film university, who is top?

[kritic]

Ok, i am still in school and very passionate about film. Im in my last year and looking for a possible university to persue my passion.

Anyways i am in the process of applying for course(s) but there is alot of universitys out there offering film production courses etc.

Which are the best to go for? Which have the reputation as good contributors to the film industry?

Rob

[RydCook]

I think to be honest most of them are rubbish. I've applied to Bournemouth Institute Of Art And Design, and it looks absolutely excellent. www.aib.ac.uk I'm going to an open day this wednesday. I'll let you know what its like.

I went to staffordshire university last year and did Film Production Technology. I hated it, rubbish teachers, irrelevant modules, learning stuff i already knew. It was bad. My brother is currently in his third year of the course and complaining about equipment. So i dont recommend that one!

[kritic]

Bournemouth Institute Of Art And Design

Ive been looking at that for the last couple of hours over on its website and the UCAS website...grabbed my attension straight away!

It looks sooo promising. They seem to know exactly what they are talking about, profesional write ups all in-depth.

If you could please follow up on your open day visit that would be great. Im planning on sending all my applications on Friday 14th.

Thanks for your quick response and ill be sure to stay away from Staffordshire.

Rob

[PatrickCoyle]

Have a look at Middlesex as well. They have one called TV Production. www.mdx.ac.uk/PIPupload/UG/Film,%20Television%20and%20Media%20Arts/BA%20Television%20Production/135P301.asp

Oddly, that one used to proudly boast of its Skillset (National training organisation for broadcast, film, video and multimedia) affiliation and doesn't anymore.

[jill]

My daughter looked into quite a few-Newport, Bournemouth etc-before settling on Napier in Edinburgh. To be honest, I think her decision was influenced as much by where she wanted to live as the course (no contest really is there?), but she's pretty happy with her course. Like anywhere else there are some good and some not so good staff-but mainly good. One of her lecturer's is a film director-making the second film in a trilogy, of which Red Road was the first (sorry, forgotten what it's called now). Lynne Ramsey's a graduate and the students don't seem to have any problems getting locally based actors to help out with projects. Plus the photography/film studies department has just received a massive injection of cash, so not as strapped for resources as many new universities are these day. The downside is that, as with most Scottish universities, it's a four year degree-so an extra year's worth of loan (and maybe fees). Good luck.

[Patty Dawes]

I've worked at a few (just going into act in a students short film) my impressions of Bournemouth were very good. The equipment they were working with was of a good standard and the 3rd year students were as professional as you get on a working set, the final product was of a mixed standard. Bournemouth is also a really nice place and I had a few good nights out with them. The Students seem to really get on with each other and four of the lads I worked with have now set up a little company together.

The best I've ever been in was the London film School - the students were actually very inspiring to be around and their final projects top notch. They also seem to have very good industry contacts but I believe it is expensive to go there.

New York film school (which has a base in London) was also very good I went in to do a workshop for them with the tutor directing me in front of the students to show them how to get the best out of an actor and I must say the tutor was absolutely brilliant, but again I believe this course may sit outside normal uni fees and so be expensive.

The only one I had a really bad experience with was The University of Westminster, even on their final projects they didn't seem to know what they were doing and on mass seemed to lack imagination. So avoid that one!

[Patty Dawes]

ps - only downside of Bournemouth - Nick love went there

[Gareth]

I can only say what I experienced at Leeds Met or The Northern Film School, the problems I had with that place are indescribable and it'd get me all wound up to bring all that shit back into my head. Basically don't go to the Northern Film School, I don't think that place taught me one thing that I didn't learn better afterwards on my own, the only real possitive was shitloads of on set experience.


the best advise I could give you is to start reading now! obviously depending on what you want to be, but If you want to be a writer/ director then I can recomend alot of reading for you to look at, so If you want some book recomendations PM me.

I don't know if you've made any shorts but also start making those now! here's what I did one sunday with my two housemates acting, it turned out to be one of the best one minute films competing with HDV shoots of 15people there's also alot of good shorts on here that you've probably already looked at?

also if you want to edit learn yourself, get hold of a copy of Avid or Final Cut Pro and just mess around untill you know what your doing, nothing in film is rocket science,

[sammo]

I'm currently studying film at university in Southampton, and whilst the establishment is a contributing factor, it totally depends on what you put into the course as an individual. Theres alot of people on the course who assume that just because they'll have a degree in film when they finish they'll all be great directors - only a small percentage of the course actually take advantage of the uni's equipment to make short films and work on extra curricular projects.

I'd say make sure the town the uni's in appeals to you and makes you feel welcome. Make sure you keep working on those extra curricular projects - they'll benefit your assessed ones and will hopefully give you a thorough show reel.

[halfpint]

I'm in the latter stages of studying at Salford University, studying Professional Broadcast Techniques, it's a top up on the HND Media Production course i did for two years there.

Salford is pretty good, plenty of decent equipment available, and some good facilities. The course is alright, not great, some modules are excellent - experimental film making, drama directing, editing, camera and edit analysis.....and then you'll get a collection of useless or irrelevent modules - imagineering, web design, studio, most of the radio modules, which can be quite annoying.

However the main thing about university is networking. The Adelphi building in salford is a hot bed of creative talent, directors, cameramen, writers, musicians, editors, actors, actresses, graphic designers allsorts! All of the people i now work with i met through university, and Salford and Manchester is a great place to make films. So even if the course doesn't tick every box, don't neccesarily rule it out, because in other ways, that university might be the place for you.

[RydCook]

andyneilwright said:

The Students seem to really get on with each other and four of the lads I worked with have now set up a little company together.

That's great to hear! as thats exactly what i wanna do!

[RydCook]

andyneilwright said:

ps - only downside of Bournemouth - Nick love went there

Ahh but so did Edgar Wright!

[anonlytwin]

finish the law degree micheal

[RydCook]

A mate of mine who works in a sixth form says Hertfordshire Uni is very good. Small course (30) Professionals doing the teaching - Work placements in the industry from day one - New professional equipment.

[salvador]

I'd throw in University College Falmouth in Cornwall into the ring for this one. The Film course is excellent and the equipment and access to equipment is also top notch. The creative director of Bournemouth switched to this Uni in 2005 and things have only got better since www.falmouth.ac.uk + its in Cornwall!!!