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comment June 05, 2017 Score: 2 u/[deleted]

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Hey! So, Brooklyn College is a school that exists. You’ll hear many comparisons to Harvard, (“The poor man’s Harvard!”), and while it is not Harvard, it’s a pretty decent school for the price of tuition. This was a huge asset for most of the BC Film students. If you’re planning on moving forward as a Production major, you’ll need to save money for your final thesis film, which usually cost my friends a grand or two.

  1. The Film Program is pretty good, and I actually mean this wholeheartedly. The department head, Judith, is the best when it comes to helping out the students. Poor woman has a lot to deal with, but she does a good job with problem solving. I ended up majoring in screenwriting, but I spent the first two years doing production, and a lot of it. If that’s your thing, BC student film shoots, while torture for me, were the most efficient student film shoots you’ll ever be on. Just make sure they’re feeding you!

  2. Professors are hit-and-miss. I’m a cynic, so I don’t feel like I had many great professors, but there are a couple I’m still in contact with. RateMyProfessor.com is generally a good indicator about them, even if some reviews are exaggerated. For production, take Reilly as much as you can. He’s a tough guy, and you’ll have a lot of work, but the man knows what he’s talking about. But overall, while there’s good & bad professors, it’s this way at most colleges, public or private, and I speak from experience. At one point, I transferred to an Upstate private school for one semester only to return. I missed Brooklyn in general! (Sidenote: The other 2/3rds of your education will shitty, especially for the required classes. Just check RMP.com and make sure you’re not taking any zealots, if possible. But if you’re passionate about directing, it’s worth it. Just prioritize without neglecting your schedule.)

  3. While it’s possible to take classes in the TV/Radio department, I’d recommend against it as much as possible. I took a writing class with the TV/Radio department head and, to be blunt, he’s a shithead. He reminds me of Paul Giamatti’s character from Big Fat Liar. Just a blowhard who couldn’t care less about students, only furthering himself professionally. But if you have to, or even want to after my warning, it’s possible. Directing for film tends to be a more artistic endeavor, while TV directing is more assembly line work. There’s value in both.

  4. I personally found internships hard to find, but I am also focused on writing entirely right now. I did have a production internship, which tend to be easier to locate and secure. Judith and the film department will give you resources, but in the end, it’s on you to do the research. You’ll need to put great effort into finding an internship, but they exist, and they may not be grand positions, (you’ll often be doing grunt work,) they matter later on, especially when you can put them on your resume. I’d honestly recommend finding an internship as soon as possible. If you’re working while attending school, like I was, it will be extremely hard to find something that fits your schedule, but keep at it, and always ask Judith for help if and when you need it! She’s always on the student’s side!

Final thoughts: You’ve already been accepted, so congrats! Whatever school you choose, just understand, especially as a Film major, it’s all basically a big waste of time, money, and energy, but it’s also a great opportunity to network, learn, and grow as an artist, a filmmaker, a person. You have to follow your dreams, nowadays especially. The BC Film program is there to help you find a path to becoming a filmmaker, but there’s no substitute for talent, hard work, even your own interest in learning. For me, it often felt as though BC was the biggest obstacle between me and actually completing work, mainly due to the other classes I had to take. (Many of the film classes should count for 4 credits, in my opinion.) But speaking from the other side, it’s still something I would do again if I had the chance. And not just because I found my girlfriend there!

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