# MFA Producer updates



## Russell Blanchard (Mar 10, 2008)

I am an applicant to UCLA and USC MFA producing programs, just looking to see who else is waiting to hear/ has heard from any schools in regards to an MFA in producing, lets keep each other updated here!!!!!


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## cabezon (Mar 10, 2008)

Hey Russell I too am an applicant for producing programs: UCLA, Chapman and U of Miami. Shouts out to all the producing applicants!!! Shau! ahahaha!

I Haven't heard too many updates about the programs except whatever tidbits I've read on here. I don't know anyone who's gotten an interview. Have you gotten a bite? I did get the infamous yellow post card from UCLA a while back, and emails from the other schools whenever they needed something or to tell me they are reviewing my stuff.

Good to know someone else is on the same boat as me. I'm sure we'll hear something soon. So you're from Honolulu? Awesome, I used to live in Hawaii. Best of luck bro.


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## Russell Blanchard (Mar 10, 2008)

My contact has been the infamous yellow UCLA postcard as well, and I called Peter Stark and my application is complete, so now its just waiting, mon. is the big day for Stark, but I heard that they have sent out rejection letters to some already, so I dread the mail box. What have you heard about Miami?? Best of luck to you as well. R


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## cabezon (Mar 10, 2008)

Miami isn't as popular as UCLA/USC but they have some quality faculty there. And opportunities to find work in the industry: internships, etc. (they have an LA exchange program as well). 

As far as admissions/interviews go, the only thing i've heard from Miami is that they only interview Ph.D applicants. So eventually I'll get a yes/no from them. But they didn't tell me when they admit people. They're kinda mum on that for some reason. Best of luck. 

-Alex


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 11, 2008)

hey fellow producers! I'm so glad there are others out there. 

Russell- I definitely got my USC letter, so if you didn't get yours...maybe that's good news?!

I interviewed for FSU, and let us just say they're not so taken with aspiring producers. I got the feeling they thought we couldn't hack the creative stuff.

AFI is great...I think they don't have enough producers so they love us more. Still waiting to hear from UCLA (doesn't look good) and Chapman.


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## Russell Blanchard (Mar 12, 2008)

No word yet from USC (Stark) or UCLA Producing Programs..... as time goes by....


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 12, 2008)

i say no word from usc is good. I already know my....unhappy fate. in any case haven't heard a word from ucla either.


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## Russell Blanchard (Mar 13, 2008)

Just got word from UCLA that producing invites will be going out soon!!!


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 13, 2008)

but i thought they already went out? ok i guess it's good...but i really messed up that application so i don't have my hopes up. good luck everyone!


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## Russell Blanchard (Mar 14, 2008)

USC - Peter Stark - rejected - they said it was a serious application and that I would be accepted at a number of other film programs.....


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## Jables (Mar 14, 2008)

I think that's the form letter Russell.


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## Russell Blanchard (Mar 14, 2008)

ahhhh damn them


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 14, 2008)

it's okay! like that guy said. do something to make the applicaiton stronger, try again next year. aka in the next 6 months


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## Russell Blanchard (Mar 14, 2008)

Yes, already working on things that will make my app. stronger, and I should have about 3 more festivals to add to my creative resume.

Anyone heard anything from UCLA Producers Program???? I got an email Thurs. that said interviewees will be invited soon.


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 14, 2008)

haven't heard a word, how did you get that information? so they didn't finish all their interviews. Which means I have a shot, a small one, but all hope is not lost!


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## dragonball (Mar 15, 2008)

Today I got acceptance from AFI(Producing)!     I took interview from Columbia(Producing track) and am taking one from UCLA Producer's Program next week.
I'm waiting to hear from USC Peter Stark. No word and no letter yet.


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## cabezon (Mar 15, 2008)

Hey Russell, redpokie & dragonball I got a similar email from UCLA yesterday and one from Chapman earlier this week. I'm excited as I'm sure you all are. The producer interviews are coming up fast. Let's hope we all get a fair shot. Good luck everyone


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## ada (Mar 15, 2008)

hey dragonball,

did u have your columbia interview on Friday(yesterday) with Ira and Maureen too? I was there at 11:20 am n I don't know what to think. How was yours? Mine was over 30 min and I was talking all the time but then I realized that we have not refered to my application even once.

anyways... I hope you got it...
good luck with letters...


