# Top 8 Film schools in USA 2011



## jyotirmay (Mar 5, 2011)

Here is the name of Top 8 Film Schools in USA.I had download the Catalog of many college and Choose the Best college from them and wrote here.

1)New York Film Academy
2)The Art Institutes
3)Tribeca Flash Point
4)Full Sail University
5)Vancouver Film School
6)Columbia College Hollywood
7)Los Angeles Film School
8)Brooks Institute


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## suenos53 (Mar 6, 2011)

jyotirmay, I think many people would not agree with your list of top USA film schools.  

Look into USC, NYU, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Columbia U., Florida State, Northwestern, Chapman, Art Center (Pasadena), U. of Texas (Austin)... There are more but these come to mind.


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## FilmSchoolDad (Mar 6, 2011)

jyotirmay, I would only agree with your list of "film schools" if you mean "technical schools" that spend a relatively short period of time teaching fundamentals on the "technical" side of filmmaking.  These are generally referred to as "trade schools" in the U.S. similar to going to a vocational school at the high school level or at best, a technical trade school at the college level.  These schools offer its students hands-on experience learning the "science" rather than the theory or art of filmmaking, and definitely never come near the holistic, academic, approach of either accredited graduate-level university or European-style conservatories.  If you're looking for this kind of intense, relatively short, "certificate" program, you've pretty much exhausted the list, perhaps, with the exception of some of these (e.g., NY Film Academy, Full Sail, or Columbia College Chicago or Hollywood) that offer accredited undergraduate and graduate-level master's degrees here in the US.  However, they definitely cannot be compared to the list of universities that suenos53 has mentioned in her post.

If what you're really looking for are the "top-tier" graduate film programs in the U.S. (and perhaps, in the world), suenos53's list is almost complete, with the exception of the American Film Institute's Conservatory of Film, which has a long history of notable alumni who have graduated their program in several of the film disciplines and who have been nominated and/or won Academy Awards for their work, including such notables as Darren Aronofsky (the Academy Award-nominated director of "Black Swan"), the great Janusz Kaminski (too many titles to mention here), among many others.  I'm surprised that since suenos53 lives Los Angeles, that she didn't instantly remember AFI over lesser known film schools like Loyola Marymount or the California Institute for the Arts (which is actually in Valencia, CA).

However, I am totally delighted that suenos53 did include Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in her "off-the-top-of-her head" list.  Chapman is best known for its incredible, relatively new, facilities, two (not just one) million-dollar color correction editing suites that no other film school has, phenominal editing and Foley studios, a progressive/talented faculty (some of whom have recently migrated to Chapman from AFI), as well as other excellent reasons for being on suenos53's and my list of the "top" film schools in the U.S.  Although you won't find Chapman listed on internet-based lists of the top film schools, I am confident that Chapman will be up there in the near future, and for those in the industry, it's the up-and-coming "place" to be (and beat)!

Generally, if you continue your research, you will find that the top five film "universities" from a reputation standpoint, on anyone "in the know's" list will usually be (in the following order) the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, University of California at Los Angeles' School of Theatre, Film and Television, the American Film Institute's Conservatory of Film, and Columbia University's School of the Arts.  (People may differ on their opinions about this order, but that's the general consensus).  If you expand the list to the top 10 film university programs (in no particular order), added would be the University of Texas at Austin, Chapman University's program, Loyola Marymount, Florida State University, and California of the Arts. Some people would include Northeastern and North Carolina Universities' in the list.  However, these two are debatable (as is Florida State University's program for that matter) because of their lack of geographic proximity to the so-called "centers" of filmmaking (which are obviously, Los Angeles with about 92%-93% of the films being made in the U.S., and New York City with about 5%).

I hope this helps you clarify what you need to know in order to pick the right "list" of top film schools you really mean!


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## Benk (Mar 6, 2011)

> Originally posted by jyotirmay:
> Here is the name of Top 8 Film Schools in USA.I had download the Catalog of many college and Choose the Best college from them and wrote here.
> 
> 1)New York Film Academy
> ...




Sorry, but I just can't agree with that list for the best film schools. In fact, in my opinion, those are some of the worst. Some of those schools are even considered scam schools.

Those schools are not regionally accredited, and degrees from some of those schools have basically no merit except in the most specific situations. 

These are more "technical" schools than quality film schools.

Now, I've never been a student of any of the schools in your list, so what I say is only coming from reputation of the school and what I've heard. Some of those schools could be very fine schools, but it's just not what I've heard except in rarest of occasions. 


