I am currently a film student at LAFS and I think the program is pretty awesome! I wasn't sure what to expect at first because there are so many different film schools here. I come from Guam and had the choice to go to any of the film schools in California. I've gone to different open houses for different film schools and was about to settle with another school until I found out that The Los Angeles Film School was holding an open house. They were one of my top three choices back on Guam but was sad when I missed the class registration for the month. So I took a chance and waited for the next month.
This school has so much cool stuff to offer. The faculty and staff are really cool because most of them are still in the industry and take time to teach the future generation of filmmakers. They are easy to talk to and love it when you ask questions in and out of class. The school let's you borrow equipment to film with. When you become a student, the class you enter with becomes your family. You move from class to class with them.
There are screenings held at the school's personal theater. when they are special screenings, the writers, directors, producers, actors, etc. attend the screening and hold a Q&A afterwards. I met James Wan and Leigh Whannell at the screening of Insidious. They are two of my idols and I almost cried when they talked to me. The school holds these Guilds that teach you about the equipment the industry uses and can help you get certified to borrow more.
This school will give you a hands-on experience in every class. There is this Production 1 class that treats it like a real set. You get two different jobs for that class and every class, you do your job. The atmosphere at the school is amazing. It feels great being surrounded by fellow movie lovers and creators. Most conversations you pass by are about shooting schedules, casting, locations.etc. It makes you feel like you're a part of something extraordinary.
Now, this is all in my opinion. This school isn't for the weak hearted slackers. If you're coming here for the laptops only... please don't even bother. If you think you can just coast by and ASSUME that you will get a job without working hard... forget it. Whether you like it or not, coming to the Los Angeles Film School will open your eyes and test your skills on if you can survive in the industry. I had fellow classmates who assumed that they can get by without trying hard and now they aren't in my class anymore. There are those that thought that once they got their laptops, they didn't have to try as hard and now they aren't happy students. For me, this school is everything I hoped a film school would be. Fun, exciting, awesome, hands-on, and they have some pretty decent sandwiches.
I believe you get what you WANT to get out of this school. It took me two days and a 17 hour Lay-over in Japan to get here because I love movies. I know that the film industry is where I want to be and this school is letting me learn what I want to learn. Sure, this school isn't perfect but what school is?! I enjoy being a student here. To be in the film industry you need to know the equipment and how to operate things. I like this school because I don't have to sit in class and read about it and then learn how to physically do it. I get to learn it right then- and there. They teach you about Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Screenwriting, etc.
To sum it all up... I'm glad I chose to be a part of The Los Angeles Film School ^_^
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