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 15, 2008)

congrats dragonball.

so they did let producers know already.


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## dragonball (Mar 15, 2008)

Hi, ada
I had Columbia's phone interview on Friday night(NY time, which is early in the morinig in Japan). I talked with Ira and Maureen too. It was about 20 minutes. I was asked Why columbia, Why producer, What movie did I see recently...like that. They were nice and it went well. 

Hi, foxwithcpu,
I got notification call of my acceptance from AFI at Saturday morning in Japan, which is Friday afternoon in LA. I don't know whether they called everyone on the same timing. FYI, I interviewed with them early in March.


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 16, 2008)

Oh no this is bad. If you guys heard, Congrats btw, then it means they did let people know on friday. I'm going to assume I got rejected so the letter doesn't make such a blow when i get it.


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 17, 2008)

i'm with you foxwithcpu. i'm beginning to hate the mailman simply because he's the messenger


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## cabezon (Mar 17, 2008)

_I already posted this on the Chapman News thread but I'll repost for my producing buddies:_

Hey guys,

Good news! I just got a call from Alex Rose's office @ Chapman and she wants me to come in to interview for the Film/TV Producing program! I was busy at the time I was called so told them I would call back early tomorrow to schedule a date. Can you believe that? I've been waiting so long and when I get 'the' call I'm busy with something important. Ahaha! I'm so excited nonetheless. Good times

Just thought I let you guys know. Wish me luck with all this.


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## ds (Mar 17, 2008)

Great news, cabezon!  Good luck and keep us posted.


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 17, 2008)

awesome cabezon! I hope they call me soooon.....i'm getting nervous. 

Anyone hear from ucla at all yet?


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## cabezon (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks guys. I haven't heard from UCLA either. I hope they call me. I want to be able to go down to SoCal and crank out two interviews instead of going back and forth. 

When I got in touch with Ben @ UCLA he told me that they are still "in the midst of reviewing applications" ... "some invites have gone out, but we expect to issue some more"

Let's not lose hope yet guys. Best of luck and let's all keep each other posted. I'll let you guys know how my Chapman interview goes but it won't be for another week or two.


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## Russell Blanchard (Mar 19, 2008)

i dont think its looking good for us UCLA MFA Producing applicants who havent got interviews yet.....


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 19, 2008)

well i've honestly given up on afi and ucla. i just want to know, but i  keep getting nothing in the mailbox.


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## redpokiepenguin (Mar 25, 2008)

just curious because this is ridiculous. did anyone hear ANYTHING, good, bad or ugly, from ucla?


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## beez (Mar 27, 2008)

ya i heard from ucla about a month ago, but i think they release their interview invites/admission invites on a rolling basis (or so), so i don't think that necessarily means anything for anyone else.


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## redpokiepenguin (Apr 5, 2008)

hey guys, this topic has died off a bit eh? a little my fault also i've been hearing nothing, so had nothing to report. What's everyone up to now? i'm going to be on chapman's campus on april 22nd if anyone's around.


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## Joe Snell (Apr 5, 2008)

What types of things do these colleges look for in an application?


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## FLFilmFan (Apr 5, 2008)

joe,

i dont think god knows the answer that question.

i think that goes into the same category of questions as:

"what is the meaning of life?"
"why doesn't she love me?"
"why is gray/grey spelled like that?"


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## Joe Snell (Apr 5, 2008)

> Originally posted by FLFilmFan:
> joe,
> 
> i dont think god knows the answer that question.
> ...


*meaning of life?*
make movies

*why doesn't she love me?*
she loves your friend

*why is gray/grey spelled like that?*
it's fun to confuse people.

Ok, now what types of things do these colleges look for in an application?


