I think the biggest mistake one can make when going to film school is to think you can learn how to be talented. You either got it or you don't. Now don't let this discourage you, just because you are not the most talented person doesn't mean you should just give up and go back to selling hot dogs. I myself am not the most talented person in the world. In fact most days I really have to work at keeping up with your average Joe. At least your average Joe has a job!

However, I do know a lot of talented people who lack one thing I have.... PASSION! Now that is something you absolutely 100% need. Especially if you are thinking of a career in the film industry. In this business they love you when your up; but the very moment you put your guard down, they will stomp you into the ground and love every second of it. So if you have the passion, perseverance and some fairly deep pockets, film school may be the place for you. Or may not be.

I have been studying film-making, sound design. and other forms of digital media for the better part of four years. Since last September I have been enrolled in the Film Production program at Vancouver Film School in Vancouver B.C. Canada. The course costs a whopping $36,000 for us Canadians and over $50,000 for people outside of Canada. That is a lot of cash. I was very nervous about spending that much for a one year film program. Especially when I already had a two-year diploma in Audio/Video/Multimedia, I had a good job, owned lakefront property with my wife, things where starting to look up. I would lay awake for hours at night time wondering what I was getting myself into. Tuition payments started to pile up, credit cards where getting wracked up. I just kept telling myself "Nothing risked, nothing gained". My starting date finally came, I quit my job, packed my bags and headed west to Vancouver.

School began and things got crazy fast. Within the first month myself and twenty-nine other classmates where competing against each other. The process in which films and crew positions are picked is a gruelling twelve-month cat fight. Out of a class of thirty, only twelve people get to Direct and six to twelve get to be Director of Photography. Which pretty much means there is a lot of gossip, jealousy and hatred towards each other by the end of the year.

One thing this school does is get you ready for the industry (to a certain extent). If you are lucky enough to write a script and get it selected, you have to go through another pitching process to direct the thing. People actually spend months writing their film only to get it stolen from them two weeks before it goes to camera; causing even more animosity towards each other. If you are lucky enough to get to direct your film, you sit through countless meetings with instructors and listen to them butcher your work and slowly break you down until you give in and the film is no longer yours anyways. A lot of people in our class couldn't handle this, I saw a lot of talented people let their ego get in their way and ended up pissing away a lot of money. I guess you could say it separated the men from the boys. If you believe in your project enough, if you believe in your ability's as a film-maker; take the criticism. If you don't agree, then don't worry about it. Taking a second look at your film just reassures you that it is in fact a good film. And remember you are here to learn. If your film sucks, who cares. IT IS SCHOOL. If there is one thing I noticed about my time at VFS is everyone thinks their film is going to change the world. There is a reason why most student films suck.... They are made by students!!

That brings me back to what I said earlier about having passion. You have to believe in yourself to have passion. You cant be afraid to learn from your mistakes. Talent only takes you so far. If your a dickhead nobody will want to work with you and you are only as good as the people around you. So on that note i am going to cut it out with all of the cliche's and answer the question that this entire article is about. Is film school good or bad? Is it worth the money? The answer is it is both good and bad. You get what you put into it. If you come here and take everything with a grain of salt, you will get your money's worth. Stay out of bullshit, never give up and give it 110% everyday. Its only one year of your life but it will effect the rest of your life. If you come here with a bad attitude, you will waste your money, your time and spend the entire year bitching about it bringing everyone down around you.

So really the ball is in your court. I am going to graduate in less than a month and feel comfortable that I have what it takes to make a feature film. If you already feel you have what it takes, save your money. Or even better, use that money to make a film! Either way rich or poor, talented or not, we live in a day and age that allows anyone to make a film. That is scary! It is our job to be scary. If you got the passion and the motivation, pick up a camera and start shooting. The sky is the limit. If you are thinking you want to go to film school, look up every film school on the planet, phone them, harass them, ask them questions. It is your money. You are their customer. Find the one that works best for you and go for it.

Cheers,

Chris Mitchell

P•Fat Productions