Insight on Film Schools of America 

Though famous film schools like the University of South California, Savannah College of Art, Pratt, and NYU are great schools to go to, others may surprise you.

In Harrison, New York, Manhattanville is a small school that has a great mix of students and majors. Talking to the admissions officer, she shared that Manhattanville is a liberal college with many connections in companies and productions that you may know like NBC and Nickelodeon. She said it’s required that students have to do an internship, to give students in-field experience. Manhattanville is a walkable campus and is located right outside of Manhattan. You get the best of the city without being overwhelmed by city life!

There is also Marymount Manhattan College, which is pretty much directly in the city of New York, placing you in the center of it all. It is a really small school, so you can get the one-on-one attention you need. The school is very ethnically diverse but has an uneven ratio of women to men, with women taking up 82% of the student population according to Naviance. Though Marymount might not be the best college in the world, it does have a pretty good visual arts program with plenty of inspiration surrounding the campus. If you want to go to a small school in the center of Manhattan, Marymount Manhattan College is the place for you.

But maybe the best resource to ask about your future in film is Mr. Williams, OMHS’s film teacher. Mr. Williams, who has a degree in electronic media and film, says Towson surprisingly has a decent film school. He graduated from their film program and that experience got him into some script work in Baltimore. And though this article is about colleges, Mr. Williams points out that if you have enough experience already and know the right people, you could just go right into the film industry. “When it comes to film school, it’s not like you’re studying film, you’re making the connections and creating your own projects through the professors.” 

Still, college is a great place to make friends and find inspiration. With film school resources, students get to flex their creative skills, use the equipment, and meet people in the field to help create their ideas. And if you don’t go to college or get into a famous film school, that’s totally fine! Jennifer Lawrence, Tom Hanks, and even the famous Walt Disney didn’t go to college. But they did have the connections, the skills, and the drive to do what they do best – act, direct, and create multibillion-dollar careers. When it comes to writing and television careers, there are jobs everywhere, not just in famous places. Who says you even have to be in the United States to achieve your dreams? There’s Bollywood, BBC, and plenty of productions and companies in Canada, France, Japan, and Korea. 

Skill-wise, Mr. William advises that you should, “Do as much as you possibly can, don’t scoff at opportunities and you will get more work if you know people, ask questions and be professional even if you hate it. Have a good work ethic and network! It’s a small industry. Be reliable.”

If you want more information about the thriving film industry, check Naviance. Do your research, follow your gut, and choose what’s best for you. Remember you have the skills, use them.