# Is a screenwriting MFA useful?



## worstquality (Apr 29, 2009)

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum, so my apologies if I'm retreading old territory. I am 2 years out of undergrad, looking to go back to grad school to get my MFA in screenwriting. I write on my own, but have never had any formal training or instruction, and I feel like I could use something like an MFA program to help hone my skills.

I'm wondering if those of you who have completed MFA programs can give me your honest opinion of how useful you found your experiences. Did it give you something you couldn't have gotten otherwise? Was it worth the time (and money) commitment? I'd appreciate any help you can give!


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## HandzOn (Apr 29, 2009)

Paging Dr. Jayimess....


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## Jayimess (Apr 29, 2009)

I, of course, say yes, absolutely.  I have a year left in my screenwriting MFA at USC, and I'm so amazed at what I've learned and accomplished so far.

I'm sitting in a lounge at school right now, killing time before my final class of my second year begins at seven, so I asked one of my classmates sitting nearby, who is graduating next week, if he felt it was worth it.

He also said absolutely...there are things you can't learn in books.

I mentioned the discipline I learned, I'm so much better now than when I got here, even though I still have far to go.

We bantered on about certain things we learned in specific classes we've had together, kind of had to be there stuff.

But here are the general woo hoos...

You have people who've done this, and done it well, showing you how to do it well, too.

The access to Hollywood people is insane.  I still think it's crazy that this person who wrote that movie or directed that show or created that series reads my scripts...and it is validation when they think you're doing something well.  So much different than Grandma thinking you're awesome.  The support and encouragement is just as important as the hard and honest criticism.

I don't know about you, but before I got here, there was always some obstacle to being a full-time writer...not enough time, I'm broke so I have to work a ****ty job, I'm not in LA, I don't know anyone in the biz, I don't know anything about the biz... 

Here at SC, I'm paying a lot of money to focus solely on filmmaking.  The price tag sucks, but it also shows me this is what I need to be doing.   All of those distractions and obstacles are gone.  I live breathe eat sleep film.  That simply wouldn't be possible outside of film school.  It is within that environment that I have been free to explore and hone my writing to the furthest extent of my life.

The network you build at a film school is insane.  There's a reason the alumni associations at the top schools are rock solid...


You don't have to go to film school to be a screenwriter, or even to be a good one.

But it's absolutely useful, and in my, and the guy sitting in this lounge with me's opinions, it's totally worth it.


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## worstquality (May 1, 2009)

Thank you so much for your response, Jayimess. It was definately very helpful. I'm actually looking at applying to SC and UCLA, so it was also cool to get your perspective on that as well.


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## FarhanAli (May 3, 2009)

I'm currently a first year MFA student in a screenwriting program. It's funny that you started this topic, because up until recently I had become sort of disenchanted with my program and began wondering if film school was worth the money. Recently, I decided it was.

It can absolutely be useful, but a lot of it depends on how proactive you are. 

By far the best thing about a program is what you get out of workshopping your scripts. You'll be amazed by how much a story can improve through these sessions, and you'll also grow as a writer by simply critiquing others' works. The cynic in you may be asking, "well can't I join a writer's group without paying $50K." The answer is absolutely, but good MFA programs provide advantages that local writer's groups can't provide.

1.) Everyone in the program has some sort of talent. They must if they've been accepted into a competitive program. A writer's group is usually open to anyone that's interested in joining.

2.) You'll leave the program with loads of connections.

3.) Good MFA programs can find you good internships.

I've been lucky enough to get an internship with Comedy Central/Daily Show for the summer. It's paid and I actually get some writing opportunities. This internship was only open to like eight graduate schools which clearly illustrates how advantageous a good program can be.

That being said, there's many different answers to this question but ultimately you've got to control your own destiny when you're a screenwriter.

Good luck.


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## Neville26 (May 4, 2009)

Farhan Ali...what school do you attend?  I mean, where are you getting your MFA in Screenwriting from?


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## FarhanAli (May 4, 2009)

Hey Neville, I'm at Northwestern University.


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## Sonia (May 4, 2009)

FarhanAli, if you don't mind talking about it a little more, why were you disenchanted with your program? And what changed your mind about it?


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## FarhanAli (May 4, 2009)

Hey Sonia,

I guess a lot of the students felt like they weren't getting enough guidance from the program for awhile. 

For example, during this summer we are required to do an internship. Most of the students were kind of anxious about finding a good one, and also financing it. Most film internships are unpaid, and for us to have to move to NY/LA for the summer to work for free in this economic climate was a daunting task.

Our department was kind of disorganized in the beginning, but I have to hand it to them...they really stepped it up. The internship coordinator did a good job of staying in touch with me and giving me leads. With her help, I was able to get interviews with Sony, Comedy Central, Paramount, etc...  I told her I wanted to find a paid internship and she was able to find me several opportunities. Also, our department head changed some of the policies and also gave us a $2500 stipend to help finance our summer internships. As you can imagine, that was a huge relief.

Finally, they've done a good job of attracting some cool speakers. Next week we're meeting Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The week after that, Zach Gilford and Steve Conrad are coming. Things like that helped fix a lot of our moods, and it showed that they were listening to our concerns.


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