This is a guest post by Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters.

With the rise of popularity and accessibility of film schools since the 1960′s & 1970′s, aspiring film professionals have had the difficult task of choosing where to begin their career path. Is it best to go to school to get formal training, or jump right in and start working? Today with the plethora of free online resources, it makes the choice of formal schooling less appealing. But what is the right choice, and the best way to prepare yourself for a career in the film industry? Let’s take a look at what you have to gain, and what you have to lose by following either path. (more…)

One of the reasons this site is named “No Film School” is because of the widespread availability of excellent materials for self-teaching these days: almost every movie is available on disc or online, DVD special features often make for great learning tools, and there are plenty of books on the topic. Oh, and digital cameras are cheaper than the film cameras of decades past, when access to a celluloid-shooting camera was a major reason to go to film school. While we hope this site is itself a good resource for learning, there are so many good books on filmmaking that we thought we’d start recommending and compiling them. Here are 15 of our top recommendations. (more…)

Since graduating from NYU, I have met many DIYers who have expressed a desire to go back to film school to learn more about the craft of filmmaking. But they are typically surprised when I explain what is typically taught in the first year at any major film school. In this blog post, I’d like to share with you a very simple way to get a similar filmmaking experience to what a student at NYU, USC, or New York Film Academy gets — without paying a lot in tuition. (more…)

Film schools are a great place to learn the basics of filmmaking and meet like minded collaborators. They also provide a structured environment to experiment and hone your craft. Unfortunately, I’ve met more than my fair share of young NYU and USC film school alumni deeply in debt with no clear job leads or any idea how to start making movies for a living. I’ve also met many DIYers who wonder if they missed out by skipping school. With tuition costs continuing to rise, and HD equipment costs continuing to plummet, the film school debate is worth reopening in 2011. My goal in this post is to shed some light on the specifics of investing in film school and also share some cheaper alternatives to get a film education in a classroom setting. (more…)