Saturday, June 25, 2011

Video Production Schools - Your Options When Choosing a Film School

Working in the film and video industry is a knowledge based industry. There are basic techniques and principles you will learn at video production school that you will use your whole life. So where do you acquire that knowledge? The internet is a wonderful free resource to gather partial info, but to grasps the concepts and rules needed in filmmaking you need to take a course. When it comes to taking a course you have a few options.

Your options for Video Production Schools

1. A Four Year University- Many four year universities have a film major available to the student body. This is the most thorough option for the knowledge needed in the industry. You will have to take film history courses, semiology courses, film theory courses, along with all the technical classes needed. The upside to universities is the prestige of the degree, and the amount of knowledge acquired. A degree from a four year university is not everything though. The video production industry is mostly based on connections, skill, and experience. The downside to a four year university program is of course the cost. State schools can run upwards of $20,000 a year for all costs, which most people cannot afford. Another downside is you will learn outdated techniques such as physically cutting film which will not be used in todays industry.

2. Tech Schools- tech video production schools are a decent choice for aspiring filmmakers. They will teach you how to use all the equipment and the basics of exposure, lighting, blocking, and basic cinematography. They cost a great deal less than four year universities, but that comes at a cost. Tech schools work on a much shorter timeline than universities, so while you will learn basics you will miss out on many theory aspects to filmmaking. Graduating from a tech school is also less prestigious than a university, but like i said a degree isn't everything. While cheaper than a university a tech school can also cost thousands of dollars a semester.

3. Self Taught- self taught video production schools? Well, what you want to do is purchase or find as much reading material as you can on video production. Lighting books, exposure books, blocking books, film history books, semiology books, film theory books, it can be overwhelming to collect and learn this material by yourself. You also would need to purchase your own equipment to experiment on, which can be just as expensive as enrolling in a tech school.

There are self taught courses available on the internet, but most lack a lot of material. There are only a select few i would recommend to learn this complicated business. They include courses and knowledge on all topics, but are rare.

No Budget or desire for a 4 year university? Check this out Thorough Online Video School


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