Why I dropped out of USC film school

THINGS YOU CAN FOLLOW:

[seansweetman]

I got denied from USC film school. I kept at it by shooting and editing my own films for YEARS. I made a cheap music video for a friends and it ended up in front of a director of a Sylvester Stallone film. They hired me to shoot additional photography for the film after only seeing my WORK.

[QuicoFerrero]

"I'll prove you wrong"...that's amaizing...you're so brave. I really congratulate you for this epic letter.

[garycarbo]

I'm in a completely different boat than most of you. I wanted to go to USC film back in the 80s. But I had no confidence or money, so I went into the military instead. When I got home I got a job, a car and a place to live. No time for school anymore. I'm retired early, and took another job (I actually work at USC) I'm debating should I complete an item on my bucket list and enroll. It's free for employees. But no way could I pass a SAT and my grades from high school are written on clay tablets. But I'd still like to give it try.

[saadsalman]

I know this video came out over a year ago but I just wanted to give my opinion on it. I'm a HS senior about to apply to some film schools. Unlike most people, my passion for film came recently. I didn't grow up wanting to direct movies, I just did a school project where I editing a video and found my profound love for editing and production.

At any rate, I totally get why you dropped out of film school, especially USC. there's a bit of an issue with USC. Every aspiring filmmaker is told that they should apply to USC because it's the best film school in the world. But nobody ever actually pays attention to the kind of filmmaker USC wants to make. USC (and Chapman) are trying to send out students that will end up directing big budget, franchise Hollywood movies. And as any film critic will tell you, in these kinds of movies, a significant amount of creativity, character development, and good writing is replaced with action scenes, fancy cinematography, and cliffhanger endings intended for sub-par sequels. That's why USC isn't the right place for some, and even most filmmakers. Other colleges, like UCLA and LMU tend to focus on independent film, and your own personal creativity and your own voice. That's why I think that telling every kid that wants to make movies to apply to USC isn't the right idea. Every school wants a different student and want to produce a certain kind of Alumnus. You should always understand what kind of filmmaker you want to become, and if the school you're applying to is the right fit for you.

That's my two cents.

[SuperBill]

I've been randomly bingeing these kinds of videos and it is rare to find someone so humble and self-aware when discussing this subject. Everyone wants to think that they are too enlightened and unique to sit in a classroom, but no one wants to admit that some of these schools out here are kicking students' asses. I'm happy to go to CAL, but I wouldn't wish some of my coursework on my worst enemy. Everyone will not thrive everywhere and being a creative requires different kind of brilliance regardless.

[AlfredoATA]

I admire your decision. Stay true to your passion and always create your own path. Heres a quote I kept on thinking about while watching your video

"Realize that sleeping on a futon when you're 30 is not the worst thing. You know what's worse, sleeping in a king bed next to a wife you're not really in love with but for some reason you married, and you got a couple kids, and you got a job you hate. You'll be laying there fantasizing about sleeping on a futon. There's no risk when you go after a dream. There's a tremendous amount to risk to playing it safe"-Bill Burrr

[SonduckFilm]

Thanks for sharing your story. USC Film School rejected me twice (2013 & 2015) and I'm extremely happy that they did.

[n_]

This is the first time I encountered someone talking about this topic. I also dropped out of a film school (in Thailand where I live). Filmmaking has always been one thing that I truly love and never get tired of, but once I got there and experienced it for almost a year, I realized I lost my passion for it bit by bit. I was so scared to think that 'this is not for me' but the environment, the people and what I got so far were not for me at all. I then realized that it's not that I lost passion in filmmaking but the place was not for me. It took only one day for me to decide that I wanted to drop out, it was an easy decision for me. I still think about it time to time but I guess people have different ways to achieve a goal. Mine is just not going to a film school, graduating and getting a job. Anyway, thank you so much for sharing this and I wish you the best of luck!

[rprbeck]

Well...I understand you 100% but what have you done after dropping out?

