High School move to College - NYC a big Possibility. HELP (New York: fit in, apartment)

[callmylifeline]

Okay. Here's my dilema.
I live in Montana and I'm a junior in High School.
I'm in a film production class and I've always wanted to go to a film school
And I want to go to a big city where I can pursue my passion.
I've went to other Forums such as Chicago IL, Portland OR, and DC, and asked their opinions on the towns where I can pursue my passion for film, and all of them have either pointed me to NYC or LA.
And I DON'T want to move to LA.
No thanks.
But NYC really got my attention from the begining. But NYC is a really really big city, and I don't know how much of a culture shock it would be for me.
Also, how far could I pursue my passion for film in directing/screenwriting?
What colleges are good for that and how affordable are they? I don't think I'm gong to be able to go to a college that costs 50K a year.
I'm also a close to a 4.0 student and I'm looking for a lot of scholarships and stuff after high school, but I have no idea how far scholarships are going to get me.
especially in New York City.
Also. I hear the cost of living is absoultely OUTRAGEOUS in NYC. I would really like to live there and have it be affordable. What burroughs would you suggest and how far are they from the film schools?
Also, I want a really diverse, rich community to live in. That's one of the big things that I'm seeking. Just a lot of mixed races and cultures where I can get out of that small town mentality and setting that I've grown up with all of my life.
I know that the nightlife is rich and the music is too but are there any like hip hop clubs and places to go if you're under 21?
And how's the transit in NYC? I know that there must be buses, cabs, and subways and god knows what else, but what are your opinions on that?
Thank you so much for your help you have no idea how influential your comments are going to be.

[Viralmd]

A 4.0 in Montana might not be a 4.0 average elsewhere.

I think it'd be best to come and visit NY first. The best film schools are USC, in Los Angeles, and NYU. After that it goes downhill. But you're best off getting your undergraduate degree FIRST - work hard, do well and then get your graduate training in the art of filmmaking.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by callmylifeline

I hear the cost of living is absoultely OUTRAGEOUS in NYC. I would really like to live there and have it be affordable.

Get on line.

Seriously, your questions are almost too big to answer.

"Also, how far could I pursue my passion for film in directing/screenwriting?"

Who can say? You could be a future Scorsese or go nowhere. It depends on talent, connections, and sheer luck. Film is not like some fields where if you go to the right school, you can almost certainly make a living in that profession. You could go to the best film school in the country and there's no guarantee you'd ever direct a successful movie. For that reason and because it's a better path to actual film success, I agree you should go to graduate school, not college, for film. You could go to college somewhere more affordable than NYC, and with less culture shock, and still get more exposure to the outside world than you're getting at home. Even somewhere else in the northeast if you wanted to see NYC and how the culture is here.

What burroughs would you suggest and how far are they from the film schools?

The issue isn't which boroughs, since they are all large and vary widely from neighborhood to neighborhood. In Brooklyn or Queens, you could have a very quick subway ride to NYU from a neighborhood full of young people and nightlife, or you could have a very long ride on two buses and two trains from a place where you don't fit in very well at all. So it really depends on the specific neighborhoods. They vary widely by cost, but they're all pretty expensive by the standards of the world outside NYC.


Also, I want a really diverse, rich community to live in. That's one of the big things that I'm seeking. Just a lot of mixed races and cultures where I can get out of that small town mentality and setting that I've grown up with all of my life.


Again, each borough has a lot of diversity, including neighborhoods that are themselves diverse, and neighborhoods that are not diverse at all. If you spend time in Manhattan during the weekdays you will encounter people of all races and you will definitely not be around a small-town mentality.

I know that the nightlife is rich and the music is too but are there any like hip hop clubs and places to go if you're under 21?

Yes, but not as many.

And how's the transit in NYC? I know that there must be buses, cabs, and subways and god knows what else, but what are your opinions on that?

