# Films by those Accepted into Top Programs



## M Dawg (Mar 24, 2010)

In the spirit of the background/resume thread I was wondering if anyone who was admitted to a top ten program would be willing to post a short (five or ten minute) sample of the film for which he or she was admitted.

I realize this is much more personal than just a resume so feel no pressure, but as someone who didn't get an interview anywhere--most likely due to my visual sample--I'd like to see what kind of films most schools like.  And I'm sure others are curious, too.

Soo...thanks and congrats to those who were admitted.


----------



## Laura_M (Mar 25, 2010)

Mine is not short, but it's actually up on crackle.  It's a 27-minute zombie documentary. I thought it would be too silly for NYU and Columbia, but both gave me an interview. 
http://crackle.com/c/Rising_Up...hts_Movement/2479793


----------



## kjba86 (Mar 25, 2010)

@Laura-- I *LOVE* your film. Very funny and interesting!

M Dawg

I've been told by many MANY admissions people and professors who have "been there" that Statements of Purpose are also INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. If you sound like a machine or aren't being "real/yourself," or simply converting your laundry list of resume/cv accomplishments into narrative form it's a turnoff. 

While there are graduate programs looking for "potential" or non-traditional film students, Many graduate programs understand that you should have some degree of aptitude making films and videos, so I would assume that a film/video reel would only be one small part of a much larger puzzle. After all, films are a very subjective thing in terms of how audiences receive/react to them

Also, some film/video people, while monumentally talented, just aren't ready for the rigors of an academic environment where one is expected to write fairly advanced papers. That's not a knock on you at all, I don't know your situation but many programs require scholarly writing and are expected to hold their own with future film theorists and PhD candidates. I was rejected from a top program (UCLA) so feel free to ignore. Just my .02 cents.

I was, however, one of the lucky 3-5 to be accepted to Iowa (with an unbelievable financial pkg) and on the UT-Austin active wait list. These were the core of my visual samples:

Traditional Documentary:  http://spinearth.tv/report/one...room-317-000-records

Experimental Narrative: http://vimeo.com/8020828

Hope this helps and best of luck to you. Don't let it get you down. What might have been a "no" this year could very well be what they're looking for next year! Same goes for film festivals...it's all about how they're "programming" this years crop of students.


----------



## M Dawg (Mar 25, 2010)

Thanks to both of you; this is kind of enlightening to me and the videos are good.

kjba86, academics aren't my problem, but I'll consider what you wrote about the importance of one's statement.  I graduated phi beta kappa from one of the most competitive liberal arts schools (and almost triple majored) and have 98%ile GREs so it's definitely not that.  If only I wanted to be a lawyer instead...


----------



## Silverlenz (Mar 25, 2010)

M Dawg,

Have you relooked at your SOP since submitting it? I work in higher education and on admission committees and I have to say what Kkjba8 is true. Do you you think "the tone" of your SOP gave off a bad impression?

SilverLenz


----------



## gnomehunter (Mar 25, 2010)

You cant expect to get accepted by any of this top universitys because of your academic success... that dosnt means much in this career...

It's all about your personal and artistic point of view...

If you were trying to nail your application trying to show off your academic acomplishments must likely you bored them to the bones...

The best photographer I know is an spanish guy whom probably failed half of his courses in the comunications bachelour... But again when you talk with him about photography he has a concept of light that I have only heard once in my life... and his curriculum was 5 pages long because he has made 40 short films at least...

I will tell you something that one dude told me one day I was hiring people for a production.
 He said, Do you want a technician or an artist?

Ask yourself the same question... are you a technician that absolutely controls the technic or are you an artist??

Next year re apply and reconcider what are you proposing to the school...


----------



## M Dawg (Mar 25, 2010)

Thanks for the advice; I really appreciate it (less so the anti-acacedmic sentiment--not that I completely disagree; it's just irrelevant and dismissive of both film theory and technical acumen, which may not make an "artist" necessarily but without which narrative film as a medium would be far behind what it is now).  But I was honestly just more curious to see what schools are looking for than to bemoan my own lack of success.

I really dig the movies that have been posted, btw (the Zombie thing is very well done and I usually don't like mockumentaries but you got the feel of a real documentary down just perfect)...  I can see pretty clearly why I didn't fare as well now.


----------



## L@la (Mar 25, 2010)

Laura, 

Your movie is absolutely AWESOME. Incredibly funny and really well done. I'm sharing it with all my friends. 
I really do hope you get in!
I'm still laughing. You made my day. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## agagnon87 (Mar 25, 2010)

Here's the film I got into the AFI with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0uSqoa_5Mc 

I'd love to hear feedback for it.  For the record, I was admitted for screenwriting and I sent in the screenplay for it instead.  I think I messed up with the directing because I was working with theater actors who didn't really understand the subtlety of what the performances should have been, and I didn't do much to work with that.


