Comments on: What percentage of film school graduates move into the industry?

Question: What percentage of film school graduates move into the industry?

FearAndLoathingInLJ — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:42:52 -0800

What percentage of film school graduates move into the film industry? What about UCLA film school graduates?

By: planetkyoto

planetkyoto — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 04:05:10 -0800

Anyone who answered your very specific inquiry would be making a wild-ass guess, don't you think? Getting a figure depends on alumni registering with their alumni associations and then updating their employment information, and then all you get is the skewed sample of those who were motivated to do so.

You could ask them.

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 05:22:53 -0800

Just from loosely observed experience, half ditch that career path altogether and join father's business or some such, quarter in advertising or industrial video etc., quarter actually do something related to theatrical or broadcast production.

By: filmgeek

filmgeek — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 05:27:22 -0800

Based on my graduating class, I'd say less than 10%. Into the proper film industry, less than 1. Keep in mind that film schools keep spitting out more graduates every year too.

By: dogwalker

dogwalker — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 08:34:34 -0800

My class had results roughly equivalent to filmgeek's. Problably a little higher than 10%, but that includes kids that went into local news production and more journalism-y stuff like that. Some also headed towards the advertising world.

But, yeah, 1-2% max made it to the industry proper.

By: nathancaswell

nathancaswell — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:07:53 -0800

Anecdotal, but I think that 1-2% is way off... Especially if you count Production Assistants. Do PAs count? What about working on commercials/music videos? Most grips/electricians take that work over features any day... it's soul-less but the rate is much, much better.

In my class (Emerson, '02) I'd say it was more like 10-15%. And that's a conservative estimate. I've seen tons of people I went to school with randomly on the streets unloading grip trucks and that's in New York, not LA. Plus, pretty much my entire circle of college friends (maybe 15 out of a class of 150 are in the industry, so that's 10% right there.

By: mostlymartha

mostlymartha — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 13:05:44 -0800

I also went to Emerson (WLP major, '04), and I'd say at least 10-15% of the film kids I know are working in movies/tv/video production/commercials. I know tons of PAs, some writers, some editors, a fair number of grips and similar positions, and many who still make their own movies. Some went to LA, some NY, some even out here to San Francisco.

I also know a fair number who went to LA, gave it a try, were reasonably successful, but decided not to stick with it. But, yeah, I think 15% is a fair, if slightly conservative number, from my experience.