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University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, United States

Average Rating
★★
☆☆☆
(1) Write a review

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Peck School of the Arts, Department of Film
3203 N. Downer Avenue
MIT B70
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
United States

Tel. +1 414 229-6015
Email. via the contact form
Web. www.uwm.edu

Are foreign students accepted?
Yes

Courses Offered
Diploma (3 Years+)

Majors/Specialisms
Unknown (add info)

Camera Formats Used
MiniDV, 16mm

Post-Production Systems Used
Final Cut Pro

Average Age of Equipment
Not Known


Reviews of University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

★★
☆☆☆
Kim Former Student, 22-Jun-2007
If you've chosen filmmaking on a whim and have never even touched a camera, UWM will teach you the basics of both 16mm and miniDV filmmaking. Unfortunately there is no technique training, nor detailed technical training to be able to really be considered pro level upon receiving your diploma. The style of preferred filmmaking is experimental. Hollywood styles or techniques are generally frowned upon (i.e. car chases, music videos, comedies, action, etc. High budget style Hollywood mayhem). Because of this, their goal is not really to prepare you for the real world of the filmmaking biz, but to give you an outlet to express your creativity, while also working as a waiter at Applebee's to scrape by. Since no one expects graduates to move on to major motion pictures, minimal technical training is given so that you have just enough know-how to make your own low budget film, as opposed to learning about what type of light, or what wattage to use for what type of scene or film genre. They teach you how to set up a well lit scene, but never how to vary the lighting for effect. For example, I needed to light a dark scene in my senior project. It had to be lit so you could see faces without making the footage grainy, but not be TOO bright so that it did not seem like daytime. I didn't know where to begin. You learn just enough about sound to be able to make a decent mix instead of detailed differences in mics to be able to make a learned decision about what to use when, and tips on how to record certain noises or what to use to fake a certain noise. There are no classes on directing because it is almost assumed you won't have real actors anyway, or even any people in your film at all. It would also help to have a class where everyone runs a professional shoot with everyone given a specific duty in order to get a feel for working on a team and coordinating all the elementals of a major production. But since the program is not preparing you for real production, the classes aren't offered. Lastly, and what I came out of the program most regretting, is that the program for editing has been switched within the last 7 years from Avid to Final Cut Pro, and therefore learning Avid is no longer an option. Final Cut Pro is certainly a good program and is available to the masses, but every major company I've applied to since graduating, and most of the smaller production companies require a few years of avid editing experience. No one in the biz uses Final Cut Pro. If you want to come out of film school ready to enter Hollywood with a reel and the knowledge to get you jobs, UWM is not the right choice. But if you want to dabble in filmmaking and make it a hobby in your spare time, UWM can work well for you.

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Guide to Film School Ratings

★★★★★

Awesome - this school rocks!

★★★★

Good - worth the effort.

★★★
☆☆

Adequate - you'll learn something useful.

★★
☆☆☆

Poor - but beggars can't be choosers.

☆☆☆☆

Dire - don't waste your time!

☆☆☆☆☆

Unrated - the jury is still out

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