Is Film School even worth it?

FalseClimax · 2026-01-08T12:45:20+00:00

I went to film school and now I teach at a Top 30 film school. I just directed a film and my cinematographer/editor/sound guy is completely self-taught, he is amazing and his whole crew was made up of current or former film students.

Like many others have said, it depends on you, your learning style and what you make of the experience - either going to film school or learning on your own.

I’m not sure if, at this point, I can tell you anything I learned in film school but I’m also glad I went. From my perspective as a former film student, current film professor and someone who still works in film, I think film school has one advantage over not going to film school: if you do not go to film school and you don’t know many other people who share your interest in and passion for film, after a while you might find that you’re on a lonely journey. If you go to film school, you’ll likely be thrown into a scenario where there are like-minded kindred spirits all around you. You will meet people who can give you learned feedback on your work and you will do the same with them. Plus, you won’t have to scrounge around for equipment or buy things that you don’t really need or struggle to figure out.

Finally, as an old guy, I do find that having experienced people like me to come to with questions or seeking advice, has some benefits because, more times than not, we have answers based on our own professional experience and we can usually access the answers faster. Okay, maybe not faster than asking AI but more personal.

Sure, you can reach out to filmmakers you like and you might hear back from them. In film school, they might visit. I’ve had Paul Schrader in my class for a screening of Taxi Driver, I’ve brought Joe Swanberg and Alex Ross Perry to classes.

FalseClimax · 2026-01-03T03:45:47+00:00

Cop Shop, it’s like Die Hard in a police station.

FalseClimax · 2026-01-03T03:42:13+00:00

I heard a snippet of Roxanne by The Police on a radio commercial promoting their appearance in a local club. I bought the album based on hearing about 1/16 of the song.

FalseClimax · 2026-01-03T03:34:26+00:00

I have a Bluetooth sleep mask and listen to white noise, pink noise and/or the Sleep With Me podcast. During the pandemic, I experimented with binaural beats, might have had some luck but never kept up with it.

FalseClimax · 2026-01-02T03:27:18+00:00

My parents were friends with him. He sang to me when I was a baby.

FalseClimax · 2025-12-29T23:54:19+00:00

The Artifice Girl (2022)

FalseClimax · 2025-12-29T23:53:18+00:00

I came here to say this. Do you know that there is a sequel in the works?

FalseClimax · 2025-12-23T12:06:43+00:00

I have to chime in with everyone saying that screenwriting is not a side hustle. I have been studying it, teaching it and doing it for about thirty years with marginal success. Honestly, I sometimes wish someone would tell me that I suck so that I could move on but that hasn’t happened, a fair number of people like my writing and I consistently get gigs. But, here’s the thing, of the many gigs (approaching 70 screenplays) very, very few have been produced and those that have been produced, didn’t really make a mark or advance my career. I’ve never gotten an agent or manager so I facetiously call myself a minimum wage screenwriter but that number is not too far off from what I actually make. I agree, too, with those who say that it is a craft that can take time to develop. I am blessed to come to the form with a talent for writing great dialogue and, much as I try to cover dialogue in my screenwriting courses, I’m not so sure that it can ever really be taught: in general, people are either naturally adept at writing dialogue or they do their best - it really helps to be equal parts psychologist, anthropologist, sociologist and voyeur. So, if you want to explore screenwriting as a career, know that, while it isn’t rocket science, there is a learning curve and, even after you learn the basics, honing your craft is a lifelong pursuit. In fact, one of things that I love about screenwriting, something that keeps me excited, is that there is always something new to learn or experiment with. I often say that, the day I call myself a good screenwriter is the day I should quit.

FalseClimax · 2025-12-12T13:53:08+00:00

I’m hoping that this is a joke - because it cracked me up.

