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Do I really need a film degree?
As I was reading more about becomming a successful filmmaker, what worries me is that I stumbled upon many articles that encourage people to avoid film schools because they do not really need degrees to become successful filmmakers.
I am not the self-taught type of person and I believe that going to Uni would help me because a Film School has teachers that can guide you and provide you knowledge which would be very difficult to obtain otherwise.
What worries me however is that it seems that many film producers and directors do not have any training or degree. Which means you can land a job in this industry without graduating from Uni. This is a bit confusing for me as I am researching more Film Schools that I could attend (I live in United Kingdom) and I do not know which way to head towards, because Film School also seems to be expensive. Do I really need a film degree? What is your input on this?
It can be extremely confusing when you do not know anyone who has either graduated or attended film school to ask for feedback.
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15 Replies
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No, you don’t need a film degree to become a filmmaker. The fact about Film Schools is that you only need to attend them if you wish to, it is not mandatory. Many people learn everything they know by themselves and they would rather invest the money they would spend for education to buy equipment and create their first movies instead. What would truly help you to become a better filmmaker is to look for internships or volunteer for others who make movies. There are many small jobs that no one really wants to do that you could apply for when you are just starting.
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You don’t really need a film degree but it can be a shortcut to learn from someone who has already walked this path vs to learn on your own. There are so many benefits you get from going to film school if you are willing to put in the work for it of course. Just going to school is not enough and Uni is not like high school. You have to do a lot of work on your own.
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Surprinsingly, you don’t. Or at least, if you do go to film school, you don’t go tor the degree, you go for the experience.
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What I found is that even though I have tons of experience and have been to college but didn’t get my degree, it’s harder for me to get into the industry in the big studios and networks. Even though I know people in the industry it doesn’t mean they will help get me on projects, some may, some may not. The jobs I’m finding listed on the networks and studios require you have a degree. This is why I decided to go back and finish my degree. No it’s not necessary if you are an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, etc., you can put out your own content and stream it on your social media sites and get lots of traction plus there are plenty of online courses to take, which I have done, but I think it’s still good to have a degree for just in case.
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That is great Loretta. If you need any cheering on let me know! I think combining the degree with the experience you have is going to give you an edge too.
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Hi, Awww, thank you Kim. Yes I believe it will also. I’m excited for all of the new and up coming changes in the industry. I love that it keeps evolving.🤩
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This is the reason why I got my degree as well 😀 Even though you might not need it now, it’s best to have it just in case you need it in the future!
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Absolutely Maura. As my mom use to say “It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. That’s why I’m back in school to finish my degree. 👍🏾
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This is the reason why I am currently in Film School, too!
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👍🏾
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I’m usually a self taught person for example I didn’t feel the need to go to business school when I started my business, I had complete confidence in what I wanted to do. Filmmaking is such a new territory for me that I didn’t f know if it was something that I could just pick up on my own so I didn’t know any other way to learn besides going to school.
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Going to school is a great start. Even the best of filmmakers still take classes to perfect their skills. Especially in this industry where things are always changing. There are always online classes and if you go to LinkedIn they have a learning hub called IN Learning where you can learn about filmmaking also.🌻
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I don’t like Linkedin much, and they don’t have a Student Filmmaker magazine! 😀. It’s so true that things keep changing, but they mostly move in directions we can anticipate. When I have a specific question or area I want to know something about, I am fortunate enough to have people in the industry that I can ask. You can make these kinds of connections in film school. I think going to film school is best, but it’s not required. Even in film school, the best way to learn is by doing. A friend of mine would do the lighting for others on their school productions when he was in school. He now has two Emmys and is very successful. He became a master, and he got started by helping others and doing.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by
Kim.
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Wow, Yes Kim, that is so awesome that your friend learned by doing, helping others with their film projects. 😃
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This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by Loretta.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by
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Yes! I want one of those Emmy things! I don’t think I have any chance unless I change my ways!
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This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by
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