I went to Temple. Undergrad only. It has a great balance -- lots of independently-minded classes/professors, but they also offer semesters/internships in LA for those more interested in that. I opted for the LA programs and it helped the transition out to the west coast

Ah yes, the age old "film school" question. First off let me say there is NO right answer. In my opinion you need to go to film school if you know absolutely 0 about film; Such as you can't tell what a Jump Cut is or have no idea who Stanly Kubrick or John Ford is and why they are important to film. But if you are well read in film history, have good experience with equipment and a strong group of cohorts there's no reason to waste time in a classroom.

I just started an MFA in screenwriting, but largely because I only have to pay 25% of tuition. I'll comment on this question in a few years.

If you are looking to become a screenwriter, I don't think film school is a necessity. If you decide to attend college, you should major in something that you could acquire a vast knowledge of like history, or political science rather than learning about film. You can learn how to write good screenplays by reading scripts, watching movies, and writing. That being said, it does help to go to film school to befriend other film majors, who are trying to make it in the industry, and to have a support group of sorts. Most of my best friends are Temple alum from my graduating class.

I went to Columbia College Chicago and would say I have mixed reviews. 1. It's expensive for what you get and it's not a rare thing to be mis-counseled into the wrong set of classes for graduation requirements, thus necessitating another semester (and more $$$ for the school). I'm sure these are honest mistakes, but seriously? 2. You get what you give. Lots of students went, took their classes, and did not much else. They missed out on the best and most valuable part: networking while creating. You see, while Columbia gives you a solid background in the history and aesthetics of film and gives you opportunities to work on various projects, it's the people that stick with you long after you graduate. Transitioning to L.A. was hard, but not as hard as it could have been. Friends look out for you, pass gigs along when they can, help you navigate the geographical and social challenges in your first months here, etc. Even as a screenwriter (which I assume most of your readers are) the ability to network is crucial and for that alone, it could be worth it (unless you're a natural networker and able to put yourself out there with little to no support).

I’m probably the worst person to answer this question. I went to one year of film school. I already had my bachelors and masters in an unrelated field. I got what I wanted out of it and left. The benefit of my school is they let you make short films from day one. They had an extensive equipment cage and even let you shoot on the RED. I was mostly into writing and post production so my classes where geared toward that. Unfortunately I’m not in the movie making business. I just like to make short films and in the last few years have focused on my writing. Take what I say with a grain of salt. What I think a normal student straight out of high school would benefit is networking and working on sets where time on set in an a learning environment, for the most part doesn’t matter if you mess up. You get to pick the brains of those (your teachers) that have been in the industry. And hopefully you learn to keep your mouth shut or at least make that mistake at film school and not in the industry. Hollywood Report listed my old school in the top 25. Colorado Film School, probably the cheapest film school in the country. Although the alumni base is rather sad but I think that will change over time. To go or not to go? Depends on what you want. As a writer, I think for me it was time well spent. I got to work on set from PA, grip to gaffer. I got to take an acting class so I can see what the actor’s go through. I got to run camera. I got direct and edit, which are two other parts of the storytelling picture. I think those experiences helped me with my writing. Finally, you should get your bachelor’s degree regardless.

I transferred into the undergraduate screenwriting program at the University of Michigan. I thought the writing program was comparable to the heavy weights, and it was one of the few schools that allowed midyear transfers. At first I was insulted it wasn't on the list, but then I saw it was only for MFAs. Being a transfer student, I missed out on a lot of classes I would have liked to have taken, but the screenwriting program was top notch. Sometimes I wish I had gone for a more marketable degree, but really what I'm wishing for is that I wanted a more stable career. I really don't know what I would have gone for if not for film (English lit? So much more marketable). I moved back to Michigan after a year and milked my alumni connections to the school for all their worth. I was 50 feet away from Aaron Sorkin in a Q&A for the Social Network. I get notices for every single sneak. But the best is that a former professor asked me to write a screenplay for him to shoot this summer that he's going to submit to Sundance and South by Southwest. I think I might do a grad program if I was interested in learning the technical side of filmmaker. Like I said, being a transfer student, I had to pick my classes carefully, and I focused on screenwriting. But, unless I wasn't paying tuition, I don't think I'd do an MFA in screenwriting. At this point it'd just be a paid writer's group. But I loved my undergrad classes and the work I put in there led to my first paid writing gig.

[...] an MFA from the Program for Poets and Writers at the University of Massachusetts. ... Read Article The Writer's City | MFA Writing Program At The New School ...MFA WRITING | http://www and the unpa...pan style="font-weight:bold; text-transform:capitalize;">The Writer's City | MFA Writing Program At [...]

I went to school back in my hometown (NYC) and did an undergrad in Film (Bachelor's of Arts). Honestly, I wouldn't know 3% what I know about film if it weren't for that program. Being intellectually engaged, being among people that can provide input on your works-in-progress, enrolling in interdisciplinary courses, listening to featured panelists, getting connected to the NYC indie film scene by my professors, being constantly encouraged to write - these really propelled me and my passion forward, something I've wanted to do since I was a child. All of these things are what make school invaluable. Just a year after I graduated the resume I had built up during undergrad landed me a rewrite gig on a feature. I didn't go to NYU because I never applied but I do know that they connect their students to the ends of the earth and back. Heavyweight film producers and A-list directors are always invited there and they have a phenomenal roster of successful alumni. I understand the reservation about not having a marketable degree (I'm actually currently in a graduate program getting something completely unrelated --after turning down two full-ride MFA fellowships in Screenwriting-- and wishing I was back in undergrad) or spending the money (because I'm from NYC & I was funneled through the gifted/talented programs growing up, ended up at one of the city's top 3 high schools, I earned enough merit awards to go for free) but for me personally, it was an extremely rewarding experience. When so many successful people share the same academic background, something must be said for the school. There's a lot to be learned from the patterns among the elite.