For every subject, there is a debate that has been raging for decades, and for filmmaking (especially DiY Filmmaking), that debate is over whether film school is worth it.

I’ll be up front: I went to a film school. It wasn’t a standalone film school, it was just a film program at a larger University, and it was mostly theory and writing papers. I didn’t go just for the film program, I just sort of fell into it. Although I went, I don’t advocate strongly against it or for it. In this post, I’ve tried to narrow down some points about what film school has to offer and what is doesn’t.

The Tale of Bobby and Danny

Let’s say we have Bobby and we have Danny. Bobby wants to be a filmmaker, and Danny wants to be a historian. They both decide to eschew school, and study on their own. Bobby reads about cameras and filming techniques, and Bobby reads about history. Bobby makes a short, and Danny writes a thesis on his own.

Bobby goes to a film festival with his short. The people there say “great, come on in” and his short wins an award. He is now a filmmaker, and he’s got some interested investors to make a feature length film.

Danny goes to a historical society with his thesis, looking for a job as a historian. But before he can even get them to turn the first page they ask – “where did you get your degree?” Danny doesn’t have an answer. He never went to history school, and now he can’t get a history job without a degree in history.

This is, of course, a ridiculous oversimplification, but there’s some truth in here. Filmmaking is a rare academic subject where the degree you get isn’t a prerequisite to getting your foot in the door. Nobody is going to ask you for your filmmaking diploma. Therein lies the heart of the debate.

The Knowledge to Become a Filmmaker is Largely Undefined

There’s a reason you don’t go to the bookstore and see books called “The 5 Minute Physics Degree” or “What They Don’t Teach You in Med School”. Most academic subjects that lead into a profession of choice are very clearly defined. Every doctor you meet went through a very specific process with checks and goals at each step. It’s illegal to call yourself a doctor without having gone through these steps.

But literally anyone can call themselves a filmmaker. The definition is loose, and the pathways to get there are extremely varied. No one is going to ask for your certificate. Some people tout that as a benefit, while others tout the fact that film school is a necessity, but no one is right or wrong.

Wait a Second – What Kind of Film School Are We Talking About?

People often refer to “film school” as if it was a factory where every person who goes in gets the same thing, but there are really two kinds of film schools.

First, there are the academic film schools. Usually, these are programs that are part of a larger university. Some tend to favor the academic side more than practical hands on training, and some go the other way, but they all offer you a background in film history and film theory to go along with your production training. Some, however, offer very limited production training, and tend towards the “higher levels” of learning in the field.

The second kind is a strictly production school. These schools are usually singular entities, and function much like a trade school, focusing on the practical aspects of the craft of filmmaking.

Those are some really key differences. Both types have something unique to offer, depending on your needs. A production-oriented film school is likely to be cheaper, since you aren’t paying for a full University experience, but there are other things you do get from a full University film school that can be valuable.

What DO You Get Out of a Film School?

Our podcast listeners know that I like to watch “Project Runway”. It’s a dumb show, but it’s entertaining and my girlfriend loves it.

“Project Runway” fans know that every season there’s one or two designers that didn’t go to fashion school, and are self-taught. The show usually makes a big deal out of this to play up the drama of having someone who has passion but no formal training in fashion going up against people who went to clothes school.

Inevitably, one of these self-taught people does something that is too derivative of a past fashion movement, and the judges tell them what they need is a fashion history course.

This situation has some parallels to the situation filmmakers are in. When I graduated from film school, I had a really solid background knowledge of film movements and the techniques associated with that. In short, I knew what had been done before. I could watch a film with a critical eye, and more importantly, I could make one with a critical eye towards my own descisions.

Can you get that on your own? Of course. You can read books, watch movies, and know the same things I did when I left film school. I would venture to say that there are a few advantages to doing it in an academic setting: one is your forced to do it, even if the material of the day doesn’t interest you, and two, the material is brought to you. You don’t have to seek it out, whereas you might miss something picking materials on your own.

Another things that film school may provide is a network of people that have the same interests as you. Yes, you can get that by meeting people and making connections, but a film program alumni network is a readymade network to tap into.

To Film School or Not To Film School?

It’s a hard question, and it has no right answer. There are people the advocate for both sides. Kevin Smith (of course) doesn’t believe in film school. Neither does Werner Herzog, and look at the beautiful film art he produces:

An age old debate that has no real answer – sounds like a great topic for the comments section. Did you go to film school? Didn’t go? What was your experience?