A casual web search will tell you that there are hundreds of film programs at public and private universities across the U.S. So how can prospective students narrow down their options? What are admissions departments looking for, and what materials should you include in your portfolio?
We asked admissions experts from three of the nation’s top film schools for their insights into what makes an application stand out from the rest.
Don’t worry too much about your previous on-the-job experience.
According to Pavel Jech, the associate dean of academic affairs at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in Orange, CA, many students come to the graduate program after pursuing other careers; this often means they have little prior experience in the field.
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“We’re always looking for people who are excited to be here and are really going to contribute to the environment,” he says. “Obviously, every film school is looking for talented people—because that’s what we’re about, right? But we’re looking for people who believe in the collaborative spirit. For our school to work, we need our students working and collaborating.”
Courtney Malenius, the senior associate director of admissions at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts, agrees. She encourages applicants to the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television
to ask friends and family for feedback on their submission package.
“We want students to highlight all kinds of clubs and activities, sports, part-time jobs, internships, family responsibilities—anything that they do in their spare time—in their résumés so we can see that they work well in groups, because filmmaking is such a collaborative process.”
Cinema doesn’t have to be your only focus.
Increasingly, film students have been pursuing double majors, combining their studies with fields like politics, journalism, or history. “I do think that Dodge being part of a larger liberal arts college is really important,” says Priscilla Campos, the director of admission at Dodge College. To ensure that participants in the program get hands-on experience, the school caps enrollment at 330–340.
“Students [often] like telling stories and writing poetry, or maybe they were doing broadcast work in high school. Or maybe they came from a completely different job—in finance, for example—or they just have always had a passion for storytelling. I think the collaboration that we help foster and build is attractive to them,” she says.
Students at New York University’s Kanbar Institute of Film & Television Credit: Ruben Alfonso
Don’t let the cost of film school deter you; there’s more financial support available than you might think.
College comes with a high price tag, and making movies isn’t cheap, either. To help pay your way, look into scholarships, financial aid, and grants. Some institutions offer special financial assistance programs, including NYU. “There is a new initiative that was launched last year called the NYU Promise, whereby applicants who are selected for admission whose family’s combined income is $100,000 USD or less will essentially not be charged tuition at all,” Malenius says.
Seeking out programs that require less time to complete is another way to save money. “Look at master’s degree options, as there are some shorter, one-year programs in specific niche areas. For instance, NYU has a one-year virtual production master’s degree,” Malenius explains.
Dodge College gives students a head start by providing them with the equipment they’ll need to create their films. “We design it in a way that they do not have to put any extra expenses into it,” Jech says. “Students sometimes do, but they don’t have to in order to succeed.”
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to be yourself.
Sure, every young filmmaker wants to be the next Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Jordan Peele, or Greta Gerwig—but cinema programs are more interested in seeing the next you.
NYU’s multistep admissions process eschews the standard essay format, allowing applicants to show the faculty who they really are through self-reflective video work and short art projects.
And remember, procrastination is not your friend. “If the thought of putting five pieces together for a portfolio is something that you’re dreading doing and you’re not excited about it, then maybe our program is not the right fit for you,” Malenius says, “because you’re going to be challenged to do all kinds of activities like these in classes from the moment you arrive on our campus.”
Ultimately, per Campos, it all comes down to individuality
and enthusiasm. “Don’t worry about your technical skills; we want to see the spark behind them. Lean into what you have
to offer and your understanding of what makes you unique. Everyone has that, so present
that to us.”
This story originally appeared in the Oct. 31 issue of Backstage Magazine.