The Hollywood Reporter recently released a list of the 25 Best Film Schools across the world. Of course the majority are in Los Angeles, but several abound all over the U.S. and countries like France, China, the UK, and Poland.
Which prominent school holds the #1 spot?
1. American Film Institute (LA)
Among the most selective film schools in America, AFI’s Center for Advanced Film and Television Studies in Los Angeles offers a two-year conservatory program where students specialize in fields including directing, producing and writing, often coming to the institute after working in the industry or having attended other schools. Its “fellows” are typically more mature (average age is 27) and benefit from speakers and teachers drawn from the highest levels of the industry, supported by the full weight of AFI itself. Comparing it to cross-town rivals UCLA and USC is a bit of apples-and-oranges, given its small size and emphasis on specialization, but AFI’s glittering parade of alumni, from David Lynch to Darren Aronofsky, remains unrivaled when it comes to auteur filmmakers. Students are guaranteed the freedom to make a thesis film and are given access to SAG members for their casts and $13,500 in financing.
Other top schools…
2. University of Southern California (LA)
3. Beijing Film Academy (China)
4. New York University Tisch School of the Arts
5. University of California Los Angeles
6. California Institute of the Arts (30 miles north of LA)
7. The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (Czech Republic)
8. Columbia University School of the Arts (New York)
9. Wesleyan University (Middletown, Connecticut)
10. The National Film and Television School (UK)
11. La Femis (France)
12. University of North Carolina School of the Arts
13. University of Texas at Austin
14. The Polish National Film, Television and Theater School (Poland)
15. Syracuse University (New York state)
16. Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA)
17. Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts
18. Emerson Visual and Media Arts School (Boston, MA)
19. Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles)
20. University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee
21. Rhode Island School of Design
22. Chapman University Dodge College of Film & Media Arts (Orange, CA)
23. Ringling College of Art and Design (Sarasota, FL)
24. Northwestern University (outside Chicago)
25. Colorado Film School (Denver, CO)
Read a description of each school, including degrees offered, notable alumni, and tuition rates HERE.
Simeon Weinraub – I agree with these ranking, and I would add that a couple schools in Los Angeles that seem to get their alumni work (LMU and oddly LACC). Also I can’t speak to the quality of the school, but Emerson alumni hook each other up in the industry.
For real? That’s good to know. I wonder, how much do these films cost a year?
I have a lot of opinions about film school. Personally, I like AFI because it is only a grad school. So, you only have older educated people, and/or people with industry experience attending. Heck, I would go there now if I thought it would help me and I cold spare $80K. I went to NYU for undergrad, and I wish I had saved it for grad school. Also, the alumni connections and referrals were badly organized when I got out, but they are better now. If you are in state, UCLA is the bargain. If you can get a job at USC, then classes are greatly reduced, so that works too. The main thing is to work hard and stay friends with everybody.
I would argue USC is the top film school. It hooks its alumni up. USC isn’t just about film, it’s about law, business, accounting, social scene…you need all that to make it. In LA having a degree from USC is like having an IVY league degree. AFI is good for artsy things, but if you want to have a big house, have servants, little dogs and do the rich Hollywood life, if that kind of shallowness if your dream then USC is where you should go.
I’m not into that, but my cousins went to USC and they do quite well and work in Hollywood my ex-roommate went to AFI and she never paid the rent on time. These are personal anecdotes of course, but being an LA native, growing up in Hollywood that’s what I’ve seen.
And if you go to USC take out a loan. You don’t want to have to work, networking is half the reason you go to USC. If you don’t like talking and shaking hands then maybe making a lively solely being a film maker is not for you.
It looks like all the roads lead to USC & AFI first, then everywhere else. Lol. The NYU programs are quite up to the task just as equally? How much benefit is there in an undergraduate film school? Is it worth it at all? ‘Cos it’s continually looking like grad film school is where all the action is anyway.
I’m an teacher/conceptual artist, so keep in mind I’m speaking from that perspective. By the way if you want to be in the arts in California don’t go anywhere but Cal Arts…
To me if you want to go to film school, I’d do my undergrad degree in something that would be back up in case the famous director thing didn’t work out. The technical aspects of film making can be picked up relatively easily at a junior college, extension course, or the learning annex.
And the point of film school isn’t the degree, so an undergrad could just be a AA at LACC. You don’t even need a degree to make movies, you just need the connections and for working class and middle class kids the only way to get those connections is through meeting them in college.
NYU is good, but if you’re a nobody. If your parents aren’t connected you should probably go to USC, because in LA we don’t like NY and we sure as heck don’t like nobodies from NY…lol..I say that as a joke of course, but kind of not….
Lol. What’s the beef with NYU? Kinda curious. I was looking at the application process for USC and it’s a behemoth! UCLA looks a little relaxed perhaps. Does this mean USC is super selective or what?
No I don’t have a beef with NYU, I just don’t want people to waste their time. USC is worthless in NY, but if you want to work in Hollywood it’s a good thing to have. Half the people you meet will be alumni. You might be awesome and it might not even matter where you go, but if I were you I’d go to USC. UCLA is just as selective, USC is just private so they have to play this game. Also I know this is shocking, but USC is more friendly in my opinion to people of color AND you’ll be by downtown LA. This is the new center of LA.
UCLA will not be more relaxing for you. The parking is insane. The campus is huge and hilly….USC is just better, trust me…
Both good schools, but I always tell people that USC Is well worth the money and I’m very cheap.
Very interesting and good to know.
I co-sign everything ms fleming said.
Just get a group of talented people together and make a mind blowing short film. Submit the film to festivals and spend a good deal of money and time blowing your trumpet. You will come to know real soon, if your short was good enough, that an independent movie is on the horizon. Once you grab the chance at a feature length, just don’t blow it! If you do a great job, your movie will be talked about. Alas, it will be picked up for some distribution – then my friend, you may have arrived!