Film School From The Perspective of a Freelance Video Editor: Was It Worth It?

So you’re an aspiring filmmaker just about to graduate High School. You have plenty of options ahead of you and many schools to choose from. State school, private school, or art school? The pressure to settle on something can be overwhelming. We’re told that we should go to college and that if we don’t, we won’t be able to find a good-paying job. This isn’t exactly true, and unfortunately, college isn’t an option for everyone between the exuberant tuition fees and the time and effort it takes to complete. I ended up choosing art school and I want to share my experience.

Film/art school can be a wonderful creative space where you’re free to express yourself in any way you want. You’re given the tools and the room to make art which is what filmmaking is. It, like painting, sculpting, or performance, is a form of self-expression that needs to be practiced and perfected. While that is what art school is there for, many people go on to be great artists without ever stepping foot in an art institution. Perhaps for the better since they aren’t saddled with the debt involved. So the question becomes, is it even worth it?

Here’s what to expect out of film school

I went to film school and loved every second of it. It taught me my potential as an artist, and how to accept all of the humility that comes along with that. I was able to make good connections and learn what I needed to become the best video editor I could be. Unfortunately, it also buried me in a mountain of debt that I'll be paying off for years and years to come. It can be tough living, I'm not gonna lie, especially when this is a profession notorious for long work droughts. I get by through strict budgeting and self-control. I don't say this to scare you (too much) but to let you know what to expect if you take this path. 

If you’re going for your four-year bachelor’s degree, you’ll end up with a B.F.A (Bachelor of Fine Arts); an art degree, as opposed to a liberal arts degree. The difference here is based on the curriculum. My time in art school was spent learning the craft of filmmaking, I took everything from editing classes to experimental film classes, all requirements to graduate. On top of that, I needed to take electives that expanded further on art theory and history, not just film. These classes would demand a certain amount of research and paper writing, just like any other liberal arts degree would, the trade-off being that I never had to take a math or science class. My school didn’t even have those classes. Every semester ended with a critique of the films we made and our grades were based on those critiques. Internships were a requirement, and I was able to get in with a very popular production company for a semester where I spent a lot of time on set learning from real professionals.

My senior year was spent developing, shooting, and cutting my thesis film. We were able to choose whatever genre we liked for your final, as long as it was under 20 minutes or so. Many people chose narrative films, some chose docs, and others did some experimental work. We watched many, many movies and studied them closely. So far if this sounds interesting to you, then awesome! Sign me up, right?

So why skip film school?

Did you know you don’t need a degree to get on a video set today? I didn’t when I first started. You can contact any number of production companies and start your career in video-making within the week if you’re lucky. You don’t need a degree to be a Production Assistant. If you don’t know, Production Assistants (or PAs for short) are people on who help the producers keep the production rolling by filling in where needed. No, you won’t be handling any equipment right away, but you will start learning the business from the inside. Many people in the industry started this way. I’ve done my fair share of PA work and learned the way of the trade through it. Most importantly, I’ve made many connections while serving my time. Was I making movies? Nope! Just commercials and branded content to start. Regardless, no one asked to see my degree to get on set and it ended up helping me launch my career.

Like many blue-collar jobs, learning the trade is best done in the field. Sure, school taught me a lot about filmmaking, but the most practical skills I've honed were in the field. Art School doesn't teach you how to interact with clients, what estimated tax payments are, or how to budget your money. That I had to learn on my own.

So why go through all the work of getting a degree? We live in a golden age of information; we can google or YouTube just about anything and everything we need to know about editing or any other aspect of the craft. It certainly isn't the same as formal education, but there’s so much on the internet that you can use to teach yourself what you need to know about any piece of software or camera equipment. The hardest part becomes putting yourself out there and having a solid enough portfolio to get hired. Certainly not an insurmountable hurdle if you're dedicated enough. Dedication is needed regardless if you go to school or not. It isn’t taught in a classroom but learned through doing the work and practicing patience and willpower. You could go through four years of school and end up feeling disappointed if you don’t take it seriously.

I’ve seen plenty of tech-minded colleagues come to art school only to get burned out by the focus on the craft and foundational history. They think it’s stupid or a waste of time, and maybe it was for them. That’s okay! Art school isn’t what they wanted. You ought to ask yourself what you’re interested in because if it’s just the technology and not how to use it to tell effective stories, you might consider a career in tech journalism instead.

Most importantly, the debt can be overwhelming. I’ll be paying off my school years for another 10-15 years at least. It takes up nearly 20% of my monthly income and makes budgeting and self-control so, so important. Many people who go to art school end up not finding any work and are forced to get part-time jobs just to pay the bills. It’s sad to see and my heart goes out to anyone in that situation. I was one of the lucky ones who was able to survive the initial troubles out of school. I did my fair share of part-time jobs, working one, sometimes two, extra jobs while doing my unpaid internships. I’ve maxed out credit cards, overdrafted my bank account, relied on others for help; the whole shebang. I was able to stick it out and am now working full-time as a video editor. Some people aren’t so lucky.

Is film school for you?

At the end of the day what you want to consider is whether or not the connections and experiences gained through school are worth the overwhelming price of admission. It’s not impossible to overcome, but it certainly isn’t easy, either. In my belief, the connections might be worth it alone. Many of the people in my network I met while at school or from classmates and we often end up working together. I’ve even obtained some work from former classmates if they were unable to work on a job. Word of mouth is such a powerful tool in our industry, and it’s all about who you know. You should never squander an opportunity to network. Schools open up a library of equipment and tools that you might never be able to try out otherwise. Cameras, lenses, studios, sound stages, you name it, run by professors with the know-how to use it all and are happy and willing to teach. That is their job after all. 

Would I recommend going to art school? Absolutely. It was some of the best years of my life, and I did the most growing as an artist. I met many smart and creative people and learned more about the kind of work I was interested in creating. Was it worth being saddled with the crippling debt? Eh, not really. Honestly, I don't know if there are many degree programs out there that are entirely worth the cost, but that's a different conversation altogether. If I had to do it all over again I'd go back to school, though. It was truly an invaluable experience that if taken seriously can be extremely helpful in getting your foot in the door with the necessary skill set to be successful.