What college is the best for Cinematography?

How do you learn cinematography and video editing without going to college?

• Basically, is there any way to get a college level understanding of cinematography and video editing without paying thousands of dollars to go to college? I've heard many people say before that going to film school was a big waste of time and money. Are there any books or free/cheap online courses that could serve as a replacement for college? Once again, I'm curious whether or not you can get a college level understanding of the subject without any formal schooling (not including online courses). I don't mean a general understanding of the basics (you can easily understand the foundations by reading a beginners book on it). Thanks in advance

• Answer:

  You would have to spend a lot of time reading most of the texts written for the students in college as well as spending a lot of time doing these three things 1) writing scripts 2) understanding the fundamentals of exposing film (or video) and lighting sets 3) watching hundreds of films and taking notes on how film and video is edited to tell the story of the script The most difficult part is knowing if what you are doing is actually helping you. Someone has to review your work from time to time to point out any mistakes you are making in the "language of film". Film has its own syntax and rules, just like any other language. Film adds the visual aspect to the written word. Even after a student has finished their formal school work, they still have to start at the bottom working as an intern or assistant to one of the many assistants. This can take many years before you get your name in the credits, let alone take on any position of trust and responsibility within a production company. I am not saying that it cannot be done, but even graduates from two of the most prestigious film schools, USC and UCLA never enter the motion picture biz. There is a book you can buy, called "The 5 C's of Cinematography" by Joseph V. Mascelli. You can find copies on Amazon from time to time If the cost of schooling is a problem, you may want to choose a different career. The cost of putting together a film production with includes the cost of rental equipment, peoples time and the enormous cost of post production and distribution can be ten times what it costs to get a degree from a film school .