The best film schools are schools like USC, NYU, UCLA, Chapman. 

4 year traditional universities with good film programs are the best film schools to look at. 

Getting a degree from a school like Full Sail is extremely high risk. It only means so much. It's basically a dedicated art school to that certain subject. No transferable credits, no stability if anything goes wrong. If you couldn't get into a school like USC, and know you want to have a career in film NO MATTER WHAT, then maybe it's something to consider. 

But it's just safer and more practical to go to a regular university with a film program. 

Thats why it's schools like USC, NYU, and Chapman are highly ranked and Los Angeles Film School are poorly ranked.


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## jyotirmay (Mar 8, 2011)

I am so honored for getting reply to all of you.Thanks for your valuable comments.Actually in the last 2 weeks i have been research those film schools and find out there academic result and job placement and high profile Faculty and Alumni list.So i thought it's possible to locate any good film school quite easily.But when i was creating the list i realized it's so difficult more than i thought.But i made list and post here to get reply.Yea it's possible that i did mistake.Ok.Now i am writing something about those film school.First New york film school.It's the most advanced film school believed by many industry professionals.They are also send their relative to there.Full sail university was announced the most top film school in USA at 2005.Columbia College Hollywood is called the Film makers Film school.Past year 94% got successfully job at industry and 100% are Graduated and not a single student were drop down.suenos53 mentions some University name.(USC, NYU, UCLA, Loyola Marymount etc.).I agree those are also good.But if anyone wants to learn film making absolutely he/she have to learn the technical theory of film.Now we are in modern age.Art is the key of Creativity.Now no one doesn't go film school only learn film making for theater.Art and Teachnic are belongs to each other.During the film making course all students learn and teach the fundamental of acting,Stage directing,Set design,lighting,learn how to make the right atmosphere,Art Theory and Criticism,American Art History,Astronomy,Humanity,Behavior science,Natural science,Art Theory and Criticism,Film studies and many more.They learn it in there general education quarter or other term.So i think This is enough.If not enough then it's not minor.All the film schools that i mentioned they are teaching the art  and the directors craft.Now i am mentions some Alumni name those are graduated form those film school. Darren Lynn Bousman(Director of Saw 2,3,4 from Full sail University)Tarasem sing(The Brothers Grimm: Snow White,Immortals,The Fall, from New York Film Academy ),Robert Schwentke(Red,Flightplan,The Time Traveler's Wife, from Columbia College Hollywood).There are many Alumini of those film school worked on many several films such as Avatar,2012,ROBIN HOOD, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3, SPIDERMAN 3, TRON, LOST, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, SURVIVOR AND THE BIGGEST LOSER.There are more But those list are top of my head.Those film Schools are technical and also the Art and Liberal art schools too.So i hope I am not totally wrong.


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## jyotirmay (Mar 11, 2011)

It's not right that all film schools write wrong information about them.They invite people to visit a private our.If i wrong then i request you to write some best film colleges name here.
I didn't disrespect Tarasem sing.I read about him on a website and there i saw that he took a course from Nyfa and graduate of Art Center College of Design .


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## Mike_V (Mar 12, 2011)

It seems that several of the posters above have already listed what is known to be the best film schools in the US.
and to reiterate their points. the schools you mention are technical schools. they teach you how to use the stuff but nothing else. Other schools teach both sides or expect you to learn it yourself so you can focus on the art of film making. 

also, alot of schools will fluff up their "about us" part to make them look better than they really are. If you're talking about notable film schools, the the ones mentioned by other posters are the ones. If you don't believe them, wiki up their alumni list. most of the schools have an EXTREMELY extensive list of alumnis that are ridiculously famous, some legends, that are still working in Hollywood.

UCLA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U...Distinguished_Alumni

USC:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U...l#Notable_SCA_alumni
(note here: Sam Peckinpah, a legendary director in his own right. George Lucas, Walter Murch, and these are just from USC)

AFI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...itute#Notable_alumni
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)

Cal Arts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...Arts_people#Alumni_4
Tim Burton (Nightmare Before Christmas)

Need I go on more?


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## Hiram Bingham (Mar 13, 2011)

Just a note, Spielberg didn't go to USC. He went to Cal State Long Beach.


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## Mike_V (Mar 13, 2011)

ah my bad. noted and corrected.