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## redpokiepenguin (Apr 5, 2008)

i kinda agree with filmfan. i mean if we all knew EXACTLY what they wanted then wouldnt we all be shoe in to school? clearly that's not the case. so in terms of advice all i have to say is...don't be boring. i'm sure you can't go wrong there right?

Also you know the standard stuff. Don't be careless with grades and your application. Be passionate, etc. Past that it's completely subjective.


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## FLFilmFan (Apr 5, 2008)

joe,

geez, dont take offense.  why does she love my friend?  haha

no, seriously, that question can never be answered correctly.

get perfect gre?  youre in?  the answer is no.  schools dont look for just test takers.

get perfect gpa?  youre in?  the answer is no.  schools dont just accept you based on a figure.

get tons of experience?  youre in?  not really sure, many schools look to diversify their classes and even sometimes favor those without film backgrounds in order to give new voices to their incoming class.  

write a perfect essay?  youre in?  not really because even though it shows that you can write, what makes you so sure that you match that specific type of school's writing style (ie studio films, art house, experimental)

give an amazing interview?  youre in?  not really because well... ask anyone after they have finished their interview how they felt and if they could confirm with no doubt that they have been admitted.  there are some people who will interview you and not shake a head, move a nose or just keep on furrowing that bastard brow.  others will laugh with you and tell you how you should start looking for housing in town and later reject you.

fantastic portfolio?  youre in?  not sure because how can you know if that person gets your kind of humor, storytelling, genre, language, or whatever.  i bet youve seen a million short films and you can honestly agree that not everyone will dig your film.  my favorite film "a beautiful mind", people call me a hack.  (ok, that had nothing to do with point but telling you i love jennifer connelly)

to cut my trap.  i didnt mean to offend you, but honestly, some schools like kids without a film background, without the perfect grades and some rough ends on them.  it all depends on their impression of you as an individual.

(cue sappy scene)
(jump cut)

honestly, it is like the guys/girls story.  why doesnt she like me?  i have money, job, skills, and mad charming attitude.  you can make your case but ultimately it is her who chooses out of you.  and yea, she probably does love my friend because he is the douchebag that has never made a movie and turns his application in past the deadline but still gets into my dream school.

im sorry, but if i knew the real answer to that question, i dont think i would be a filmmaker, i would be on the admissions committee.


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## Joe Snell (Apr 6, 2008)

No offense taken FLFilmFan, in fact your last comment was really helpful, thanks.  

I'm not looking for every single thing necessary to get accepted, that is a very loosely based phrase and every college looks for different things.  What I'm asking is what are one or two key qualities that are most influential at a majority of these educational institutes.  In your experience, how does a portfolio compare to a good gpa, or a great interview weigh against a lot of experience.


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## Cine (Apr 7, 2008)

I feel happy for everybody who got in and sorry for everybody who was rejected. 

I forgot to ask, was the admission process for such film schools as UCLA, Chapman and AFI very hard (I didn't mention USC, because from what I have read it's one of the most hard schools to apply)? In terms of difficuly, I mean what do they really seek for in applicants (achievements connected with filmmaking, business achievements based on different internships or excellent portfolio packed with many projects)?


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## redpokiepenguin (Apr 9, 2008)

USC's admissions process was actually easy. They don't do interviews or ask for reels. You fill out the application, set up an optional interview, and wait.

UCLA, AFI and Chapman I feel had the same process. Fill out the application. Get called for an interview, or not. Do interview, or not. Get in, or get rejected. It varies on what they ask you to submit. UCLA and Chapman had straight foward personal statments. AFI had a 5 page, narrative statement. Chapman asked for a lot of other things like favorite film, transitional moment, etc. I wouldn't say one is harder than the next, just longer.


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## Cine (Apr 11, 2008)

> Originally posted by redpokiepenguin:
> USC's admissions process was actually easy. They don't do interviews or ask for reels. You fill out the application, set up an optional interview, and wait.
> 
> UCLA, AFI and Chapman I feel had the same process. Fill out the application. Get called for an interview, or not. Do interview, or not. Get in, or get rejected. It varies on what they ask you to submit. UCLA and Chapman had straight foward personal statments. AFI had a 5 page, narrative statement. Chapman asked for a lot of other things like favorite film, transitional moment, etc. I wouldn't say one is harder than the next, just longer.



