How to become a documentary filmmaker?

Does it matter what school you go to in order to become a successful filmmaker?

• I'm an aspiring filmmaker. I hope to be an independent filmmaker in New York and make films that have independence, but at the same time success, such as Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, Lost in Translation, etc. I was just curious if it matters what school you go to or if you have to be in Hollywood to be successful.

• Answer:

  Well, here's an answer (an opinion) from someone who's worked with a lot of film-makers, gone to a "well recognized" film school, and works in the arts. Yes, having a solid education is important. In a positive educational experience, you'll learn the craft, be *challenged* in the way you do things, and you'll make positive connections with mentors and your contemporaries. I suppose what I hear in your question is whether it's important to go to a "good" school. In my experience, a school that's too puffed up about how "good" it is, can be too narcissistic to be there for it's students in realistic ways. It may have famous filmmakers on faculty, but they also are often too busy and involved in their own careers to be good teachers. That being said: no, I don't think it matters what school you go to. Ultimately, you are going to create your educational experience. As you go through your studies, you can make note of the ways in which your school is falling short, and find alternative resources to give yourself a full education: join a film coop, take a video-art class, send your short-films to festivals, take a creative writing class (especially if you intend to be writing your scripts!), make a lot of small scale projects that challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone (you may know exactly what kind of films you want to be making, but the more you know about different approaches, the better you'll be able to tackle your own approach), don't be afraid of failure, and actively seek-out constructive criticism. The more you step out of the school setting and see what else is out there, the more people you'll meet, the more prepared you'll be for life after school, and the more opportunities you'll come across. I'm saying all this with regards to becoming a good filmmaker. As for being a successful one... who knows. Success is one of those things you can work hard for, but ultimately is the meeting point of a million different factors. I've answered your question as though I was talking to my younger self... Hopefully it's the kind of thing you're looking for :) good luck!