Lawsuit Alleges LA Film School Faked Grads' Jobs for Federal Millions

Look, we're team no film school around here. Not because there aren't great ones, but because there are also a lot of scams out there trying to take your money.

Case in point, the Los Angeles Times just ran a story about the LA Film School, which has been accused by two former high-level executives of foul play. They claim the school ran an elaborate accreditation scheme that faked graduate job placements to unlawfully collect millions in federal government funds.

Didn't the same thing happen on The Sopranos?

That's both bad news for people who got an education there, which now looks crappy on their resumes, and people who have applied and are in school there, as it may shut that place down.

Let's dig in.

The Hollywood-Worthy Plot

According to the lawsuit filed by the school's former VP of Career Development, Dave Phillips, and former VP of Admissions, Ben Chaib, the scheme was designed to meet a critical requirement for accreditation in order to gain federal funds.

To receive federal funding, schools like LAFS must prove that 70% of their students get and keep jobs in their field of training.

As you know, this is pretty hard to do in film and TV, even if you have a stellar degree and lots of connections.

An internal report cited in the complaint shows that a majority of graduates earned $5,000 or less in their field, and only a dismal 20% were able to find actual work.

So, how did the school allegedly fake numbers in order to get accreditation?

The lawsuit claims LAFS spent nearly a million dollars between 2010 and 2017 paying off nonprofits and vendors to provide graduates with temporary, two-day jobs. These gigs, allegedly disguised to students as "in-house production opportunities" and "post-graduate apprenticeships," were used to inflate job placement numbers and keep the federal money flowing.

The lawsuit states LAFS receives over $85 million a year in federal financial aid, including student loans and veterans' funds. Its Florida counterpart, Full Sail University (also named in the suit), gets over $377 million annually.

That's a pretty big alleged scam!

The school's attorneys have denied the claims, stating the former executives are attempting "to resuscitate time-barred and erroneous allegations, which were already thoroughly investigated and settled by the Department of Education."

But these are pretty staggering facts.

What This Means For Filmmakers

This case is a massive red flag for any aspiring filmmaker considering the traditional school route.

Whether the allegations are true or not, they highlight the critical need for due diligence.

There are a lot of schools out there that will just take your money and never help you. That's why we try to give you access to stuff on writing, directing, cinematography, and producing for free.

But if you want to go to film school, you should look into these things:

• Investigate the Job Placement Stats: Don't just accept a percentage. Ask for specifics. What companies are graduates working for? What are the job titles? Are they full-time, paid positions or short-term gigs?
• Talk to Recent Alumni: Don't just speak to the success stories the school promotes. Find recent graduates on LinkedIn or other social media platforms and ask them for their honest take on the program and their post-graduation experience.
• Question the Cost vs. the Reality: LAFS tuition runs between $40,000 and $80,000. And many other schools can be even more expensive for four-year degrees. Is that debt worth it if you can't get a job?

Summing It All Up

The legal battle about the Los Angeles Film School will continue to unfold, but the lesson for filmmakers is clear: be skeptical.

Ask hard questions and make sure you're n ot spending good money on bad degrees. At the end of the day, it might be better to work on sets than to get a degree.

Sort out what will suit your life the best.

Let me know what you think in the comments.