[taylormcclish]

I've been debating for almost a decade now about whether or not to go to school for film. I've googled "do I go, do I not" countless times and every time I came across an article or forum thread that had film school cons, it was always "it just sucks". Which is never a valid, or complete argument. I came across your video when I googled film school vlog for a semester paper I'm writing for my current communications degree at a community college - my topic is "Film School or No Film School, that is the Question" and I was in need of some examples that aren't necessarily pro-film school. I was honestly surprised that you didn't just say film school bites and ended the video after ten seconds. You have solid reasons why you dropped out, but yet, you still listed some pros to going to film school. Thank you for your video. And you're moment about sending your appeal was fantastic! I wouldn't' have had the guts to do that, let alone say that I'd prove the school wrong.

[danyellhenrique]

Don't worry, the best directors never went to filmschool.

[ShOiEs]

This video reminds me of my story so much. I got accepted into UT’s film program but they didn’t offer me financial aid and I ended up going to a community college where I learned more than most university film students that I know.

[taylor]

You don't need film school to succeed in the film industry, however, the networking connections built from it can really help. The internships can really help. The general ed, as much as you hate it, can really help. How does it help? It requires discipline to learn a subject you don't care about, to do the homework, to study for the tests, to pass, etc. This is a similar kind of discipline you need when working jobs you don't like, or on projects you don't love. In the film industry, there will be a lot of jobs that aren't enjoyable as you try to work your way up to the ones you love. I agree that not everyone needs film school. I think people who skip film school just need to be extra good at self promoting and getting their foot in the door.

[willfarnsworth]

Brian thanks for sharing your story. Like you, I was no stellar student student in high school and yet somehow I got into the USC School of Cinematic Arts as a Crit Studies major. I can't say I was dead set on film since age 5 like you or many of my peers in SCA but rather it was a major I thought would be fun. I've now finished my Sophomore year and have decided that SCA just isn't where I want to be and doing script coverage and making coffee runs wasn't what I wanted to be doing for a future career. I still love USC though and am switching my major to Journalism next semester. I can take a while to drop the prestige factor of the film school out of your head when ultimately trying to decide if it's right for you, but it sounds like you made the right decision and best of luck to you in the future.

[hunterbarella]

Before I give up on making my dreams come true I'ma have to die

[heimerblaster]

You have chosen wisely. There is a lot to be said for trial and error learning. In film you don't have to work for anyone you can create your own content and publish it by your self.

[jingtianwang]

interesting how USC, one of the best film schools in the world is teaching "Rule of Thirds" and I'm going over how Cooke primes have a slower focus fall off than other lenses and how film solve this problem (which btw is a fact) in high school freshman,

[milly]

The thing about film school is that if you're looking at it purely from a production point of view it's not worth it. But education is not solely about vocational skills. It's about education in general. Film is just a medium of story telling and our experiences inform our creative output. Education is an experience. The books we read, the way we read them, the films we watch, the way we watch them.. there's a case to be made for the value of higher education in general. You are missing out on something by not going. Whether or not you care is a different matter.
Now this isn't to say you can't be a storyteller without a degree. You can. But you have to figure out what sort of storyteller you want to be. How much value does education bring to your practice and how much do you, as a person, value education? Film school is absolutely worth it. All school is worth it. The problem is unrealistic expectations from students. An education is an education and it doesn't somehow make you exempt from all the outside requirements that your chosen professional may entail eg. internships, personal projects etc. An education is the groundwork that informs practice, not the practice itself.

[perspectral]

You can't imagine how much emotional you just got me here, almost in tears. I actually came through this videos because i am kind of in a similar position here and thinking to make through filmmaking i will have to go through some sort of academics and all that. Dreams really get crushed especially in fields like this, you could end up making films just for your eyes and never get recognized, apparently, guess the only option will definitely be for you to go ahead on your life choices.

[heberfenderful]

When you do happen to make a remarkable film, one that outshines in so many angles, will the audience ask? What school did you graduate from ? Or will they ask, who is this director ?