# Chapman University: What style is it?



## Patrick Wells (Nov 25, 2009)

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forums so I apologize if this has all been asked before.

I'm one of those few people who went to undergrad film school who is now contemplating whether grad school (for directing) should be an option.  I applied to a few schools, but am not even sure if I got in if I'd go.  And as people have said here, grad school is not for undergrad film students usually.  But my degree was a BFA in film and photography, which was just as much a still photo degree as a cinema degree (and I had to take art history and theater classes for it as well).

But I was wondering, what do people think of Chapman's grad school?  And is it possible to do the program in 2 years instead of 3 (they claim it can under exceptional cases, but how often does that happen)?  What kind of directing and film making do they tend to encourage and teach, cookie cutter TV or mainstream film or do they sometimes push for edgy vision and bending rules?  

And what is the second year (first conservatory year) of the program like?  Do Directors have any artistic say in the scripts they direct, or on rewrites of the scripts?

In general, what is the program like, and is it worth it?  

I love their facilities and that they fund (or at least help fund) your films, and if it can be a 2 year program.

I'm meeting with some people after the Thanksgiving holiday to get a better idea of the program (and unlike other schools, the deadline is Feb 1, not Dec 1, so don't worry) but I was just looking for any help from people here who might know more.

Sorry if I come off as ignorant or stupid.  I hope I don't.


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## notroberttowne (Nov 25, 2009)

Okay, I'll do my best to cover the bases.

-The Grad School at Chapman is fairly badass.  The facilities are incredible, the instruction is good and getting better, and the industry connections are likewise improving.  Just a week ago Richard Donner was doing a post goonies q+a with my class.  Being outside of LA is an issue, but the links to the industry are strong and the internships are in the same league as those of UCLA or USC.

-The screenwriting and producing tracks are two years here.  I haven't heard of a two year track for directors.  

-The Grad program focuses on shorts, like most schools.  I'd say the program embraces narrative filmmaking rather than experimental.  Not that there's not room for unconventional films.  The current head of the conservatory is a former AFI head who's enamored of Darren Aronovsky, which should help you get an idea.  That being said, there is a pretty significant variety of films that get made here.  Also, there are opportunities to work on television, animation, and motion capture while here.  The way Chapman's cost is structured, grad film school students can take any classes they want to without paying extra.  So, if you could arrange your schedule right and work your ass off, you could work in animation, TV, and film here without paying an extra nickel.

-Second year directors make 2 short films, but I don't know a lot about that.  I'm both first year and screenwriting.

-About script control.  Cycle films (second year films) are written by screenwriting students.  Usually, a director will start talking with a writer pretty early on and will have a script in the works by the summer after first year.  Directors work with the writer on rewrites as needed through shooting.  There are a number of other opportunities to work with writers in summer and interterm (january) projects.  I believe directors can write their own thesis (3rd year) films, but directors are required to work with writers pretty extensively.  

-Is it worth it is a pretty tough question to answer, but if film school is in your future it's as 'worth it' as USC or UCLA or NYU and, I would argue, more 'worth it' then schools outside new york and LA.  Chapman is, I think, just a couple successful alumni shy of being regarded as top tier, and if you're coming from a smaller town or from middle america, Orange is slightly easier to get used to than LA (and slightly cheaper to live in).

Believe it or not, I've gone into more specific detail on some of these issues in other posts.  You can search my name and probably dig them up.


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## Patrick Wells (Nov 25, 2009)

Hey, thank you so much for the response.

Funny you should mention Aronofsky, because what he did in The Wrestler, and especially where he went with Marissa Tomei's character (and Mickey Rourke's as well) is right in the ballpark of where I want to go and what I want to do as a filmmaker.  The gritty reality, the dark tone, the acting, the cinematography, the fantasy vs reality, the sexuality, the almost documentary feel and yet its a heightened reality, all of it was amazing.

And I absolutely would love to work with screenwriters, and am not the kind of person who has to write everything solely by myself, but I just want to be sure that I actually do get to work with the screenwriter to a good degree.  

Also, if I work with a screenwriter, would the genesis of the idea have to come from him/her, or could it possibly come from me or both of us together?

Oh, and I currently live in the Valley, so that's one thing I'm not crazy about with Chapman.  If I don't go to school (or if I do go to a school in town) then I'd ideally want to move out of the valley and more in west la or santa monica area.


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## notroberttowne (Nov 25, 2009)

The genesis of the idea that you work with a writing student on really depends on your timing.  It's my understanding that the second year films MUST be written by a screenwriting student, so if you were a directing student and hadn't gotten a ball rolling on your own before Fall of your second year, you would be stuck.  You'd be making the best script still available of the screenwriters' 2nd semester work.

If, however, you had an idea and brought it to a writer to collaborate on in the first semester then there's a pretty good chance you would end up directing it.  You would never be assigned a script blindly, if that's your concern, but the level of collaboration would be between you and your writer.

That's the second year, anyway.  The 3rd year is about individual vision, production, and positioning yourself to besiege the film industry.  That's not official policy, but they should use that line to describe year 3.  

I'm curious to hear about this 2 year scheme.  Let us know what you learn.


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