You are looking at a dumb little film I made in high school
In 2014, I submitted this film as part of my portfolio
To the film production program in Concordia University
In Montreal, Canada
I wanted to be an indie film writer-director
Sure, Tarantino and Nolan never went to film school
But one of them went to an acting school
The other worked in the industry from a very young age
I'm an immigrant
I have no connections to the industry whatsoever
While technical positions like gaffer and grip
And even logistic positions like assistant director
Production manager, and script supervisor
Can be learned efficiently on film set or online
Creativity driven positions like a writer, editor and director?
That needs a lot of peer feedback
Something that Tarantino and Nolan had
I don't
So going to film school is the safest bet
I'm saying this because I want to use my own life as an example
To help you decide if you should do the same as I do
Many of us know the pros and cons of going to film school
But making that decision seems like a massive leap of faith
Hopefully, by seeing my process of making the leap
You can find your own answers
I was lucky to be a Montreal resident
At the time I was applying for film school
The tuition is 1800 per semester
With 6 total semesters
If I take the maximum amount of courses per semester
I can graduate in 3 years
3600 per year is manageable
Even for my single parent immigrant household
And with the scholarship I got from graduating with honors
If you call this plastic thing "honor"
Half of my college tuition pays for itself
What I didn't know
Is that film school doesn't really help you find stable industry jobs
I went to film school to be an artist
By the time I graduate
I'm only just starting my career
Working in film jobs, on and off
With that in mind
I don't think it's worth it to go into heavy debt
To pursue a film career
Which was why I chose a local film school
Rather than, say, NYU
Holy f**k
Still, I was not hopeful
Hundreds of people apply for the same program each year
Only 60 students are accepted
One of my most talented friends had to apply three times
Due to language barrier
I graduated high school later than most
I didn't want to spend another extra year in education
So if I don't get into college
I'll just move on with my life
The competition does have its benefits
I have been an artist my entire life
Literature
Music
And now film
By the time I applied
My family already realized they couldn't stop me from being an artist
By telling them that the acceptance rate is something like 1 in 10
They immediately realized that
Yes, I have the talent to climb to the top
First year!
Our production class tasked us with making two short films
First, a one minute silent film
And by silent I mean no sound, no music, nothing
The class aims to teach you preproduction
As well as hone your skills in visual storytelling
So I made "Sound Painting"
A synesthetic film, where the image creates the illusion of audio
The use of Chinese elements and visual proved popular
And I quickly find myself being remembered by many of my peers
Second semester, we have to make a 5 minute short film
On our own
You can have a crew if you can organize it
I'm very introverted
So I only had minimal help
What I made was a crappy looking horror film
Looking back, it's my least proud piece of work
And it become my most watched short film online
What influence me most, however
Is the film study courses
Primarily, film history
And film aesthetics
To put it simply
It formed the basis of what this channel does
To link elements in film with real life cultures and histories
Like figuring out why movie Kung Fu look the way it does
How cultural perception of swords is reflected on film
As well as analyzing how a film tells its story visually
Such as being able to read the camera techniques in Parasite
These two courses made me realize
Without going to film school
I wouldn't even know what I didn't know
There are a lot of books and online resources for these
But without university curation
I don't think I can learn these theories as efficiently as I did
If, at all
It is so much more than just watching Citizen Kane
In fact, we don't watch Citizen Kane at all
The school assumes you already watched it
In second and third year
Only a select few students got to be a writer director
To write, produce and direct a 10 minute short film
Everyone else begins to work in increasingly specific fields
While in the second year, I worked mainly in the camera department
I was lucky enough to be a director in my third year
And I wrote, directed and produced "Keep Calm and Make Art"
Because I wanted to make a movie set in a bathroom
Working with a standard crew is amazing
Because I got to see the film set from the top down
The knowledge I gained from this
Translates much better to a real life production
Than if I only direct short films with my friends outside of school
Not to mention, I had to handle a lot of smaller details
From filling out the ridiculously long budget sheet
Renting a truck
To booking locations
These procedures are much harder to learn by myself
Without someone's guidance and corrections
Even if you are a technical crew member
The hands on experience as a key crew is still useful
We were trained to operate Hollywood grade cameras like Red Scarlet
And Arri Alexa
Because of these training
One of my friends now works as an assistant camera in many film projects
Straight out of school
The theory courses also became more specific
Entire semester devoted solely to Indian cinema
The study of auteur theory
Or the history of pornography
One time, we watch Twilight of all things
To study fandom and fan culture
As stupid as it sounds, it's one of those wake up moment
Where I realize film studies isn't about watching good movies
In fact, movies aren't inherently good or bad
It's just good or bad relative to the culture we are living in
Metropolis was panned when it came out
But now, it's hailed as a classic
That's why so many of my videos
Are about mainstream entertainment films
The 50 movies I listed has way more impact in Chinese popular culture
Than the art house classics
They shaped and reflected the culture of a generation
Whether or not this will help me make better films remains to be seen
But on some level, these eye opening realizations are already worth my tuition
But the most valuable thing I got from film school is
Of course, connections
Friends
Universities tends to be a fairly liberal minded place
Even more so within a fine art program
I have not felt so socially accepted until I'm in film school
Working together in a film
Where from planning to screening takes six months
Will turn any group of people into a family
In the three years after my graduation
I wrote and produced two short films
And worked on four feature documentaries
All of these opportunities were provided through friendly referrals
Is that a lot of credits?
No, but I'm only starting
With the same set of skills
I also filmed weddings for a period of time
Which, actually pays pretty well
I started this channel
And get to know you guys and girls
Now that's awesome
So, should you go to film school?
Now that you know what film school has to offer
You should be able to decide if you can find your alternatives
Does what I learn in school facilitates towards your goal?
Or can you learn them by self studying?
Do you have friends within the industry?
Can you afford the tuition
Knowing that there's little immediate monetary returns?
I hope my story help clear things up
And if you still have questions
Post it down below
I'll be sure to answer them.