Florida State University

Sarah Beth Shapiro Current Student, 15-Dec-2004
Here are the things I think are great about FSU: - School pays for films - Oscar Winning Faculty - Public school tuition - Politics low - Directors Guild of Ameria Award this year - All genres and talents embraced - Each year more accalades and attention - Hands On All the Way - Professional atmosphere and equipment - Great classmates

Rebecca Torman Former Student, 15-Feb-2002
If you want a school where the playing field is even and you'll work with industry-grade professional equipment then FSU is the way to go. It's not just a vocational school, faculty and staff are there to teach you how to tell stories as well as get an exposure. You'll learn everything from lighting to production to Avid editing. And the school pays for the film and (later on) it pays for art department and catering, etc. The faculty is pretty cool, including Richard Portman, the man who mixed the sound for huge films like Star Wars, the Godfather, and Willy Wonka. There's Reb Braddock who directed Curdled, a Tarantino production. There are issues, too. Learning about the Art form is slightly secondary to plunging in and filming stuff right away and there's not nearly enough time devoted to the screenwriting department. But like anything, what you come out with is completely dependent on what you put in. All in all I've had a great experience with the FSU and I think that the program will lead many to great film projects in the future.