Do you have an opinion one way or the other about the value of getting a graduate degree in writing for film and tv? It seems like there's quite a few good quality programs at schools in the LA area, but I've gotten mixed feelings from working writers, some saying it's not necessary and a waste of money, while others think the education and connections you make are valuable. I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to apply or if I should devote my energies to pounding the pavement and working.I'm currently writing a post in response to this question, but I'd like the opinions of other readers who attended grad school. You can leave a comment on this post or, to comment anonymously, email me directly and I will repost your reply.
Littlest Plot Shop
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Craig and John take a look at the difference between plot and story with
some help from the Littlest Pet Shop and Game of Thrones.
16 hours ago
I'm not going to grad school, but I did have the same dilemma. I asked everyone in the industry I knew, between ten and twenty people, and only one person was for it. His reasons were that you get to make a lot of connections, you get to work with expensive equipment for relatively low cost and with not as much stress as if you were working on a film, and that if you're moving to LA you get to grow accustomed to the city with a lot less stress than if you arrived and started working. Everyone else who was against it said that for the amount of money you'd spend on tuition you could simply go make a film since there isn't any film school that teaches something you can't learn on the internet/on your own through experimentation/by asking people. There's also no guarantee that you'll get work once you graduate, and there are even stigmas against certain schools that could hurt you in the long run. That being said, all of the people who were against grad school said that I should at least work for a year in the industry before deciding, which is what I'd recommend.
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