es or related subjects, a number that has grown steadily over the years…. At the University of Southern California, whose School of Cinema-Television is the nation's oldest film school (established in 1929), fully half of the university's 16,500 undergraduate students take at least one cinema/ television class."

Which College, School or University will best prepare the graduate for a career in film & video? If a student has

Graduates from a Film Studies program have a new opportunity in film & video production. Of course, with every opportunity comes a challenge - and in this case, the challenge is to find financing for your, or your employer's, projects.

With the advent of digital equipment the scope of film & video production has widened. The usual Hollywood styled film production is no longer the only route to a career for film graduates. There are a multitude of opportunities in audio and visual applications throughout business, government and the entertainment industry. That means OPPORTUNITY for the keenest graduates to produce their own film & video projects, or to land the most interesting positions with leading film & video production companies.

Financing has been a dirty word for years in the film industry. The 'Blue Suits' and the cold heart of the banker are synonymous with the enemy of the creative. However, in this new era of opportunity you need to be both the 'Blue Suit' and the creative.

How do you find a way to learn about film financing, film budgeting, etc.? First let's look at Film Studies programs.

There are so many Film Study programs available now that I find it confusing, and I've worked in the film industry for over 20 years. The Universities are taking a Liberal Arts degree approach to their curriculums, and the Colleges/Schools are primarily taking a hands-on technical approach. In either case, it is unarguable that Film Studies is big business. The following excerpt from The New York Times Company, published March 6, 2005©, made it clear to me how big a business Film Studies really is:

"Some 600 colleges and universities in the United States offer programs in film studies or related subjects, a number that has grown steadily over the years…. At the University of Southern California, whose School of Cinema-Television is the nation's oldest film school (established in 1929), fully half of the university's 16,500 undergraduate students take at least one cinema/ television class."

Which College, School or University will best prepare the graduate for a career in film & video? If a student has i

ere are a multitude of opportunities in audio and visual applications throughout business, government and the entertainment industry. That means OPPORTUNITY for the keenest graduates to produce their own film & video projects, or to land the most interesting positions with leading film & video production companies.

Financing has been a dirty word for years in the film industry. The 'Blue Suits' and the cold heart of the banker are synonymous with the enemy of the creative. However, in this new era of opportunity you need to be both the 'Blue Suit' and the creative.

How do you find a way to learn about film financing, film budgeting, etc.? First let's look at Film Studies programs.

There are so many Film Study programs available now that I find it confusing, and I've worked in the film industry for over 20 years. The Universities are taking a Liberal Arts degree approach to their curriculums, and the Colleges/Schools are primarily taking a hands-on technical approach. In either case, it is unarguable that Film Studies is big business. The following excerpt from The New York Times Company, published March 6, 2005©, made it clear to me how big a business Film Studies really is:

"Some 600 colleges and universities in the United States offer programs in film studies or related subjects, a number that has grown steadily over the years…. At the University of Southern California, whose School of Cinema-Television is the nation's oldest film school (established in 1929), fully half of the university's 16,500 undergraduate students take at least one cinema/ television class."

Which College, School or University will best prepare the graduate for a career in film & video? If a student has

r are synonymous with the enemy of the creative. However, in this new era of opportunity you need to be both the 'Blue Suit' and the creative.

How do you find a way to learn about film financing, film budgeting, etc.? First let's look at Film Studies programs.

There are so many Film Study programs available now that I find it confusing, and I've worked in the film industry for over 20 years. The Universities are taking a Liberal Arts degree approach to their curriculums, and the Colleges/Schools are primarily taking a hands-on technical approach. In either case, it is unarguable that Film Studies is big business. The following excerpt from The New York Times Company, published March 6, 2005©, made it clear to me how big a business Film Studies really is:

"Some 600 colleges and universities in the United States offer programs in film studies or related subjects, a number that has grown steadily over the years…. At the University of Southern California, whose School of Cinema-Television is the nation's oldest film school (established in 1929), fully half of the university's 16,500 undergraduate students take at least one cinema/ television class."

Which College, School or University will best prepare the graduate for a career in film & video? If a student has

a Liberal Arts degree approach to their curriculums, and the Colleges/Schools are primarily taking a hands-on technical approach. In either case, it is unarguable that Film Studies is big business. The following excerpt from The New York Times Company, published March 6, 2005©, made it clear to me how big a business Film Studies really is:

"Some 600 colleges and universities in the United States offer programs in film studies or related subjects, a number that has grown steadily over the years…. At the University of Southern California, whose School of Cinema-Television is the nation's oldest film school (established in 1929), fully half of the university's 16,500 undergraduate students take at least one cinema/ television class."

Which College, School or University will best prepare the graduate for a career in film & video? If a student has

es or related subjects, a number that has grown steadily over the years…. At the University of Southern California, whose School of Cinema-Television is the nation's oldest film school (established in 1929), fully half of the university's 16,500 undergraduate students take at least one cinema/ television class."

Which College, School or University will best prepare the graduate for a career in film & video? If a student has invested 2 to 4 years of their lives in this degree, how can they turn it into a worthwhile career?

Let's see what the Universities say about their own programs, and the kind of results they expect - that is, what the Graduate will be capable of when entering the work force. This promotional letter, posted on one University's web site, says it all:

"A major in Film Studies is not an occupational or professional degree. A sound program of studies in this discipline, however, should qualify a student for a variety of vocational possibilities. Obviously an individual will need to employ his or her knowledge about film in either a creative or a practical capacity and, in either case, exercise the judgment and initiative that a rigorous pursuit of a major in Film Studies should develop."

The use of 'should' twice in three sentences tells the story - it's up to you, Bud!

Film Studies programs (at any level) either don't address, or don't address strongly enough, the major force behind all film and video production - the MONEY! If the word money is brought up at all, it's only a handshake and a nod. Most undergraduate programs have very little mention of Film Budgeting, and such things as Cost Reports and Business Plans are treated as foreign topics entirely. The Masters programs are only slightly better.

The reason for the void of information on such things as Film Budgets, Cost Reports, etc. in the academic sector originates from the big Hollywood production machine. The perpetual negotiations with the three big guilds (SAG, DGA and WGA), as well as with the IATSE & Teamster crew unions has forced the producing studios to be extremely confidential.

That era of total confidentialit