# Any USC / Columbia Screenwriting Post-Grads with recommendations?



## Eva_Lenin (Mar 7, 2011)

Hey everyone,


I am extremely interested in completing an MFA in Screenwriting at, either USC, UCLA, Chapman or Columbia.

Although confident in my passion for the art of communication and writing, I am slightly nervous about the full-time 2-year commitment; but more so in the uncertainty factor about the following:

1. I'd be an International applicant from Canada.  
i.  Are there many international students enrolled in the program? 
ii. Opportunities in fellowships, or grants?


2. 
i. Are there any graduates of the USC Screenwriting program, or any other who are able to comment about securing a intern/job placement post-graduate, that has led to a job?
ii. What kind of prospects might be in store for post-grads?


I'd appreciate any sort of feedback.

Thank you,
Keen and Nervous Eva


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## Generallyspeaking22 (Mar 7, 2011)

I am also very curious of Eva's second question.

I read a very disheartening article in the LA Times recently about the massive restructuring of the development process at all the major studios.

http://articles.latimes.com/20...-assistants-20101219

Development cutbacks are a bad thing for working screenwriters and MFAs/BFAs with a focus on screenwriting who thought the studio route would be a decent fallback plan if one didn't end up making a living off of their writing. 

The goal of the cutback is basically that if your project goes through development and is then turned down by the studio head, it does not go through development again. It's a dead project.

The distribution process is also amidst a vast overhaul as theaters are trying to take more control over who shows where in order to protect their own profits. Though this might actually be a good thing for indie filmmakers... 

It makes me wonder if the industry is heading in a direction comparable to the book industry--at least in terms of substantial downsizing. 

What do recent grads have to say? Are you guys finding good opportunities?


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