The transit is very extensive, but again it depends on exactly where you're travelling between. Some places are much better served than others, some places are an easy 10-minute ride on one subway, others are more than an hour away with multiple train transfers. The system is pretty complicated until you get to know it. For the most part, the system gets people where they're going, but our opinion on it depends on how annoying or difficult the morning's commute has been. There have been plenty of times I've been cursing the MTA and NYC transit, though many other times it got me there quickly and efficiently.

[UpsonDowns]

Wow, that's a lot of questions. Doing your research is a fantastic place to start.

I've worked in film on and off for 16 years and I'll pass along what I tell all of my interns. You basically need to do two things to succeed in the film business:
1. Work hard
2. Know people

If you ask any successful person in the business how they got in, 99% will tell you it was because they knew someone. BUT, don't let that scare you if you don't know anyone. Film people are easy to meet. Complete your freshman and sophomore years of college someplace inexpensive and then transfer to Columbia or NYU for your junior and senior years. (make sure the film programs take junior transfers first)

Now once you've met some film people and you get a chance to work with them (probably for free on a student film) - work your a** off.

There is an insane amount of competition to get your foot in the door, but a lot of people want to work in movies or tv because they think it's glamourous. They don't want to get the coffee orders right or show up on set at 6am to keep the director's dog company - those people fall away pretty quickly.

If you can build your reputation as someone who is willing to work hard, people will seek you out. Yes, there will be slackers who daddies are producers and they will rise without talent, but they are few and far between.

[callmylifeline]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

A 4.0 in Montana might not be a 4.0 average elsewhere.

I think it'd be best to come and visit NY first. The best film schools are USC, in Los Angeles, and NYU. After that it goes downhill. But you're best off getting your undergraduate degree FIRST - work hard, do well and then get your graduate training in the art of filmmaking.

Yeah. Montana's higher. It's weird because we're such a podunk town, but we're in the top 10 or so when it comes to states and high schools as far as grades go, and standards.
So I pride myself in that.
When you say undergraduate, that's what I was planning on to do, but I don't think I have any idea what I'd major in after film. maybe writing?
don't you think it would be smart just to take the whole thing at the college that I want?
Is your opinion purely based on the prices or what? I'm interested.
Thanks.

[callmylifeline]

Originally Posted by holden125

Get on line.

Seriously, your questions are almost too big to answer.

"Also, how far could I pursue my passion for film in directing/screenwriting?"

Who can say? You could be a future Scorsese or go nowhere. It depends on talent, connections, and sheer luck. Film is not like some fields where if you go to the right school, you can almost certainly make a living in that profession. You could go to the best film school in the country and there's no guarantee you'd ever direct a successful movie. For that reason and because it's a better path to actual film success, I agree you should go to graduate school, not college, for film. You could go to college somewhere more affordable than NYC, and with less culture shock, and still get more exposure to the outside world than you're getting at home. Even somewhere else in the northeast if you wanted to see NYC and how the culture is here.

What burroughs would you suggest and how far are they from the film schools?

The issue isn't which boroughs, since they are all large and vary widely from neighborhood to neighborhood. In Brooklyn or Queens, you could have a very quick subway ride to NYU from a neighborhood full of young people and nightlife, or you could have a very long ride on two buses and two trains from a place where you don't fit in very well at all. So it really depends on the specific neighborhoods. They vary widely by cost, but they're all pretty expensive by the standards of the world outside NYC.


Also, I want a really diverse, rich community to live in. That's one of the big things that I'm seeking. Just a lot of mixed races and cultures where I can get out of that small town mentality and setting that I've grown up with all of my life.


Again, each borough has a lot of diversity, including neighborhoods that are themselves diverse, and neighborhoods that are not diverse at all. If you spend time in Manhattan during the weekdays you will encounter people of all races and you will definitely not be around a small-town mentality.

I know that the nightlife is rich and the music is too but are there any like hip hop clubs and places to go if you're under 21?

Yes, but not as many.

