Chinawood Beats Them All

A view of Hengdian World Studios in Zhejiang, ...

Overview of Hengdian World Studios - Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday I wrote about Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, which I think by now is the second biggest producer of films in the world. I'm talking number of films produced in the case of Nigeria. If you want to know about the largest studio in the world then you need to travel to the other side of the world where the Chinese easily have everyone else beat. Read more

You Want a Degree In Film How Soon?

The email I got last week was asking if I could provide the sender with a degree in film that day because he was trying to get a job on a film set and thought a degree in film might help. Did I mention the email was from Nigeria?

Fully half of the emails I get from people inquiring about film schools are from Nigeria.

Is Nollywood the Wave of the Future?

Degree in Film Today

Indian film dances and song - Image via Wikipedia

Until recently if you had asked me what is the 2nd biggest film production country in the World I would of course have replied "India". Everyone knows about Bollywood and their wonderfully entertaining films where everyone always breaks into song and dance when passions start to flare.

I don't think that's true anymore. With the low cost of movie making equipment and the even lower cost of distribution afforded by DVDs and online streaming there is a new capital for filmmaking.

Degree in Film Not Required

Degree in Film not required in Nollywood

Degree in Film not required in Nollywood - Image via Wikipedia

Nigeria is without doubt the fastest growing center for film production in the world and the output has already reached staggering proportions. Film production companies are set up in a moment and new ultra-low budget films get made in a matter of days.

All of Africa is not as primitive as the documentaries on PBS would lead you to believe. Many African countries have large populations of college educated, unemployed but highly ambitious entrepreneurs. Nigeria would be high on the list. Read more

What Would You Pay For The Dream Of Being A Filmmaker?

Glamour

Glamour

Would you like a glamorous, high-paying job where you got to work the hours you wanted, hung out with famous, beautiful people, everyone respected and admired you and you got to party all night? Would you like to get trained for it in just one year? Would you even be willing to pay a lot of money for the training or take out a big loan?

Of course you would. And so would thousands of other people. That's why selling the dream is such big business. Note that you aren't getting to buy the job, just the dream.

When I saw an article about a "culinary arts" school being sued for over-promising I was reminded that "selling the dream" is a very profitable kind of business in the United States but lately these "for-profit colleges" have come under a lot of legal pressure.

You see for most people the dream is all they will ever get. The schools pay huge sums on slick advertising, the tuition is sky high and the quality of instruction is often low. The success rate for students seems to be even lower.

The "majors" offered are usually in glamorous sounding jobs like fashion design or filmmaking. Jobs where a very few individuals have had spectacular success but job openings are almost non-existent.

If you are wanting to become a filmmaker and try to find the dream there are many options for finding film production courses but these fancy for-profit schools that look so appealing are not going to deliver.

Before you sign up for any film school do your research.

What is your experience?

Film Schools In Los Angeles – Dream vs. Reality

Film Schools in Los Angeles

Grauman's Chinese Theatre - Image via Wikipedia

Film Schools In Los Angeles - The Dream

What aspiring filmmaker hasn't dreamt of attending one of the top Los Angeles film schools, following in the footsteps of such luminaries as George Lukas, then being hired into the glamorous lifestyle of a Hollywood big shot?

Here's an article that discusses the dreams of attending film schools in Los Angeles as a stepping stone to fame and fortune and the reality of what most graduates find in the real world of today's film industry. Read more

Searching NY Film Schools

NY Film Schools

Statue of Liberty National Monument - Image via Wikipedia

I just finished an article on 4filmmaking.com about NY film schools. I wish I had some good news to report.

NY Film Schools = Expensive

My experience with visiting New York is that you can get really fine if you spend enough, but even mediocre cost a lot. (Don't get me wrong. I LOVE N.Y. but it is expensive any way you look at it.) The same seems to hold true for the film schools there. NY film schools are subject to the same high costs as any other business trying to operate in the Big Apple.

Grad Reports High Cost, Poor Instruction

What's that all about? Read more