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## jyotirmay (Mar 22, 2011)

Here is the list of Alumni in the top colleges that i mentioned before

              New York Film Academy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N...ademy#Notable_alumni

              The Art Institutes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T...tutes#Notable_alumni

              Tribeca Flashpoint

http://flashpointacademy.com/c...dance/graduates.html

              Full Sail University

http://alumni.fullsail.com/ind...ome.main&code=secure

             Columbia College Hollywood

http://www.columbiacollege.edu/notable_alumni.html


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## Mike_V (Mar 23, 2011)

and of all of these, only Columbia College Hollywood has a notable list of filmmakers. The rest are just names of people that are related to someone famous OR are actors.
That's simply the point. If you want to be in film production, technical schools are ok, but you're not going to learn the art of filmmaking, you'll be learning the skill to operate machinery.


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## filmom (Mar 25, 2011)

Is no one going to mention Emerson College???
They have a great rep for their network of grads helping each other out...


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## Mike_V (Mar 25, 2011)

sorry, I know of Emerson, but I had no idea that Emerson even has a film school. There are some gaps in my knowledge of film schools


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## filmom (Mar 25, 2011)

yup, they do...Emerson is a communications school and film and performing arts are
their most competitive majors as far as admissions ate concerned.


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## blah (Mar 26, 2011)

> Originally posted by jyotirmay:
> Here is the name of Top 8 Film Schools in USA.I had download the Catalog of many college and Choose the Best college from them and wrote here.
> 
> 1)New York Film Academy
> ...




This guy is a tool. Look at his other posts, most of them are advertising schools that have a history of leaving people with the feeling of being ripped off.


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## Munky the robot (Mar 27, 2011)

HAHA TOTAL tool!

I agree. These have to be the worst film schools everrrr!


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## jyotirmay (Apr 19, 2011)

Ok Munky the robot then plese you tell the best film schools name.


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## suenos53 (Apr 22, 2011)

Before my daughter got into USC film school, she took a summer course at the New York Film Academy. She was in high school and I felt it was a great introduction for her to film. But what she learned at the New York Film Academy cannot compare to what she learned at USC. I imagine that all the schools would be proud to claim any famous director as their alumni even when that director has received the majority of their training else where. 

Another point, even though Spielberg did not attend USC, he is very involved in funding the USC school and even occasionally shows up as a guest speaker for class.

I guess as long as we are adding to the list of legit undergrad schools, we should add Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Northridge.


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## suenos53 (Apr 22, 2011)

Just wanted to mention that Emerson has a great film program, too.


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## Gabriel.Luna (Mar 14, 2012)

Hy there, I know that I'm a little late, but if u still there please answer me...
I'm from Brasil, here we have some renowned universities (4 years course) where we learn about the art of filmmaking. And here's also some good techinical curses.
Wel, of course the university is better, and with this degree is easier to start in a good job, but here your really success depends most of you and your work. 
I think maybe that occurs here because the cinema market is not so professional and developed as in U.S., because to work with busines adm, advocacy, engineer, publicity and etc. the university does make completelly diference!
So my doubt is: if I make a curse like NYFA or Full Sail do I have a chance to be very successful in cinema, of course if I work pretty hard and very well... (and improve my inglish, that's very bad , sorry)??? Or if to be succeful is extremely necessary i make a university like those cited above.

Because will be very expensive spend 4 years studing in U.S., 2 years is more soft. And i think that is pretty hard to enter in those universities. Besides Im already Under-Graduated in College (in Business Administration).

Thx!


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## Geoff (Apr 16, 2012)

Columbia College Chicago is great film school that has a bunch of connections in Hollywood and NYC. Are major connections are with HBO, Lionsgate and Warner Bros... 

We are accredited university and you can get a bachelor's degree and if you want continue to your masters.  

We have tons of alumni and have almost been around 100 years. GREAT FILM SCHOOL and it is an affordable Private College.


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## jyotirmay (May 25, 2012)

Hi Gabrial my suggestion is that you can purchase a 4 years BFA from University Of Southern California(USC),UCLA or CAL Arts and by the way Columbia College Hollywood is not also bad.But you shouldn't take admission at NYFA.This the Academy that Sucking Money like a Mosquito.But your Choice Of Full Sail University is not bad.The reputation of this university is growing.You asked about a successful carrier in Hollywood,that's totally depend on you,your talent will give you your right position.But only you can measure ability of your self after graduation.Let the industry know about your talent and then show the world,Definitely you would be successful,Best of LUCK.


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