Question by seeker: Best Advertising School vs. Tier 2 Film School?
Accepted to both but need to make a decision. Where would you choose to go? Assuming you like film-making. Would an advertising degree help out film career in the long run? Would it be a waste to go and study advertising? Would a tier 2 film school help you more (in terms of long run and immediate income) than a best advertising school in advancing your career in film-making, specifically, live-action direction and producing?
Tell me what you think. (If you are an expert in the field, offer some insights)
Best answer:
Answer by Skylark
I’m still in high school, so I can’t offer you the same insight as someone who has been working in these areas or earned the degrees, but I can tell you from my experience growing up in LA surrounded by people in the entertainment industry (including my step mom) that is an incredibly challenging and unstable field. My step-mom’s job is secure and she is fulfilled with her career, but so many of her friends and former colleagues are out of work or perpetually struggling to find a job. LA currently has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and the film industry is the sector with the greatest losses. The Writer’s Strike of 07-08 decimated the economy, and the studios are all very shaky. Even in the best of times unless you are working for a stable show you will be out of a job every few months and having to line up the next one. A girl from my church earned her MFA from USC and is now unemployed and faced with $ 1400 a month in student loans.
I would absolutely urge you to go to the advertising school. You could easily combine your passions there and take a few filmmaking classes, but your degree will be so much more versatile. Major advertising firms often have their own production crews, so you could still pursue producing. All the studios have advertising departments and product-placement teams, so you could land a job there as well. Once you have established your reputation you could try to segue into directing or producing.
Good luck!
~ Pax / Peace : )
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