Summer film school is a great opportunity for someone who wants to study film-making but doesn’t have the chance to do it the usual way. Summer film school offers courses over the summer and covers pretty much the basic in all aspects of film – making like directing, writing, shooting or editing.
Many of the major universities in the country have summer programs that give people from all over the world the opportunity to travel and study in the US.
Gaining admission for the regular school year at a top film school might be an impossible task, so the summer film school is a viable alternative that provides the students the means to pursue their dreams. In most of the cases anyone is able to register. You don’t even have to be a student at that particular university in order to apply for the summer film school. For instance, NYU have open enrollment to anyone who meets the eligibility requirements. All you need is a high school diploma or an equivalent and the money for tuition and fees and you are set to go. Also foreign students are eligible to take classes at a summer film school. If you can get your visa and afford to pay for travel, housing and tuition, you can apply to one of the many programs in the US. In most cases, international students do not qualify for financial aid, so make sure that if you wish to a summer film school in the US you have the means to make that happen. Some programs, like NYU summer film school, offer scholarships for both NYU students and visiting students, while others don’t have any sponsored financial aid available.
The next step after determining whether you are eligible for classes or not is to choose the courses you want to take. Both graduate and undergraduate programs are offered. For example, NYU had over 1000 courses available for the summer of 2009, so the best way to see if the school of your choice will meet your needs and academic demands is to go and consult the full course list. The instructors for the summer film school are selected from regular degree program faculty. They are all working professionals in areas of film-making like writing, producing, editing and more. Some classes will also have course assistants to help with issues like equipment or production. Speaking of equipment, the summer film school will provide you with everything you need in terms of accessories. It will provide all the cameras, digital or film stocks and production equipment that you might need, so you don’t necessarily have to bring your own. Still, it is not forbidden to use your own equipment and some students choose to do so.
One last thing you should pay attention to is whether the summer film school of your choice will provide on- (or off) campus housing. Having to search for accommodations on your own might be a little challenging and pretty difficult if you don’t know the place very well.
All in all, attending a summer film school will be a great experience for anyone, so if you have a passion for films and you have what it takes to be accepted, do not hesitate to submit your application.