----------



## gnomehunter (Mar 25, 2010)

M Dawg you applied for cinematography right??

You know what you are doing... but who knows what you wrote, and the rest of the stuff you submited with the aplications... 

If you werent accepted it wasnt because you are bad (because you are not), maybe it had something to do with a weak application.

Also IMO and from what my contacts have told me avoid low budget horror, and Tarantino-style stuff... too many people does it, and its a turn off... at least for me and for must of the people I work with... 

@laura I cant see your video!!! I want to see it!!


----------



## Ben (Mar 25, 2010)

This is what got me into USC, NYU, FSU and UT Austin (directing):

https://vspace.vassar.edu/beru...AL%20CUT%20SMALL.mov

And parts of this reel got me into AFI and Chapman (cinematography):

http://vimeo.com/9336529

We've talked a lot in-depth, M Dawg, just take the next year to continue to outdo yourself and show all those schools up next year!


----------



## Jane_ (Mar 26, 2010)

@Ben 
Love your works! Very unique and stylish - no wonder you got accepted by all the top programs. Have you decided which school to attend?


----------



## Onedadda (Mar 26, 2010)

M Dawg

honest opinion: your work looks real nice but the whole gun and robot thing may be a turn off to most film schools especially "independent" film schools like nyu

possibly USC although the idea USC is somehow more Hollywood is exaggerated

even though you may be a cinematagraphy guy it is highly likely that they want like minded individuals not to say that perhaps in reality you're into somehing completely different than what your reel may reflect

as for me I could care less about all these "socially conscious" films many film schools produce 
most of them are well made trash lookin to get a pat on the back for their sympathetic account of social problems that have nothin to do with their own life --they substitute earnestness for their own lack of imagination

but forgive the rant

looks like you already got a high quality reel
and have connections
that's all you might get from a film school

make a film and submit to festivals and you'll be in the same boat as all film school graduates

trust me I know ppl who got mfas from film schools including USC and are now working almost minimum wage jobs unrelated to film


----------



## Laura_M (Mar 26, 2010)

Thanks M Dawg & Lola, best of luck to you guys.  I've gotten into Columbia and I'm waiting to hear on NYU.  

I definitely second the importance of the personal statement, I do think they're looking for unique voices and talking about your specific non-film life experience/interests is a plus. It definitely informs who you are as an artist and lets them know you have something to say, not just filmmaking talent. 

I was on the fence about highlighting my love of horror, b/c it's a genre that can be looked down on, but I think honesty was the best way to go.

Gnomehunter, sorry the crackle video doesn't work outside America, the trailer is up on www.risingupmovie.com.


----------



## Kretze (Mar 26, 2010)

Hey guys!
really good work!

One of the things that I submitted was this music video (I did it once it was officially released by Universal Music Spain in January)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxFEh1HVhWs

I'll try to post my entire submission one of these days.


----------



## M Dawg (Mar 26, 2010)

Thanks everyone--especially gnomehunter and Onedadda--for the advice.  I clearly did have some problems with my visual sample and SOP, which is why I wanted to see what other people were doing in the first place.

I didn't submit my reel to any schools; I submitted a superhero comedy with the joke being it was made from the perspective of like a 10-year-old.  I don't really want to discuss this much more, but I do enjoy seeing people's films.  

Ben, congrats!  I heard you got interviews and it's awesome to learn you got in everywhere--and it's well-deserved.  I may send you another brief email later.  Let me know where you choose to go.


----------



## JusTaNaPpLe (Mar 27, 2010)

Wow, you guys all have some great works! now i am not even gonna be surprised if i don't get into any of the schools... 
i thought my personal statement was strong enough, but i am afraid my academic writing skills are not good enough since i am an international student, and my visual sample really do suck comparing to yours... 
well, let's hope for next year! btw, any one has the idea whether they are looking for good stories or filmmaking ability from the visual samples?


----------



## tucker (Apr 4, 2010)

I am 1/2 inspired and 1/2 scared out of my mind, the content and quality of every short posted here is absolutely amazing. 
-Laura_M- your zombie mockumentary was the best zombie based content i have seen since Shawn of the Dead, and at a truly professional production quality. 

-kjba86- wow lots of great work, i particularly enjoyed "fingers" really great way to tell a story of that kind of loss. 

-Ben- great reel lots of emotional mix in there well cut too.