Well, even though the whole process sounds easy, it's actually difficult to pass. I mean, yeah, USC doesn't require so much from producers, but still it's very hard to get in, because there is a ot of competition and you need to make the best out of your application. Right?

UCLA, Chapman and AFI are a bit easier to get, but still there is no guarantee that they will accept you.

So my only question was what they're looking for in an applicant? Numerous awards from film festivals or business experience based on internships and other similar stuff?


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## rockstar (Apr 11, 2008)

I wouldn't necessarily say that UCLA is easier to get in than USC. USC accepts 25 while UCLA accepts 15.


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## redpokiepenguin (Apr 11, 2008)

well yea i meant the process was 'easier.'

in terms of what they look for i can answer for usc because they essentially told me when i went to see them. They look for the entrepreneurship spirit as reflected in the things you do. They also look for a creative, forward thinker who has the ability to succeed in the business of filmmaking. Just let them know you want it, and that you want to produce NOT direct.


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## Cine (Apr 11, 2008)

> Originally posted by redpokiepenguin:
> well yea i meant the process was 'easier.'
> 
> in terms of what they look for i can answer for usc because they essentially told me when i went to see them. They look for the entrepreneurship spirit as reflected in the things you do. They also look for a creative, forward thinker who has the ability to succeed in the business of filmmaking. Just let them know you want it, and that you want to produce NOT direct.



Thanks!


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## anononononym (Apr 12, 2008)

this was my thought process going into it, and i was successful:
a producer gets stuff done.  getting into film school to be a producer is something that needs to be done.  in a weird way, the schools are looking to admit the people who do the best job of making themselves admitable--and i don't mean that in the extremely obvious way it seems.  getting in is a game, and you have to prove that you're the best player.
if you're starting to think about this early enough, there are ways to make yourself the best.  i knew i wanted to go to ucla or usc, so during my summers in undergraduate i got internships with famous, involved alumni from each program.  for usc, i literally took the list of stark mentors and went through studiosystem, calling their companies one by one in an order based on how involved with the program they still are and how much i like their previous work.  when it came down to application time, i had two reccs i used for each program that generally spoke about me, and then my third which was specific to each.  it turned out (as i found out in the interviews when they were looking through my resume) that the people who choose to be involved with the film school community generally do so across the board--even though my usc alum rec was from usc, for instance, that person also works closely with ucla; i could have used that rec there, too.  so if you don't have two summers to use, one will certainly be sufficient.
also, do something to distinguish yourself from the pack.  something you'll notice at these internships is that a bunch of kids will be applying with the same recommenders, so that won't be enough on its own.  prove that you've had a long, dedicated desire to be a producer--NOT a screenwriter or director--and prove that you're good at it.  make a film and do something interesting with it from a producer's prospective: if somehow you can demonstrate that you're good at upping production value, for instance, i'm sure that would be good.
sorry if i'm rambling--it's early on a saturday.  but i hope this helps.  if there's anything else i can say i'll post it, or if you have any more questions drop a line here and i'm sure this crack squad of student producers will be glad to flex their narcissistic success muscles.


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## cabezon (Apr 30, 2008)

_I just posted this in 'Chapman News'. But I wanted to keep my Producer peeps updated!_ 

Hey guys I just got a letter from Chapman saying I was placed on the waitlist for the Film & Television producing program. I don't know what to feel. Happy? It kinda sucks because I really wanted to get in and now I feel like I'm just an 'alternate'. Like I'm the dude that didn't get drafted but got a free agent contract instead... don't mind the analogy I just watched two days of NFL draft coverage this past weekend. 

I'm sure you guys get it.

(shakes head)

Anyway, what are the chances of getting in off of the waitlist? Anyone been in that situation? All I know is that if I do happen to get in off the list I'm showing up even more determined to do well. 

btw, I don't want to come across bitter because I'm actually happy. Waitlist is better than a 'NO' that's for sure lol

-Alex


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