I need help in choosing schools! (Los Angeles, San Diego: home, find a job, transferring to)

[Sambazon]

I'm a San Diego native and student filmmaker looking to transfer out of my local community college. My older sister, who is moving to Chicago next month with her husband (he was accepted to grad school), suggested I catch up eventually and attend The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. My dad on the other hand, suggested I stay in California and attend school up in Los Angeles instead, seeing the location as ideal for the field I'm pursuing. I already had my heart set on Chicago, but I'm trying to keep an open mind and perhaps he's right. He thinks it makes more sense to be in L.A. instead and it would be easier for me to find a job after graduating.

I've been doing my research but I'm still unsure, and thought I'd ask some fellow Californians to share some thoughts, possibly based on first-hand experience.

My questions...
1.) Is there any real difference between A.I. Santa Monica and Hollywood location?
2.) I know it's ultimately my choice of where I choose to go to school, but does my dad's suggestion sound more reasonable? I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to relocate to Chicago because I'm still young with no obligations tying me down, I thought it wouldn't matter where I went to school so long as I had the opportunity of experiencing life in a new city and state. My dad says there is nothing to offer in Chicago as far as working in film/entertainment goes.
3.) If I were to attend A.I., would I be less likely to land a decent job than a Cal State or UC graduate?


I'll post more questions but I'm tight on time at the moment. Thanks in advance!

[Ceece]

Is money a factor?

[Sambazon]

It is, at least for my living arrangements.

[memorytheatre]

The Art Institute of Chicago is very different than any other AI school. Art Institute of Chicago is a top 5 art school. The others I think are revolving admission, almost anyone can get in as long as the check cashes type for-profit schools. If one wants to work in the film industry then USC, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, or other schools in LA would give the best chance because you can work as a PA or intern in the industry etc. Studying film at an Art Institute would not prepare one for any sort of narrative filmmaking if the goal is to try and work in Hollywood. It would be pure experimentation which leads to no job opportunities at all.

Even a CSU in LA like Northridge, would offer many more opportunities to intern or PA to get experience on film sets. Also going to a CSU or UCLA (if you can get in) and doing well would give you the option of going to grad school down the line. AI-type schools would make that option MUCH harder in the future. You would have to retake a bunch of classes probably.

With a film undergrad degree there is no assurance of any work. But you can learn stuff, work on student films and work for free on as many projects as you can. That is the way to try to work your way into the industry. An industry that is in major flux right now. I would caution a young person seriously from spending the absurd money to get a filmmaking degree from an AI school. Frankly, it's nuts. If your dad has the scratch top pay for school, can you get into USC? If you go to a much cheaper CSU will he pay for your housing and even maybe to help finance your projects? Buy you a decent HD camera, a decent computer to edit on, a few books on filmmaking and maybe buy meals for a couple of other kids so they will help you go make some movies?

[Sambazon]

My long-term goal is to eventually relocate and work in/around New York City. I have no desire to live in Southern California any longer, at least for the time being. Also, I was previously focusing too much on the pre-med curriculum at community college since my original gameplan was to transfer to UCSD, so I still have lots of general ed classes to knock out which might take me as long as an additional 2 years. I feel that transferring to The Art Institute of Chicago would be a much quicker route for me in achieving my bachelor's degree.

My dad strongly suggests me relocating to Los Angeles instead to establish rapport with those already in the industry (as it's all about "who you know")...while he poses a great point, I just can't see myself being happy in the land of fake breasts, botoxed faces and Oompa Loompa colored skin. Chicago doesn't seem like an ideal place for a student filmmaker I'll admit, and maybe I say this out of naivety, but my heart desires to relocate because I've lived in Southern California my whole life and I see this as an excellent opportunity to move out on a whim since I'm still young with no career or any other obligations tying me down at the moment.

I feel that if I move and it doesn't work out, and I come back home to San Diego, then at least I had the chance to experience it firsthand. Then again, I'd be mad at myself if I stayed behind and was unhappy; I'd feel like I sold myself short by not taking the opportunity while it was there in front of me.

[bhcompy]

So basically you don't want to make the sacrifice for your career and instead want to risk your future because you don't like one of the many stereotypes associated with Southern California. Wait till you get your degree before you branch out and explore, or instead of film, get a degree you can bring anywhere so you can move where ever you want, whenever you want, and have a pretty good chance of finding a solid job.