And how's the transit in NYC? I know that there must be buses, cabs, and subways and god knows what else, but what are your opinions on that?

The transit is very extensive, but again it depends on exactly where you're travelling between. Some places are much better served than others, some places are an easy 10-minute ride on one subway, others are more than an hour away with multiple train transfers. The system is pretty complicated until you get to know it. For the most part, the system gets people where they're going, but our opinion on it depends on how annoying or difficult the morning's commute has been. There have been plenty of times I've been cursing the MTA and NYC transit, though many other times it got me there quickly and efficiently.

I know my questions are big. And I'm really, I just...Ugh. I don't know. I'm so stressed out about it.

Oh man. I hope I don't sound like too much of a idiot, but what's the difference between a graduate school and a college? I guess I'm really in the dark when it comes to that. Also, when it comes to film, I really don't care if I ever make a blockbuster movie, I just want to be able to live and be happy and most of all, love what I do, and have it be my profession, yaknow? I just want to be happy with it, that's all. And I know it's going to be way hard, but yeah. I'm willing to work my freaking TAIL off to get into the buisiness. Even if it means showing up at 5:00AM in the morning to clean up a movie set if it gets me the right connections. I don't expect any of it to be handed to me.

On the living situations, and the burroughs, I understand that's a way complex question. I really do. How expensive are the neighborhoods? Just a ballpark 1000+ a month? That would suck but I'm just saying what's the ballpark? I guess I'll just have to visit and find out for myself, yaknow?

So Manhattan is good. Okay. It's just another thing I guess I'm going to have to find out for myself, I guess. I guess I'm just excited and anxious at the same time. I know that this city has so much to offer but I'm really afraid that you can only live in NYC if you're really rich.
And I wouldn't mind living in a rougher neighborhood, but I would want to live in a neighborhood that's safe, too.
And thank god there is no small-town mentality in NYC. I knew there wouldn't be, though.

Okay. The transit sounds complicated, but I'm sure after a couple months of just riding and making mistakes I would get to know it pretty okay, and after developing a routine it would be okay. Also (once again, I'm probably sounding so stupid, but) I hear that you shouldn't even shoot people glances on NYC subways. Is this true? Also, that people are really harsh and cold. But I don't think it's the people, it might just be the fact that they don't have time to talk and just really need to get where they're going, right? hm.

thanks again

[callmylifeline]

Originally Posted by UpsonDowns

Wow, that's a lot of questions. Doing your research is a fantastic place to start.

I've worked in film on and off for 16 years and I'll pass along what I tell all of my interns. You basically need to do two things to succeed in the film business:
1. Work hard
2. Know people

If you ask any successful person in the business how they got in, 99% will tell you it was because they knew someone. BUT, don't let that scare you if you don't know anyone. Film people are easy to meet. Complete your freshman and sophomore years of college someplace inexpensive and then transfer to Columbia or NYU for your junior and senior years. (make sure the film programs take junior transfers first)

Now once you've met some film people and you get a chance to work with them (probably for free on a student film) - work your a** off.

There is an insane amount of competition to get your foot in the door, but a lot of people want to work in movies or tv because they think it's glamourous. They don't want to get the coffee orders right or show up on set at 6am to keep the director's dog company - those people fall away pretty quickly.

If you can build your reputation as someone who is willing to work hard, people will seek you out. Yes, there will be slackers who daddies are producers and they will rise without talent, but they are few and far between.

I am willing to work SO HARD for this industry. I've always been a really hard worker, but I might be easily discouraged in a big city like this. I'm going to have to learn to cowboy up and just never give up.
Knowing people is going to be a struggle at first, though, because I come from a small town, though.

About the whole college thing, do you think it would be smart of me to go to a cheap college and then transfer? Would I still be able to meet contacts and get exposed? I don't know. Wouldn't transferring almost be more expensive? hmmm.
And by Columbia you mean in Chicago, right? Or is Columbia somewhere in NYC?

