So heres my situation! I'm currently a Religious Studies major at VCU in Richmond, VA. I hate my major and don't know why on earth I chose it freshman year after not having gotten into the Music Department. So the past two and a half years have gone by with me hating my major and only recently (near the end of my 2nd semester sophomore year) have I gotten extremely and passionately interested in Film and Photography. I applied (albeit past deadline due to me not knowing how much I enjoyed film until after) to the Cinema school here but didn't get accepted. I have a girlfriend who I plan to propose to eventually within the next year or so, but I don't know how I'm going to support myself, let alone her as my wife. I'm stuck in a dilemma of do I stick with religious studies and graduate on time(ish) and do what I can with film and photography? Or drop out/switch very soon to another school such as Full Sail University or something like that so I can learn everything I can as soon as I can and figure it out then. I work at a Chick-Fil-A right now just to pay a few bills, and have GI Bill benefits being transferred from my father right now to pay for school... But I hate what I'm doing now, working at a fast food restaraunt and studying "religious studies." It's just not for me. I don't really know what to do! Any input or help? I just don't know how to go about this.
Interested in Film School...
- Thread starter ChanceOfGray
- Start date
Oooo, you've got some monumental decisions to make. First, why continue in a program you hate? Second, film school will not guarantee a well paying job for you and your future wife. I'd suggest you find a vocational school program where you could learn a trade to make a living....some of these run as short as 9-11 months. As for starting a film education, given your circumstances, learn what you can here at Indietalk, other online tutorials, and local community shoots (I think Cracker Funk in in your area, at least for the immediate future) for on the job experience.
CrackerFunk, a member of this forum, lives and works in Richmond. He's somewhat recently finished his first no-budget feature and has been hitting the indie circuit with decent results. Last I heard he was looking for a few good men for his next project, so you might consider PMing him and seeing what's up.
As for school... I strongly advise against going to somewhere like Full Sail or those other fly-by-night schools. They're grossly overpriced and the education you get will be generally inferior to even the decent film schools around the country.
I think doing your own research and making your own movie is better than film school. The main advantage to film school is getting connections in the industry, so I'd really only consider going if that's your planned career route.
As for school... I strongly advise against going to somewhere like Full Sail or those other fly-by-night schools. They're grossly overpriced and the education you get will be generally inferior to even the decent film schools around the country.
I think doing your own research and making your own movie is better than film school. The main advantage to film school is getting connections in the industry, so I'd really only consider going if that's your planned career route.
Dude, VCU is the tits, don't leave that school!
You should definitely leave Religious Studies. That is one of those degrees that benefits you, in the sense that having a Bachelor's degree will open up a ton of doors for you, but the fact that it's Religious Studies, specifically, helps you none. I should know, I have a BA in Anthropology. I stuck with my field of study, because I love it. If you don't love yours, there is NO reason to stick with it. I'm sorry you didn't get into Film, but you can always re-apply; alternately, I'd be willing to bet that there is a degree out there that you would really enjoy taking, that you would get into.
Anyway, back to VCU. Perhaps because you don't have anything to compare it to, you might not be aware of how incredibly strong it is, as an arts school. Arts, in general. Photography, theater, graphics arts, theater, and many others. Did I mention theater?
VCU's theater department KICKS ASS! The caliber of talent coming out of that program is unmatched by any school around here. It is truly one of the greatest, anywhere. What does that mean for you? A whole bunch of awesome actors and actresses who want to act in your films!
It's also worth mentioning that for the size of our city, we have a very active filmmaking community. Did you know that we were recently named one of the top-ten cities in the US for making films? Spielberg is shooting "Lincoln" here, right now!
I came to Richmond by accident (a job, that I ended up hating). But Richmond has worked out very well for me. I have had some very positive experiences, as a nothing-budget filmmaker, in RVA.
Based on my own personal experiences, my advice is that you don't leave the 804. Definitely leave your major. And definitely leave your job. Dude, you don't need to be slanging chicken sandwiches (though, they are admittedly delicious).
For your future career, I have no comment. Your possibilities are literally limitless. For your immediate career, at least until the end of college, you MUST begin working in restaurants. The entry-level position that you want to get is busser (sometimes known as "back-wait" or "server assistant"). This position requires NO experience, you'll immediately be making significantly more than at Chik-Fil-A, and it doesn't take too long to move up to a higher-paying position. Plus, getting a restaurant job is actually VERY easy, as long as you know what you're supposed to do. Send me a PM if you'd like to know how to get your first restaurant job, and if you follow my instructions, I promise you'll have a new job within a week. Shit, I can even tell you specific restaurants you should hit up in Richmond.
And, yes, I'd love to have you work on my next short. It'll be a one-day shoot (my final in RVA), either in late-November, or early-December, and on a weekday (probably a Monday). It's always good to see what other people are doing, for the learning-experience, plus, one thing you can be sure of on my set is that we always have a shit-ton of fun (that's why I make films, in the first place).
Good luck with your decision-making!
You should definitely leave Religious Studies. That is one of those degrees that benefits you, in the sense that having a Bachelor's degree will open up a ton of doors for you, but the fact that it's Religious Studies, specifically, helps you none. I should know, I have a BA in Anthropology. I stuck with my field of study, because I love it. If you don't love yours, there is NO reason to stick with it. I'm sorry you didn't get into Film, but you can always re-apply; alternately, I'd be willing to bet that there is a degree out there that you would really enjoy taking, that you would get into.
Anyway, back to VCU. Perhaps because you don't have anything to compare it to, you might not be aware of how incredibly strong it is, as an arts school. Arts, in general. Photography, theater, graphics arts, theater, and many others. Did I mention theater?
VCU's theater department KICKS ASS! The caliber of talent coming out of that program is unmatched by any school around here. It is truly one of the greatest, anywhere. What does that mean for you? A whole bunch of awesome actors and actresses who want to act in your films!
It's also worth mentioning that for the size of our city, we have a very active filmmaking community. Did you know that we were recently named one of the top-ten cities in the US for making films? Spielberg is shooting "Lincoln" here, right now!
I came to Richmond by accident (a job, that I ended up hating). But Richmond has worked out very well for me. I have had some very positive experiences, as a nothing-budget filmmaker, in RVA.
Based on my own personal experiences, my advice is that you don't leave the 804. Definitely leave your major. And definitely leave your job. Dude, you don't need to be slanging chicken sandwiches (though, they are admittedly delicious).
For your future career, I have no comment. Your possibilities are literally limitless. For your immediate career, at least until the end of college, you MUST begin working in restaurants. The entry-level position that you want to get is busser (sometimes known as "back-wait" or "server assistant"). This position requires NO experience, you'll immediately be making significantly more than at Chik-Fil-A, and it doesn't take too long to move up to a higher-paying position. Plus, getting a restaurant job is actually VERY easy, as long as you know what you're supposed to do. Send me a PM if you'd like to know how to get your first restaurant job, and if you follow my instructions, I promise you'll have a new job within a week. Shit, I can even tell you specific restaurants you should hit up in Richmond.
And, yes, I'd love to have you work on my next short. It'll be a one-day shoot (my final in RVA), either in late-November, or early-December, and on a weekday (probably a Monday). It's always good to see what other people are doing, for the learning-experience, plus, one thing you can be sure of on my set is that we always have a shit-ton of fun (that's why I make films, in the first place).
Good luck with your decision-making!