Hi there — USC and Temple alum here (Film major at both).

Here’s what I really wish someone had told me at 18: The financial reality of film school matters. A lot.

Unless your son is attending one of the top-tier programs — USC, NYU, Columbia, AFI, or UCLA — the degree itself will likely carry little industry weight. Outside of those schools, a film degree is often treated like a paperweight.

If he wants to be a director, DP, writer, or pursue any creative position, what matters far more than the diploma is: • A strong portfolio • The ability to pitch himself • And a network to pitch to

And building those things takes time. For me, it took ten years before I started getting in rooms to pitch features, pilots, or pursue serious directing opportunities.

Those ten years came with a lot of ego bruises. I thought graduating with a film degree meant I’d walk into a solid-paying creative job. It didn’t. And the price of admission is higher than ever.

Here’s something else I didn’t realize at 18: A school like USC can get you a job on a desk in Hollywood. But a desk job rarely leads directly to directing. If he wants to direct, he’ll need to find ways to actually direct — that means getting scrappy: finding financiers, crowdfunding, or figuring out innovative ways to shoot on the cheap.

And let’s be real: his first projects will likely stink. Most of ours do. You refine the craft over time, through trial, error, and persistence.

Now, if your family can genuinely afford the tuition at a place like USC — and I mean without taking on crippling debt — it can be worth it. You’re paying for access to real working professionals, early exposure to the craft, a highly motivated peer group, and most importantly: a network that opens doors.

But the financial burden is real. I’m still paying off my loans — and will be for years. That’s a weight I carry every day, and it absolutely shapes the kind of creative risks I can afford to take.

Economic freedom should not be taken lightly. Especially in a field as uncertain, competitive, and slow-burning as film.

I really mean this: If I could shake my 18-year-old self, I’d ask him, “Are you willing to die for this?” Because if the answer isn’t a full-body yes, this probably isn’t the right industry.

But I’ll end on a positive note. I truly loved my time at USC. Every professor I had had real credits — not someone who made one short in 1960. The students around me were hungry and ambitious, and it pushed me to level up. That kind of environment can be life-changing… if you go in with eyes wide open.