Anyone have experience in the Cinema Degree field?

[usmccharles]

Well i have recently just moved to northern california to be closer to my son and have been looking at schools.  Cinema is something that has always interested me, some of you may know if you have seen me in the Movie and tv show thread.   But as always in today's society i worry about wasting all this time getting a degree just to be stuck in the unemployment line with all those other people with degrees.  So i was just looking for some insight here.  Anyone ever deal with or have friends with the degree and what did they end up doing. 

[Inqui]

At the university I went to, probably 80%-90% of the students I knew did Law, Commerce, Politics, Theatre/Cinema or some combination thereof. Quite a few of the people who did theatre/cinema now have jobs in the industry in one way or another - quite a few of them have become actors in some capacity, one guy manages a cinema and I think another's doing a bit of producer work.

 

Studying in the country's film capital helps in a big way in that there are far more opportunities to get among the industry than there are elsewhere, but I think what's paid off for them more than anything is their passion for the industry. They love what they do, and that obviously shows up in what they do and creates good impressions all the way. During their studies they did a whole raft of extracurricular activities that helped them out in the long term.

 

I'm not hugely close with a lot of these guys, so I couldn't tell you how important they feel their degree is to their current success, but while I'd say it's secondary to their love of the game I'd also say it helped get them a look in with how competitive the industry is.

 

TL;DR: If that's what you're really interested in, I'd say go for it. The degree itself won't really get you anywhere, but it should open up a lot of doors that would otherwise remain shut (it was made by those who are dead). And if the degree doesn't get you a job in the industry, that still isn't a waste if you enjoyed it imo. But then, I know you guys don't have the same access to interest-free student loans from the government so the debt factor might be a little more pressing.

[usmccharles]

That's some good insight. I should have mentioned e, the debt isn't an issue, I'm a veteran and will be using the gi bill. And lucky me, I am in the area with the highest payment rate for housing in the entire United States.

[beanfigger]

What do you want to do? I've worked in the industry for nine years, and many of the jobs in the field do not require any degree. I am currently finishing up my Master's in Professional Screenwriting, which has been a great experience, but I'm doing it more so I can become a film professor in between gigs and stay local now that I'm a family man.

[usmccharles]

What do you want to do? I've worked in the industry for nine years, and many of the jobs in the field do not require any degree. I am currently finishing up my Master's in Professional Screenwriting, which has been a great experience, but I'm doing it more so I can become a film professor in between gigs and stay local now that I'm a family man.

Well the "what do I want to do" part is obviously the tough part considering I am unaware of the possibilities of the career field. I have been reading about it and have ideas, I don't see my self as a writer or producer, more so of a cameraman aspect. I know the degree won't make all the difference, you need the dedication, but it also won't hurt, with the connections you can make, etc.

[beanfigger]

Well the "what do I want to do" part is obviously the tough part considering I am unaware of the possibilities of the career field. I have been reading about it and have ideas, I don't see my self as a writer or producer, more so of a cameraman aspect. I know the degree won't make all the difference, you need the dedication, but it also won't hurt, with the connections you can make, etc.

Connections are key. Look online for any jobs or gigs that need help in any way around you (craigslist is actually good for that). You'll probably have to start as an intern or production assistant, but on small jobs everyone helps out everywhere. Make sure people you work with know you are interested in the camera department, and make sure everyone knows your name and has your contact info because you could end up getting calls for another job months later out of the blue (trust me).

Camera is one department where you can actually learn things in school that will help you in the field, and you can, of course, make contacts in school. Nothing will be as valuable as actually getting on jobs in some capacity and meeting real working people. Good luck.

[usmccharles]

What i think would be amazing is to be a on-sight camera man with a local news station, maybe do sports at some point.  I think it could be fun and i might as well take advantage of the money from the military

[beanfigger]

What i think would be amazing is to be a on-sight camera man with a local news station, maybe do sports at some point. I think it could be fun and i might as well take advantage of the money from the military

Broadcasting school would give you a leg up in that field for sure, and potentially open doors immediately for employment/apprenticeship.

[usmccharles]

Broadcasting school would give you a leg up in that field for sure, and potentially open doors immediately for employment/apprenticeship.

This might be ignorant, but there's a difference between cinema degree and broadcasting school?

[beanfigger]

This might be ignorant, but there's a difference between cinema degree and broadcasting school?

Those really are two different fields. Cinema school is a very broad statement covering many very different areas of study, but broadcasting school, I would say, is something else. Broadcasting school prepares you, specifically, for the type of job you mentioned, as well as related jobs of that nature (broadcast television).

To put it another way, I have worked in "cinema" for nine years, and I would be almost at square one if I attempted to switch over to broadcast. Different department responsibilities, different settings, different equipment, etc. So, if you want to be a camera man for a news team, then broadcast school is the answer.

[usmccharles]

Interesting.  it always helps to have someones point of view that has actually been apart of it.  any chance you can be more specific on some of the jobs you have done, feel free to pm me, but if its too personal i understand.  thanks for all the input. 

[beanfigger]

Interesting. it always helps to have someones point of view that has actually been apart of it. any chance you can be more specific on some of the jobs you have done, feel free to pm me, but if its too personal i understand. thanks for all the input.

I work in the assistant director department. I started as a production assistant and quickly worked my way up to first assistant director. This means I am in charge of schedule and budget maintenance on set. Basically, I'm the one ordering everyone around on set. I have done commercials, corporate videos, and TV (most notably a season of Treme on HBO), but I mostly stick to feature films. I have have done everything from very small movie that no one will ever see to big blockbusters everyone knows about (Transformers 2, Silver Linings Playbook).

I have mostly stuck to the Northeast for jobs, but I did wind up travelling a ton a few years back. This is why I'm now pursuing my Master's in Professional Screenwriting, so I can get a more steady, one-location job (professor) to fall back on in between local gigs and not spend so much time away from family.

[usmccharles]

I work in the assistant director department. I started as a production assistant and quickly worked my way up to first assistant director. This means I am in charge of schedule and budget maintenance on set. Basically, I'm the one ordering everyone around on set. I have done commercials, corporate videos, and TV (most notably a season of Treme on HBO), but I mostly stick to feature films. I have have done everything from very small movie that no one will ever see to big blockbusters everyone knows about (Transformers 2, Silver Linings Playbook).

I have mostly stuck to the Northeast for jobs, but I did wind up travelling a ton a few years back. This is why I'm now pursuing my Master's in Professional Screenwriting, so I can get a more steady, one-location job (professor) to fall back on in between local gigs and not spend so much time away from family.

Wow, sounds like you have had an interesting career so far. I know it will take a lot of work and putting free time in and I'm all for it. Being in San Francisco I feel Like there could be a lot of possibilities and the travel aspect wouldn't bother me.

So when you say you had down time in between gigs, we're you a freelancer? I'm Sure there is so many variables I don't even know how to ask certain questions.

[beanfigger]

Wow, sounds like you have had an interesting career so far. I know it will take a lot of work and putting free time in and I'm all for it. Being in San Francisco I feel Like there could be a lot of possibilities and the travel aspect wouldn't bother me.

So when you say you had down time in between gigs, we're you a freelancer? I'm Sure there is so many variables I don't even know how to ask certain questions.

Freelance, yes. In broadcast you may find permanent employment for a company, but in the feature world almost all working crew is freelance. And I meant downtime between local gigs. In the past, I would travel to other cities to keep working constantly. Now I'm looking for a way to avoid having to do that.