As soon as I get the chance to work with ANYBODY from the film industry, no matter how big or small, I'm going to do everything that I can to please them and make them smile and laugh and crap. I just want them to think of me when it comes time to hire somebody or just have somebody in mind to even keep their dog company, or get them coffee. I would be so willing to do that, plus half of the fun is watching and just being around the whole experience. I just want to have fun, work my ass off and be happy.

I really take everything you say to heart. thank you so so so so so so so so much. I'm totally considering NYC now.
yaaaay!

[WannaGoHome]

Hey, here's some advice for you. I would second NYU to whoever told you to go to New York. L.A. is good, but you have to have extensive networking (i suppose it's like that everywhere though). I've seen quite a few people in L.A. go to not as good universities for film and end up editing and producing porn. i'm serious. If you do LA, make sure you go to USC and network your butt off. Columbia is in NYC, upper west side/morningside heights. and it's a great school in general. not sure about film. try googling. I agree with whoever mentioned that beyond USC and NYU, it's pretty much a bust (not to paraphrase incorrectly.)

Grad school comes after your undergrad (your "degree", bachelor's, etc). You get your masters in something that is more specific to your interests. You could do an undergraduate degree in film (there are many sub-specialities). I would say don't transfer for a major like this. You'll need all 4 years to network and besides, don't miss out on the college experience. If going to school in the city doesn't work out, maybe get your degree in something related from a school that is good for that and then focus on going to grad school for film (creative writing if you want to write screenplays, sound production/audio/visual arts if that's your thing, etc).

Upsondown is 100% spot on. network and prepare for some pretty non-glamorous hard labor.

[Viralmd]

I was the one who mentioned NYU and USC.

My family is very involved in the entertainment industry. It's pointless to say you'll be willing to work SO hard and do ANYTHING. EVERYONE says that. Talk is cheap. You have to produce.

Get your bachelor's degree. Go to graduate school in film. I'm a Columbia alum, and their film program isn't stellar. It's NYU and USC.

[newtoli]

As for the 4.0 and MT being in the top 10, I hate to tell you this, but that's not the case.

America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com

Montana only has one school on that list, and it ranks at like 550 out of 1300 of the top schools. That doesn't count Private Schools either.

Here is the list of US News and World Reports Top 10 (my husband's High School is in the Top 10!)

Gold Medal Schools - US News and World Report
For these NY college film programs, you're going to be competing with the cream of the crop. EVERYONE wants to go to NYU. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just trying to give you an honest opinion. I know a bit about this because my husband was a film major. That degree was a full on waste of cash. He does very well for himself in another field right now.

Oh man. I hope I don't sound like too much of a idiot, but what's the difference between a graduate school and a college?

You should not even be considering colleges right now until you can figure that out. Not to sound brash, but seriously. Talk to a guidance counselor about college options. I was all starry eyed about a cool career in HS and so was my sister. She is stuck w/ a "Fine Arts" degree that she can't apply towards a good job. My suggestion would be to get some sort of degree (even in say, Business Administration or Marketing) that could apply to a non-film job, in case your Film Career doesn't work out. You could then do your advanced degree in Film.

Just a ballpark 1000+ a month? That would suck but I'm just saying what's the ballpark?

This depends on a variety of factors. If you get a roommate, you might be able to get a very small share in an "eh" area of Manhattan for $1000/mo. If you want your own apartment you're looking at $2,500+

And I wouldn't mind living in a rougher neighborhood, but I would want to live in a neighborhood that's safe, too.

The thing is, your idea of a "Rougher neighborhood" coming from MT is going to be totally different from a NYC "rougher neighborhood"

I actually knew someone who came here from Montana when I was about 19 years old. She was 19 and came here as an "au pair" type live in baby sitter. She was not prepared, she would talk to bums on the street and open her wallet to give them $$ (got her wallet stolen twice), and eventually went back to MT after some people scammed her into a pyramid scheme.