to specialize in either theater or television and film specialty areas. Some schools of film focus on one specialty area, such as animation design or visual effects, while others concentrate mainly on acting and directing. Prospective students should look for schools that have programs in the aspects of filmmaking that they’re most interested in.
Film schools are located all over the world including Germany, Israel and Australia. Top film schools are especially associated with the United States and these include film school centers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Florida State University (FSU). The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television offers courses in the history and theory of film as well as in the technical and creative areas of filmmaking.
UCLA is known for its bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. programs in theater as well as in film and television. A master's of fine arts degree from UCLA or another school for film may help people interested in becoming teachers teach filmmaking. Teaching filmmaking may be a rewarding future career option for aspiring filmmakers. FSU is known for matching film students with career mentors to help graduates try to find film industry jobs within one year after graduating.
