# Kind of lost and need guidance



## C HERNANDEZ (Jan 25, 2011)

Hi everyone reading his, my name is christian and i am a high school senior in boca raton,FL.

I recently discovered that i wanted to go to college for film. My grades aren't good(2.8 GPA) and I am unfortunately not wealthy enough to go to an expensive school and not go into debt. 

I basically wanted some guidance as to what my options are. 

I would like to go to an affordable school in general. I would need to live preferably on campus or in an area where living is inexpensive. I need financial aid and scholarships that don't require good grades. 

I wanted to know if it is possible to go out of state and still be within budget.

I also do not want a degree that is sketchy(like full sail, just sayin). I really want to have decent employment opportunities after graduation. I want to be able to live comfortably while working in the film industry.

Any thoughts,ideas, suggestions, etc. will be very appreciated.
Sorry for all the questions but i have so much on my plate. 
Thank you
PS: FSU and UCF Differed me
also, if you know about Palm Beach State College(PBCC), please tell me.


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## attatae (Jan 25, 2011)

You can consider going to a community college to complete your general education courses (all the non-film stuff you'd have to do at FSU or wherever anyway) and then transfer after about 60 units or so. It would save money, an also if you have more than 40 units or so, usually your (transfer) college won't check your high school grades when you apply (so do well in CC.) I know its great to be able to go right to whichever school you've been wanting to go to from HS (FSU is really good too for film, as you know) but this is another option that has some benefits as well, and the degree you get when you finish is the same whether you transferred or not.


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## C HERNANDEZ (Jan 25, 2011)

thanks^

im just concerned that there isn't much work available in florida as far as motion picture is concerned. I feel like it's mainly NY and California.
If i were to stay in state, what could i do once i'm out of school?


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## Mrthomast (Jan 25, 2011)

Check out this link http://www.filmschools.com/sta...chools-colleges.html

Believe it or not, this school ranks Florida right up there with New York and California for Film Schools...


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## attatae (Jan 25, 2011)

> im just concerned that there isn't much work available in florida as far as motion picture is concerned. I feel like it's mainly NY and California.
> If i were to stay in state, what could i do once i'm out of school?



Well it depends on what sort of filmmaking you want to do. You could check out Craigslist for your area to get a rough idea of what opportunities are available for "regular" film jobs (CL>Jobs>Television and Film). 

But if you want to be more of a big-budget director, say, I do suppose you'd need to make the move out to California eventually. But as far as going to school is concerned, you don't need to be in LA or NY, and can always just make the jump if you contact a good agent. Similar to what Robert Rodriguez talks about in his book, coming from Texas into CA.


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## GabrielM (Jan 25, 2011)

> I feel like it's mainly NY and California.



You are right. Most film productions happen in those two states, so moving to one of those could be a good idea, depending on how much you want to be a filmmaker.

As of right now, what I think you should do first is try to determine what career path within the film industry attracts you the most. Is it writing, directing, camerawork, sound? Don't worry because whatever you choose won't be written in stone. You can always do more than one or switch later if you so choose. 

But as a high school senior eager to embark in college, you should define your niche and excel at it. Say, you want to be a cameraman. Then you should save money to buy a camera and start shooting. I think it's important to start a portfolio when young, so by the time you graduate, you will have enough sample work to show to potential employers. If you wanna be a writer, it's time to get cracking and start writing scripts...

If you plan to move to California or New York, first you should acquire some basic skills and learn some concepts. I think the "big move" can wait until you finish college in Florida. Meanwhile you should save money and invest in equipment. Don't overlook the local market. You could always find employment or internship in some local TV stations or advertising companies. 

Good luck,


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## C HERNANDEZ (Jan 26, 2011)

Thanks.
Just for reference, what are good schools in NY/CA that don't look at grades and are not tough to get accepted?


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## attatae (Jan 26, 2011)

Depending on your interests, CalArts doesn't look at grades whatsoever, last I heard. Its program focuses more on experimental film OR animation, the latter of which it is known as an industry titan for (live-action, not so much.) Another option is Art Center College of Design, with Michael Bay, Zach Snyder and Tarsem Singh as alumni. They are changing their program to focus more on  Hollywood filmmaking and a bit away from music videos/commercials, which is what they are/were known for. Note that both schools are in southern CA. They are the only ones I know of that are non-profit and accredited, unlike "for-profit" schools like LA film school or Full Sail etc.


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## C HERNANDEZ (Jan 26, 2011)

what is my best in-state route if not accepted to FSU Film?


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## Benk (Jan 26, 2011)

Georgia State University which is a little bit north has a pretty decent film and video program. It's right in the middle of atlanta. It's not hard to get into, and the film industry there is just starting to bud. They just built a new screen gems studio down there for making movies. Films like Zombieland and the Blind Side were shot there as well as television shows such as the Walking Dead. I'm sure by the time you graduate there, there will be an even bigger film presence. Georgia State is a few minutes drive from the studios they are setting up there. And since there's no other real schools with reputable film degrees other than SCAD and the art institutes (which I think are only a step above the sketchiness that is Full Sail), I can see people recruiting from Georgia State quite often. 

Just a suggestion, since GA is closer to florida then, say new york or california.


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## C HERNANDEZ (Jan 26, 2011)

ok, i appreciate all the input. if i can't find myself at a 4 year university, should i do the film program at Palm Beach State College and then transfer to say FSU or another school? what exactly do i do after getting an A.S in Film?


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## attatae (Jan 26, 2011)

Do the General Ed courses you'd have to do at FSu anyway, you don't need the associate's degree. Just get a minimum of 40 units or so, it varies from school to school. Do well so you can transfer better (chance-wise.)


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## C HERNANDEZ (Jan 26, 2011)

but FSU's program is very hard to get into as a freshman and im sure even harder as a transfer.


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