# At which schools do the students own the rights to their films?



## nightmonkey616 (Mar 22, 2021)

Hi! I am looking to go to film school to study directing but I am wondering at which schools do the students own the right to their film. I know USC owns the rights for their students.


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## Reelgurltx (Mar 22, 2021)

nightmonkey616 said:


> Hi! I am looking to go to film school to study directing but I am wondering at which schools do the students own the right to their film. I know USC owns the rights for their students.


Not sure about others, but at Chapman students own the rights to their films.


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## Chris W (Mar 22, 2021)

nightmonkey616 said:


> Hi! I am looking to go to film school to study directing but I am wondering at which schools do the students own the right to their film. I know USC owns the rights for their students.


USC owns the physical film but not the script FYI



> Q. Do I own the rights to my film?
> USC retains the copyright to ALL short films created within the class. Intellectual property (scripts, treatments, etc.) remains with the filmmaker. Only the tangible film rights are held (the piece created at USC).
> 
> Q. Does USC own the script to my short film?
> ...



It appears you own your film at NYU as long as you let Tisch use it for educational purposes.









						Student Ownership Policy
					






					tisch.nyu.edu


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## shorner123 (Apr 7, 2021)

I have been told that students own the rights to their films at DePaul.


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## llueve (Apr 11, 2021)

At an admitted student event for AFI, the Screenwriting Dept told us that:

- The three Cycle Films you make your first year are not allowed to leave campus / be posted online / be shown outside of school ever
- If you write a script for a Cycle Film, you're allowed to use it again in the future, shoot it again etc
- All your scripts written while at AFI are yours
- Your thesis film can be shown outside of campus, do festivals, is yours -- although you may have to figure out 'ownership' with your collaborators, but it does not belong to AFI


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## Voodoo-man (Apr 12, 2021)

nightmonkey616 said:


> Hi! I am looking to go to film school to study directing but I am wondering at which schools do the students own the right to their film. I know USC owns the rights for their students.


At Ohio U. students own the rights to their films.   Go here to learn more:   Which MFA programs let you make a feature film?


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## cgold (Apr 12, 2021)

My friend at UT Austin says they own their films!


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## tls (Apr 13, 2021)

At LMU students own all of their films!


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## masterthefuture22 (Dec 16, 2021)

San Diego State University you own your film rights


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