You can easily find several Los Angeles film schools to choose to go to in Los Angeles, California since it is the film industry’s undisputed foundation. Plenty of aspiring film directors, film producers, editors and screenwriters enroll in these schools, trying to find their shot at making it big inside the film industry. But what we genuinely wish to know is which is efficient and effective?
While you will discover certainly some big names in Hollywood who hold degrees from some of these schools, the truth is, there are many film students in these schools that you never hear about, who don’t actually manage to get thier break. From the film industry, you may discover that there can be fewer successful film directors and producers than there are film school graduates although film industry is offering employment every now and again.
This fact points into an important reality: attending a film school in Los Angeles does not by any means guarantee a career in Hollywood as a filmmaker. The truth is, chances are still against you. There exists a very good reason why this is the case: while Los Angeles film schools are positioned near the film industry, they are not necessarily part of the film industry. The entire concept behind traditional education is that it trains students in isolated environments out of the “real world.” Unfortunately, when it comes to the film business, that can actually work against you, because the film industry runs on connections. The fact is, people get jobs in the film business, not by their college or film school diplomas and degrees, but by having inside connections. Some of the best directors and producers never even went to film school! These individuals were able to gain their experience through getting around the set, learn as they went, and develop their careers being that they are already connected in this film business.
Yes, one does need to learn the skills associated with filmmaking, but any film industry professional will tell you this is not enough. There will be hundred of qualified people who are knowledgeable with the technical skills which are being turned out by Los Angeles film schools yet didn’t do anything with those skills. The important thing to getting jobs is connections. Thus, the easiest method to learn filmmaking in Los Angeles is from inside the industry, not outside it. And this is where the mentor-apprentice approach can help.
A college that uses the mentor-apprentice approach (Film Connection, for example) will place its students inside actual film production companies, assign them an individual mentor, and provide a curriculum. In this way, the film student learns all the aspects of filmmaking while making connections to the industry itself-connections that can help them get the jobs afterward. Effectively, this method closes the gap between film schools and the film industry.
So don’t assume Los Angeles film schools will be the key to success in the business; find a way to get connected as you get educated, and your chances are much greater.