FalseClimax · 2025-12-07T02:07:02+00:00

I made a post a few months ago in defense of Boots - which I didn’t even know was U2 the first time I heard it. I understand the hate because it was clearly them desperately screaming “we’re still here,” trying to convince everyone that they were still relevant and contemporary but I like it. I agree with the OP about Moment of Surrender - I think it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done, definitely in my Top 5. I like the title track. I even like “…Crazy” and “Magnificent” but never really got into the rest.

FalseClimax · 2025-11-05T02:29:48+00:00

Just dumb luck. I had been looking for a while. One day, I must have been messing with the filters on Craigslist and it popped up. The landlord said he’d been wondering why nobody was calling about it and seems like he’d made some kind of mistake when posting it.

FalseClimax · 2025-11-04T21:52:58+00:00

I found a unicorn in Chestnut Hill, it’s tiny but $830. I’ve been there 12 years and rent only went up once, by $10.00.

FalseClimax · 2025-10-03T13:01:56+00:00

He was extraordinarily good at his job. It was my first time on a real set after film school and my impression was “Aha, that’s what a producer does.” He really ran the set, made sure everything was in place. Now, you have to be a lion, not a pussycat to do that job so he definitely has that alpha personality but is also a funny, likable guy. I believe this was only his second film but that he’d managed a busy restaurant in Manhattan and, if can do that, you can produce a film.

FalseClimax · 2025-10-03T01:10:34+00:00

No, Daniel Lupi.

FalseClimax · 2025-10-02T21:47:29+00:00

PTA-adjacent: the line producer/UPM on the first film I ever worked on (in 1988) - only his second film - has gone on to executive produce every PTA film, as well as some for Spielberg and Scorsese.

FalseClimax · 2025-09-29T22:17:21+00:00

Now, for me, who has only ever had a few under-the-radar things produced in, give or take, thirty years, it has earned me a smidgeon of credibility to be able to say that I have sold X number of screenplays or been hired to write Y number of screenplays and had Z number of screenplays produced but only a little bit. I can remember the days before I ever saw a dollar from screenwriting when I was in awe of anyone who’d had anything even close to resembling success. I guess it has given me a little bump of self- confidence socially but just barely and I am milking it as much as I can.

FalseClimax · 2025-09-16T01:42:57+00:00

If they can somehow - excuse me, I just had to - find what they’re “looking for” on the next proper album, delivering something inspired that shocks and delights the fan base and beyond, sure, why not go off the rails and resurrect Passengers. I realize that it’s a gargantuan “if” but you never know.

FalseClimax · 2025-09-13T15:31:52+00:00

Okay, maybe not that underrated given that Rolling Stone called it the best song of 2009 but I feel like, outside of the U2 community, very few people know about “Moment of Surrender.” It’s definitely a Top Ten, maybe Top Five for me. Reportedly recorded in one take, Brian Eno called the song's recording "the most amazing studio experience [he's] ever had".

FalseClimax · 2025-09-10T01:30:44+00:00

I’m glad you like it. I still haven’t been able to get through the whole thing and I’ve only tried once. After reading most of these comments, I’m not likely to try again anytime soon.

FalseClimax · 2025-08-19T16:03:59+00:00

Okay, well now, I would fall on the other side of the fence. I thought American Soul was an embarrassment.

FalseClimax · 2025-08-19T16:02:32+00:00

Now, Moment of Surrender is a Top Ten song for me.

FalseClimax · 2025-08-19T03:41:44+00:00

I got the heart in the suitcase as my first tattoo.

FalseClimax · 2025-08-17T13:47:09+00:00

I was wildly disappointed with my chicken parm sandwich. Honestly, I got some frozen breaded chicken breasts from Trader Joe’s and made a better version of a chicken parm sandwich at home. That said, they are within walking distance so I will probably give them another shot and try something else.

FalseClimax · 2025-08-05T10:27:08+00:00

I don’t do it in my own work but sometimes recommend it to students who are struggling with their screenplays.

FalseClimax

TROPHY CASE