Parents of budding film makers cringe at their child’s choice of career for a number of reasons. First, they are concerned that the child will end up flipping burgers in a fast food joint for the rest of their lives. After all, for every Quentin Tarantino there are twenty five Andy Shaffers who are just not going to make it. Most parents encourage their children’s dreams as much as possible, but after they start investigating the cost of Film College, they may start thinking it would be cheaper just to fund the filmmaking directly without bothering with the film courses at all. It is just not the cost of the filmmaking itself that has to be investigated and invested in; there are additional costs as well.
Film College is expensive and there are several options to consider. There is film education that is the major course of study in the overall, general college experience. While this is a well rounded education, it is not only expensive but can be very trying for the student, especially if they are not one for conventional school and classes. In addition to the cost of the tuition though, there will be the costs of books and other learning materials to consider. If the school is not local there is the cost of travel to and from as well as the cost of living at the school, including meals and lodging.
In addition to these costs for film education, there are also costs for the equipment that the student will need. While enrolled in film college, students can usually utilize cameras, lights and other equipment in the school although many will prefer their own set ups. Even used equipment can be very expensive, and can sometimes be harder to find, especially in smaller areas.
Film education can also be expensive because it is so exclusive and difficult to get in. The aspiring film student might need to apply several years in a row trying to get in to the film college in the first place. To apply, most schools require an admission fee as well as a short film clip or other example of their work, meaning there is a need for film equipment before the education even starts. Even renting or borrowing these items can be very costly; especially if the short film is going to take a long time to actually be shot.
No Budget Film Making is one of the only low cost alternatives to the various types of film school or film making education. Film education is very expensive and can be very heart breaking as well. Not everyone is going to make a blockbuster movie, but everyone should get the chance to try. If the cost of film school is stopping your visions from coming to life, there are cheaper alternatives available that will help develop your movie training without breaking the bank.