Proving my capabilities to colleges?

[Steve Wargo]

[David Roth Weiss] “Especially if your major was either cosmetology or interpersonal communication.”

I have been rolled up in a ball laughing, for over 15 minutes.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Mike Cohen]

I have interviewed a number of film school grads for jobs which they did not get. Everyone had something in common – they felt film school was a lot of theory and honestly they had nothing useful to offer.

Likewise, we had a art school video program at college, which did nothing to prepare one for a career doing anything except teaching art school video classes.

Harsh? You bet.

My college experience was broadcast news oriented, and my college internships prepared me for just about anything. Of course on the job experience is the best of all. The major goal of your education whether at a community college, Harvard or your local cable station – is to learn to think creatively, to solve problems, to relate to others in a professional manner and to grow as a person. Technology changes often, so focus on the craft. Your video shows us that at 16, you are on the right path. If your folks want you to get an Ivy League education, make sure you do too. Honestly, as a high school sophomore I didn’t know what I wanted to do next week. Maybe things are more competitive now.

Keep posting your work online. The fact that you have sought advice on this website shows that your head is screwed on tight. Keep it up.

Mike Cohen

[Richard Herd]

Best film school in the country: https://www.afi.com/education/conservatory/admissions.aspx

Really tough to get in and very expensive.

As an undergrad, consider studying drama.

But that’s way ahead of the game: your junior year and senior year in high school, consider getting involved with the drama department. Cinematography and video ain’t about the codecs, wiring, lenses, and all the other amazing, complex tools; it’s about the audience, the ones receiving/experiencing the work. You’ll want to know words like denouement, catharsis, proscenium, mise en scene.

So many movies I see from the school of “just buy a camera, get an internship, and go for it” are riddled with cliches–cliches in the story, dialogue, and character–cliches in the camera, editing, and acting.

There’s a couple thousand years worth of drama to read and watch and 150 years of cinema to screen.

Capturing clean pic and audio: easy.
Making a movie that 1,000,000 people want to pay $10 to see: really really really really hard.