#19 Reason I Hate Film School . . . It's Not Really Updated!

Can you imagine? About fifteen years ago, most people were watching movies using VHS tapes, and didn't really think twice about it. And then, people we're using VCDs. Although I have to say, it didn't take long for DVDs to be the norm for watching movies at home. And now, Blu-Ray! I think I barely got over DVDs.

My point it, the technology used in this industry is always changing. What the average people know about are the DVDs and VCDs, but what about the equipment used behind the scenes? The camera? The lighting? The programs used for editing? A lot of these things are always changing, always being updated. And to be successful in this field, we need to keep up!

And to be honest, I don't think you can do much of keeping up when you're stuck in a classroom and not seeing how it is being done out there. What we need to see firsthand just how films are made and the technologies that are used to help someone take their image and share it with the rest of the world. Whatever it is you're learning in a classroom or from books, chances are, about half of it won't be applicable once you're out there in the world.

#18 Reason I Hate Film School . . . It Can Be a Waste of Time Sometimes

Think about it. We spend all these months in one semester learning about all these theories and techniques and approaches to different aspects in film-making. And not every aspect too, just the major ones. (But I’ve already said something about that.) After one semester, we get another one to look for internships where we can apply what we’ve learned.

That’s great. The opportunity to apply what we’ve learned in the actual setting is always one of the best ways to see just how much you’ve learn and just how well you will do once you’re on the job. But I feel like, in a way, a semester is also lost there.

Who’s to say we’re still going to remember everything we’ve learned from the past semesters? Who’s to say that what we learned from the previous semesters are actually relevant to the internship we’ve got. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to learn and apply at the same time? It’s a time-saver, for sure, plus we know exactly whether what we’re learning is relevant or not. And if it so happens that it’s not, we’re not waiting for a full semester to find out.

#17 Reason I Hate Film School . . . They Ignore the "Little" Details

There are many aspects that make up a successful film. The most obvious are the high-profile ones: the actors, director, screenwriters, producers, maybe even those who are in charge of musical scoring and cinematography. Thousands of dollars are spent in studying these different fields in making a film, that film school graduates become too proud of it, they forget the little details that make a film work.

These details may not be as big as coming up with the story, and of course, that is a hugely important part of the film-making process, but without these little bits, do you think the film will be just as successful? I don’t think so.

What about the production assistants? Those who do the beck and call of the directors and producers, things that these bigwigs think they’re too important to do. But this work, for me at least, makes me just as connected to the film. Just as if I was the lead star too. I wanna be able to be in a learning environment that encourages you to follow your dreams of becoming a part of the film-making industry, even if it’s not as well-known a position as the others.

For others, being part of the process is enough. Sure, you gotta be creative, but without the not-always-seen people working behind the scenes, trying their best to be able to transform the creative thoughts into something the audience can relate to, what’s the use of all that “nurturing of creativity” in film schools.

# 16 Reason I Hate Film School . . . Focuses Too Much on the "Creative" Aspect

The sad part about going to film school is that it focuses more on the more high-profile aspects of making a film, the screenwriter, the director, or the actors, to name a few. But as we all know, those are not the only components that make up a great film. There are other aspects too. What about the technical aspects? Like the lighting or make-up or wardrobe?

These are more technical than creative, and most of its creativity relies on the director and/or producer. But what if these are parts of the process that I want to be involved in. Not everyone who wants to be making a film want to be the actor or the director or the screenwriter. Sometimes, people are totally content on staying a bit more behind the scenes, and that's perfectly okay. But traditional film schools don't encourage that. We spend hours and hours studying films, trying to pick the greatness in the acting and the directing and the writing, but what about the rest?

The other aspects of film-making, though less known, as just as important. Without these "little" things that go on behind the scenes, how successful would the film be in telling its story? It's not just about the actors or the director or the writer or even the producer, everyone else involved is needed to make a film a success.