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Where can I go to get a purely Cinematography Degree?
I have been searching diligently for a school to transfer to that will offer me a purely cinematography degree, or at least one with much more focus on the camera and technique than my current radio/television/film survey program at UNT. I have a 3.4 and an excellent still portfolio and I will find the money to pay for a school that will teach me what I yearn to know. Does any one know or have advice, my even some alumni testimonies, whatever will help cause I getting very frustrated and want to start some working with what I love.
Thank you so much,
Lloyd D. Lowe Jr. -
4 Replies
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you might look at the American Film Institute (AFI) ..i believe they take X # each Directors, Editors, producers, cinematographers,production designers for 1st year .. then i believe for 2nd year they only allow 5 persons in each area to advance ?
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Find the best cinematographer you can, who will let you sweep the floor, carry the cases, etc., for no or low pay, just so you can hang out and see what he/she does. You learn from the people in your life, so put the right people there (would a bunch of fellow students be so much better?).
If you’re close to finishing at UNT, take some courses in areas that you’ll never have an opportunity to study again, in business, marketing, history of art.
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schools = Networking. Jobs = Experience. No matter what school you go to, you’re going to graduate with basic skills. It takes years to improve those skills. There is no replacement for real-life experience… Remember, every six months or so, all over the world, people are graduating from some sort of film/television school or related field. Robert Altman is 81.
In this field, people NEVER retire. They die on the set. It’s a fun journey, though… -
[Bob Cole] “Find the best cinematographer you can, who will let you sweep the floor, carry the cases, etc., for no or low pay, just so you can hang out and see what he/she does.”
Engrave these words on a coffee mug or something.
I’ve been in the field for 20 years and I learn more every year than I did during the last one it seems. The schools that are up to date on technology do seem to lose focus on technique, but I’ve also found that schools that focus on technique can go too far in the other direction and either end up oblivious of advanced technology, or somehow imply that technologies like digital cinematography somehow “pollute the art”.
Bottom line is you need to blend both. Schools can have difficulty with that as most suffer from limited resources of varying types and degrees.
The guys in the field that are dealing with the realities of staying current with technology to maintain workflow compatibility with the industry and who also keep their skills honed to stay in demand are the ones to learn from…and there isn’t a college course out there that can be created, approved, and made available before various advancements have made it obsolete in some sense…
While I understand (and fully endorse) the technique training you are seeking, a purely “Cinematography” degree may not carry the weight in seeking employment that you’re anticipating a few years from now…
TimK,
Kolb Productions,
Creative Cow Host,
Author/Trainer
http://www.focalpress.com
http://www.classondemand.net
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