Introducing Film School Beyond
What is Film School Beyond?
Film School Beyond is a publication about tips, tricks, and insights directed toward students who are enrolled in film school, people thinking of enrolling in film school, or aspiring filmmakers in general. I frequently reflect on my time in film school ponder the things I did, the things I didn’t do, and the choices I made. Truly, hindsight is 20/20. This publication is meant to help you get the most out of your time in film school and/or development as a filmmaker, and avoid leaving film school with regrets.
There are so many incredible resources on filmmaking and this publication is not meant to replace any of them. In fact, you’ll probably read some recommendations for some of those other resources. This publication is also not meant to be a technical guide for filmmakers. Rather, it’s to help you consider things that perhaps are not taught in the classroom: insights I would have appreciated during my time in film school that go beyond the gear workshops, the books, and the coursework.
Everyone’s experience as an aspiring filmmaker is different, and only you can tread the path set before you specifically. My hope is to share a variety of experiences during my time in film school and provide insights on how things might have been better handled or more appropriately thought about to offer new perspectives for your own consideration as you encounter tricky situations during your film education. I hope you enjoy reading the articles to come, but most of all, I hope they help you think about your development as a filmmaker in new ways that strengthen your artist identity and prepare you for the journey ahead.
Who am I?
My name’s Andrew, and I am the publication manager of Film School Beyond. You’ll likely also see that I am the author of many of the articles within this publication. I received a B.A. in Film/Video from Grand Valley State University and a M.F.A. in Creative Producing at Columbia College Chicago. I love filmmaking, especially the screenwriting and creative development process. And yet, I’ve built my career in IT and project management. I don’t regret my professional choices, as I have a rewarding job that helps me fund my hobbies, filmmaking being one of them. However, if I were to go through film school again, there would be a whole lot that I would do differently.
And this is precisely what this publication is about: recommendations about what I’d do if I attended film school again. — coming from a guy that spent over 6 years in film school! Thanks for reading and I look forward to engaging with aspiring filmmakers and film students that are finding their way through a journey in this fantastic art form.
