Define your creative career in Film

I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse!

Go ahead, make my day.

Here’s looking at you, kid.

Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.

With a history that spans back to the 1890s, the exploration of film also stands as an analysis of artistic evolution. Whether it’s an iconic line that evokes memories of days long past, a perfectly constructed character that leads to decades of fandom, or a captivating image sequence that enthrals every innate fantasy, film has always been a creative medium that resonates and inspires.

The global box office estimated the movie business to be worth US$38 billion by end- 2016. Fast-forward four years to the end of 2020, and the box office has projected annual revenues in excess of US$50 billion. It’s a business that’s positively booming, with global relevance and popularity that presents opportunity at every turn.

But worth is not actually synonymous with money.

As noted by Pietari Kääpä, a renowned media culture specialist, in an insight from Intellect Books, Film matters for the very same reason that all art matters: because it helps audiences, ‘old’ and ‘new’, evaluate their position and significance in what can often be perceived as an overwhelming world.

“As a scholar of transnational/eco-critical cinema, it is increasingly clear to me that cinema is one of the most efficient ways to debate political and cultural issues in a global society,” Kääpä explains.

“This is especially the case with cinema’s potential to visually capture the transnational and even global scale of ecological problems, and engage with them in a way that reaches wide global audiences.”

The leading academic describes cinema not only as a communicator of ideas and a critical component of the cultural industries, but also a crucial pedagogical tool that facilitates efficient learning and encourages engagement and integration from new generations of audiences.

“…emerging forms of media production and distribution… can, and often do, breach…barriers and make us rethink our positions and responsibilities in a global society,” concludes the academic.

For anyone pursuing a creative career in film, the social, cultural and emotive resonance of the movie forms the bedrock of your drive to succeed in this influential field. Whether your talent lies in performing, directing, designing, creating, or even in the age-old craft of storytelling with poignancy and heart, a specialised degree in this dynamic discipline will define your route into the profession. As noted Film Director Robert Wise once said, all you really need to thrive as a global movie maker are the three Ps: Passion, Patience, and of course, Perseverance.

Here are 4 Schools that will help define your creative career in Film…

SEATTLE FILM INSTITUTE (SFI)

The Seattle Film Institute (SFI) offers professional certificates, undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees in all aspects of filmmaking. SFI features a hands-on education and practical experience that provide the groundwork for professional careers. Students receive a real world education from a faculty anchored by film industry professionals. And every graduate can jump-start their careers with our renown internship program.

Image courtesy of Seattle Film Institute

Study the credits at the end of any movie or TV production to see the wide-range of prospective professions and opportunities in the field. The programmes from SFI is are specifically-designed to help you get a foot firmly through the door for any one of these exciting roles.

“Our students gain valuable professional experience and contacts through our nationally-renowned internship programme,” the institute notes. “Whether it’s in Los Angeles with Tobey Maguire Entertainment or Kevin Spacey’s Trigger Street Productions, here in Seattle with Microsoft or Screaming Flea Productions, our internships provide that critical first professional know-how that is crucial to starting your career in film.”

Whether you choose to pursue the BA degree or Certificate in Film, an MFA in Filmmaking and Producing, a Master of Music in Film Composition or an MA in Producing for Film, SFI has the ground-breaking academics, the respected instructors, and the global industry network to propel you to the top.

VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL (VFS)

The VFS is built on the principles of structure, intensity and industry immersion. Through the provision of 13 comprehensive, career-focused post-secondary programmes, covering every base within the entertainment arts, the VFS curriculum instils students with the most cutting-edge practice and technology to give them a much-needed edge in a competitive profession.

Image courtesy of Vancouver Film School

Set in downtown Vancouver – a city consistently named among the world’s most liveable – the school lies in the middle of the region’s stunning wilderness, blending with the backdrop of a busy and diverse metropolis to offer the best of both student worlds.

“To comprehend VFS, you might think of any major entertainment conglomerate that creates content across a range of industries,” says James Griffin, President of VFS.

“VFS functions like a major studio, with multiple production facilities that are essential for creating content for film, TV, games, animation, design, digital applications, and more,” he explains. “Content creation is our core learning tool. We place our education in outstanding facilities with master instructors and mentors, and we regularly update and realign curriculum to be in lockstep with the most current industry standards. This is all to help students originate, produce, and exhibit their best possible creative and technical work.”

LOS ANGELES FILM SCHOOL (LAFS)

Understanding that now is the best time to be creative, the LAFS is a gateway to the entertainment industry for students passionate about the craft. As a globally-recognised media arts college in the heart of Hollywood, there’s no better place to learn the ropes of this fast-paced business than the entertainment capital of the world.

Image courtesy of Los Angeles Film School

From Recording Arts to Music Production, Film to Animation, Entertainment Business to Graphic Design, and everything in between; the LAFS presents an expansive portfolio of specialised media programmes that serve as your key to a long and rewarding career.

“Whether you’re an international student or you’ve already planted roots in LA, the Los Angeles Film School campus is an incredible place to call home, offering unmatched proximity to the studios and production houses that make this city the entertainment capital of the world,” the institution states.

At the Los Angeles Film School, you’ll have access to industry-standard facilities, equipment and instruction to prepare you for a career in film, television, entertainment business, music and recording arts —all set on a historic campus in the heart of Hollywood.”

THE DAVE SCHOOL

In 1999, Jeff Scheetz, Co-Founder of the DAVE School, was working as an Animator and Visual Effects Supervisor for Foundation Imaging – which was, at the time, one of Hollywood’s pioneering visual effects studios. “For each artist I was able to hire, I would screen dozens of unacceptable demo reels,” he explains. “Even the worst of them showed a great deal of effort, but a terrible lack of direction, coupled with an unrefined skill set,” he adds.

Image courtesy of The Dave School

And so, the DAVE School was born, a highly-specialized, industry-relevant school designed to immerse promising animators in both the captivating art and the complex science behind computer animation. Through valuable collaborations with a number of experienced, LA-based industry professionals, The DAVE School was able to specifically tailor a bespoke, digital curriculum devised to give students command of the most cutting-edge tools being used within the visual effects and animation industry.

“…Our future looks…promising with the addition of our Bachelor programs in Motion Graphics and Production Programming. With these online programmes we are taking The DAVE School to the next level and expanding into additional disciplines.  It really is an exciting time for us,” adds Executive Vice President Gino Q. Natalicchio, Ph.D.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International

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