Your father has been around the block a lot more than you have, so I'd listen to him. A friend of mine in a cinematographer and worked hard through his education here and establishing himself. Now he makes more than enough money to travel the world on his own like you seem to want, and that's not counting all the on-location work he does around the world.

And it's funny that you desire to move to New York City and you have a problem with So Cal because of "oompa loompa" colored skin. Perhaps you should research the "guido" fad that has infested NYC and some neighboring states.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

And it's funny that you desire to move to New York City and you have a problem with So Cal because of "oompa loompa" colored skin. Perhaps you should research the "guido" fad that has infested NYC and some neighboring states.

The Guidos of NYC, NJ, Long Island, and CT are the equivalent of our "Bros" or Britain's "chavs". If she's from San Diego she's had experience with Bros, and Guidos by comparison might not seem as bad. (OTOH, Chavs surpass Guidos for obnoxiousness and are equal to Bros. Areas of L.A. with major NYC presence like Venice or Brentwood have a few Guidos ; the Chavs made a brief appearance in CA when the pound was strong but seem to have retreated back to Britain.)

[Sambazon]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

So basically you don't want to make the sacrifice for your career and instead want to risk your future because you don't like one of the many stereotypes associated with Southern California. Wait till you get your degree before you branch out and explore, or instead of film, get a degree you can bring anywhere so you can move where ever you want, whenever you want, and have a pretty good chance of finding a solid job.

Your father has been around the block a lot more than you have, so I'd listen to him. A friend of mine in a cinematographer and worked hard through his education here and establishing himself. Now he makes more than enough money to travel the world on his own like you seem to want, and that's not counting all the on-location work he does around the world.

And it's funny that you desire to move to New York City and you have a problem with So Cal because of "oompa loompa" colored skin. Perhaps you should research the "guido" fad that has infested NYC and some neighboring states.

I don't think you quite understand, I've lived in Southern California my entire life. I decided to cite only one example but that isn't the only reason why I want to relocate.

So my dad wants me to transfer shoot for UCLA or a CSU school and relocate to the Los Angeles area for better networking. Okay, I'll give him that. However, me establishing my career there means I'm planted in L.A., at least for several years to come after that, which would make it harder for me to relocate to where I'd *really* want to be. To counter that, he used part of your argument saying by the time I have a career and am making good money, that I should be able to afford to live elsewhere and travel where ever I'd like.

At this time I just strive for change, and if I decide to go his route (which I'm convinced he's strongly suggesting so he could keep me close to home; I'm the youngest and his daughter). Transferring to a university will take me almost two years, while doing A.I. in Chicago could be as soon as next year or so.

That being said, maybe my dad is right. I'll have to endure a couple more years living at home and then several more years living in Los Angeles. I imagine my early to mid-twenties to be some unhappy times in a place I just REALLY don't want to be at, but I guess it's better to go that route than my original gameplan of "risking it" by going to Chicago (a place NOT known for film), and then off to NYC. I hope to not be mad at myself in the future for not taking the opportunity while it's dangling it front of me.

By the way, I know what guidos are (I'm young, so sadly it is part of my generation), and I made it a mission to spot at least 3-5 during my east coast roadtrip last year, unfortunately I only found one . These guys are ridiculous, and the equivalent of the ubiquitous desert "bro's" and "bro ho's" around here. But, it seems just about every place in the country has it's weirdos and crazies.

[NYSD1995]

They guidos of NY are much less widespread than the bros of San Diego, that is for sure. Guidos are really only seen in NYC dance clubs on the weekends, the rest of the time they are in their native habitats of suburban NJ, LI, and SI. San Diego has a much larger population of losers than the NY metro in general.... tweakers, gangsters, surfer burnouts, hippies. NYC has a larger population of I-banker douchebags, however.

[MisterDuke]

Degrees don't open doors in the film industry. Nobody cares if you have a diploma or where you got it from. It isn't the real world where you apply for a job and show your transcripts and people are going to ooh and ahh that you graduated from Art Institute of Chicago. If you get jobs in film, the only reason will be because you have friends who think you are qualified and are willing to stake their reputations on recommending you. The friends you make in Chicago can't help you in New York or LA.

Your father is spot on. You can go to Chicago (and hopefully you will learn a lot) then New York, but professionally it will set you back a couple years.