-M Dawg- i really liked your real, lots of action and well cut. i see short bursts of emotion which seem to be over trumped by action. i really enjoyed it but would have liked to see longer cuts of the deep emotional moments expressed between the high impact moments of action. thanks for starting this thread it is a very good resource for undergrads like me trying to hone my skills to see what kind of supporting material is acceptable for grad school applications.


----------



## Malachi (Apr 7, 2010)

I tended to vary my submissions to the various programs because they had different requirments.  Some seemed more interested in technical prowess and others in narrative ability.  Some I sent shorts, others music videos, others my demo reel (which has a mix including training videos) and others a promotional trailer I shot.  

The film which I sent to most places is a 32 minute short that played the festival circuit a bit (nothing huge) and ended up winning the San Francisco Film Fest.  I havn't uploaded online (since I'm still waiting to here back from a fests) but clips of it are on my demo reel (it's the first one)  I submitted this film to BU (which I got into), Temple (which I was told I'm in the finalists for) and NYU (which I didn't get into):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmBL5NNa9G4

Oddly enough, for USC (the only big program I've been accepted into), the five minute time-limit really killed me so I was only able to send a little music video I directed in promotion of a college football team.  It's kind of silly but I needed the money and hadn't done a music video before.  There's some really obvious product placement but local business helped pay for the video.  Besides, I got to hang out with the cheerleaders:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqPKOBldkpQ

I submitted a promotional trialer to FSU, got an interview, but still havn't heard back from them.  It's a bit too "hollywood" for my tastes but I got to play with nicer equipment than I normally get to:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdAX9ceVA-U


----------



## Malachi (Apr 7, 2010)

Kretze, I LOVED your music video.  There's a lot of stuff in it that would normally bug me (all the hand-held stuff and a lack of a narrative) but you managed to capture the tone of the song so very well.  Great job.  

As for mission statements and what the colleges are looking for, I almost think it's a bit of a crap shoot.  One guy said to avoid the essay that looks like it's written by machine yet all my attempts at being honest and frank seemed to bite me in the butt during my FSU interview.

I also am surprised that academics don't factor more into it.  I think one of the biggest problems with film students and arts people in general is that so many are flaky.  Managing to have a strong academic record shows you're smart and know how to work; two skills which so many people I've known trying to break into this business don't posess.


----------



## M Dawg (Mar 24, 2010)

In the spirit of the background/resume thread I was wondering if anyone who was admitted to a top ten program would be willing to post a short (five or ten minute) sample of the film for which he or she was admitted.

I realize this is much more personal than just a resume so feel no pressure, but as someone who didn't get an interview anywhere--most likely due to my visual sample--I'd like to see what kind of films most schools like.  And I'm sure others are curious, too.

Soo...thanks and congrats to those who were admitted.


----------



## karina (Apr 7, 2010)

> Originally posted by Ben:
> This is what got me into USC, NYU, FSU and UT Austin (directing):
> 
> https://vspace.vassar.edu/beru...AL%20CUT%20SMALL.mov



Oh wow! It's really good!!!!  How European in style. Well-made technical and content wise! Very talented Ben!!!

Just a question, did you cut this down to 5 minutes for USC? Or did you submit the whole thing? Or just as a supplement together with the portfolio list?


----------



## Lvn (Apr 7, 2010)

Kretze, great job on your music video. Very playful and inventive. Hell, if I were you I wouldn't bother with the film school =)

Btw, I would've put mine up but I can't post it online because I shot it at USC. Legal blah blah.


----------



## Malachi (Apr 7, 2010)

> Btw, I would've put mine up but I can't post it online because I shot it at USC. Legal blah blah.



Back up a sec.  We can't post our movies online if we shot them at USC?  Do we not have any ownership rights whatsoever?  Kind of like to know this before I accept admission.


----------



## karina (Apr 7, 2010)

Curious, did someone submitted an actual 5-minute short to USC here (and got in)??? Seems like everybody here submitted either a longer film or a music video. 

I'm asking because I'm actually thinking of making a 5-min short film specifically for USC. I'm thinking if it's not a good idea after all.


----------



## Ben (Apr 7, 2010)

Hi Karina,

I submitted about 3 scenes to USC. Starting from Buddy arriving at Jim's trailer (when he's looking for the cat) through the confrontation at the gas station--worked out to be exactly five minutes, pretty much convey the characters and have a range of ups and downs, so I got pretty lucky!


----------



## Lvn (Apr 9, 2010)

I got in with a 5 minute film karina. More of a video-clip actually, somewhat experimental, but a film in the end. 

Malachi I really don't know about that, it was a summer-class though so the things might be different in the graduate program.


----------

