How good is SLU's film school?

[DinsdalePirahna]

Originally Posted by OA 5599

Again, have you been to the Mardi Gras in Soulard? Plenty of laissez-faire public drunkenness, nudity, debauchery, and outright mayhem taking place, right in our own Soulard. It is certainly more out of control than any event I visited while in Austin. When I visited in 2006, it was one of the few times I had spent a whole day in St. Louis, and it gave St. Louis an out-of-control party city image in my mind.

You have never been to the Fourth of July in Huntington Beach.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

Saint Louis Mardi Gras. Been there. Disappointing (too many restrictions and local yahoos) I'll take the NYC Saint Paddies day parade over StL Mardi Gras any day- Even with all the drunk teenagers from New Jersey and Long Island (still the local yahoo, but much more amusing).

The Bottom line is that no one outside this area has ever heard of it. Honestly if given the choice of traveling to New Orleans or Saint Louis were do you think most out of towners would go? Enough said.

Like it or not, Saint Louis has an image problem, I can copy and paste all the messages that I receive on Facebook wondering why I would live here - some coming from CLIO and Emmy award winning friends.

I saw basically no restrictions at Mardi Gras here. I would like to visit St. Patrick's day in Boston or Chicago, but that isn't going to stop me from enjoying the St. Patrick's Day events in my own neighborhood. Just because some other city has a larger or "better" event than St. Louis has does not mean that the event in St. Louis isn't worth attending. I've visited New Orleans and have no desire to go again. It is an interesting city, for sure, but also very dirty, seedy, and backwards.

St. Louis does have a major image problem. I also got lots of "St. Louis...why?" when I told people I was moving here. Having the city continuously pop up on the "most dangerous" lists is a very large reason for this...despite the fact that the metro area itself is statistically quite safe. I'm very happy here so far, and found many the negative comments posted on this very board to be overexagerrated (although at least based in fact). However, the ignorance of others who don't live here and probably have never even visited should not detract from the fact that St. Louis is a good city, regardless of what someone living in California or New York thinks.

[DinsdalePirahna]

I'm getting use to being here. Thats a big step. Having a job in California keeps my head in a good place.

Of all the jibes I get about St. Louis, crime is never brought up. Probably because most of my friend know I would never settle for being around criminal BS.

[STLMetro]

I am aware that St. Louis is not considered the film industry capital of the nation, but there are several production companies and artistic outlets that are very unique. Take Banyan for example, an emmy award winning production company? I agree that we don't have the hype of other places, but I believe the best way to generate this is to celebrate the outlets we currently have openly and on a unified front. I don't want to follow others lead like at Austin. That's Austin's gig, let them have it.

[DinsdalePirahna]

Almost every major city has a few good production companies. Saint Louis should not have to be considered the film capital, but its location, and general cost of labor should make it very attractive to production. Wilmington, NC and Pittsburgh have quietly capitalized on building their film industries. Those cities may not be well known as studio towns to the general public, but they are very well known as production hubs in the industry.

I'm saying that the film commission isn't doing their job in marketing St. Louis and Missouri.

There are probably about 25 productions going on right now near that obscure little NY city, paying high new york state taxes, using high=paid (and probably union) labor and spending studio money in that region.

Why not Saint Louis? Because the business and political leaders of this area settle for complacency and mediocrity. Its easier not to do anything than to try to start up a new venture.

They also don't want to pay talent for what its worth. Freak'n jokers around here insult me by offering $15-$20 and hour.