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Montana State Film Program

pdpfilms

pdpfilms

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 29, 2004
2,382
1
Vermontana
I'm transferring (likely to MSU, Bozeman), and am plannin on studying film. Is anyone here a student at MSU or involved in the film department?

If so, what's it like? How would you rate your experience there? Do you feel adequately challenged, and educated?

I appreciate your input.
 
poppe

poppe

macrumors 68020
Apr 29, 2006
2,242
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Woodland Hills
pdpfilms said:
I'm transferring (likely to MSU, Bozeman), and am plannin on studying film. Is anyone here a student at MSU or involved in the film department?

If so, what's it like? How would you rate your experience there? Do you feel adequately challenged, and educated?

I appreciate your input.
Click to expand...


I'm just curious how come Montana? Family reasons or just like it there (I LOVE THE SNOWBOARDING THERE)?

I'm a want to be film student, but I'm trying to head to california. So I just thought I would ask another film guy why he chose there.
 
iGary

iGary

Guest
May 26, 2004
19,580
7
Randy's House
pdpfilms said:
I'm transferring (likely to MSU, Bozeman), and am plannin on studying film. Is anyone here a student at MSU or involved in the film department?

If so, what's it like? How would you rate your experience there? Do you feel adequately challenged, and educated?

I appreciate your input.
Click to expand...

Bastard. God I love Bozeman.

You have to take up fly fishing. Do not pass go...

Can't comment on the school, though, sorry. :eek:
 
pdpfilms

pdpfilms

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 29, 2004
2,382
1
Vermontana
iGary said:
Bastard. God I love Bozeman.

You have to take up fly fishing. Do not pass go...

Can't comment on the school, though, sorry. :eek:
Click to expand...
My father's been pressuring me hard to learn.. I fully intend to.

And poppe, I chose Montana because its the next best thing to Vermont.:D Actually, also because they've got a pretty well acclaimed film program. I figure I'll spend the next three or so years there, and finish up at a graduate school in NY or CA. I really am not a huge city guy (almost made the mistake of ending up in New York City for undergrad), and would much rather attend undergrad in an enjoyable environment with good people. I've talked to several film/video professionals in my searches, and found that many suggest attending a liberal arts school rather than a purely film or arts based school. The consensus is that people who are exposed to a variety of teachings (English, sciences, etc.) have more story and life in their projects than those who attended purely technical schools.

So MSU seems good for me... plenty of activities (Skiing, climbing, backpacking, etc.), plenty of interesting areas of study, and a good film program. Which, by the way, is apparently made up of only 48 students out of the entire 11,000 undergrad student body, maintained by GPA... so plenty challenging. In a nutshell, that's why I plan to go to Bozeman. In the end I'm sure I'll end up in a city for grad, as that's where the industry is... but for now, the Wild West is the place for me.
 
LethalWolfe

LethalWolfe

macrumors G3
Jan 11, 2002
9,370
124
Los Angeles
I know jack about MSU and Bozeman but a couple of things you should think about are:

1. What kind of extracurricular activities/student groups are there for film/video there? While I was in college I found that I learned a lot more working on student productions (we had a student film group and 4 student produced TV shows at Ball State University while I was there) than I would have if I had only worked on class assignments.
2. How many production places in/around Bozeman are there where you could intern/work part time to get some practical real world experience?

Also, unless you plan to teach (or just want the education for educations sake) there really is no point in going to grad school for film/video. Once you start looking for jobs (especially in major markets like LA or NY) it's newb status and nobody really cares what school you went to or what you did before you moved out to LA (or wherever).

I do agree that going to a "regular" school (as opposed to a focused "trade" school) is the better route. There's a lot more to telling a story that just the mechanics of production.


Lethal
 
WildCowboy

WildCowboy

Administrator/Editor
Staff member
Jan 20, 2005
18,390
2,829
Bozeman is awesome...I've been there several times. A friend of my dad's was on the faculty at MSU (in biology and now retired) and he loved it there. I'm a big fan of Yellowstone (been there about five times now), and there's great skiing at Big Sky and backpacking all over the place.

Don't know anything about MSU's film program though... :eek:
 
poppe

poppe

macrumors 68020
Apr 29, 2006
2,242
51
Woodland Hills
pdpfilms said:
My father's been pressuring me hard to learn.. I fully intend to.

And poppe, I chose Montana because its the next best thing to Vermont.:D Actually, also because they've got a pretty well acclaimed film program. I figure I'll spend the next three or so years there, and finish up at a graduate school in NY or CA. I really am not a huge city guy (almost made the mistake of ending up in New York City for undergrad), and would much rather attend undergrad in an enjoyable environment with good people. I've talked to several film/video professionals in my searches, and found that many suggest attending a liberal arts school rather than a purely film or arts based school. The consensus is that people who are exposed to a variety of teachings (English, sciences, etc.) have more story and life in their projects than those who attended purely technical schools.

So MSU seems good for me... plenty of activities (Skiing, climbing, backpacking, etc.), plenty of interesting areas of study, and a good film program. Which, by the way, is apparently made up of only 48 students out of the entire 11,000 undergrad student body, maintained by GPA... so plenty challenging. In a nutshell, that's why I plan to go to Bozeman. In the end I'm sure I'll end up in a city for grad, as that's where the industry is... but for now, the Wild West is the place for me.
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Sounds like you really no what you want to do. So why a Graduate's degree? Just want to get that much or do you feel it will help better in the film industry? or do you plan on teaching?

Oh if you can try try try try to make it to Mt Big Sky. All I know is its in Montana but I don't know where. It got ranked like 3rd best moutain in North America. It has the most Acre per person ratio in North America from what I remember (3 years ago).
 
B

bigboy99

macrumors 6502
Nov 12, 2005
407
0
Sarasota, FL
My son left USC for MSU. He graduated with a degree in Film and Theater Production with a lot of time using the Avid editor (the local PBS station is at the school.) After learning about the industry working as an assistant for a couple of years in the "below the line" department of ICM in Beverly Hills, CA he became a PA on commercials, started doing some small music videos, still photography, writing treatments and making a demo reel. He's now working in NYC as an independent video editor for Showtime (FCP), while still writing and producing his own ideas.

He is happy with his decision to attend MSU, and if you enjoy skiing, Bridger Bowl is terrific.
 
R

Rentafilmer

macrumors newbie
Mar 30, 2008
1
0
Hey pbfilms i just got back from bozeman, i stayed in the dorms and got a good feel for what its like there. I also got to see the equipment for the film school and talk to some of the film students. I was impressed with how much equipment they had, especially that you start working with 16mm as a sophmore. The students there also seemed to like it alot. One thing that is kind of confusing for people who debate how challenging msu is, is that in the arts school its very easy to get in for your first year, the film department originally had 130 students but you have to prove yourself to stay in the school. After your freshmen year they have a portfolio review and the 48 students are the ones that passed. If you like to ski or snowboard big sky and bridger are ridiculus, especially for me coming from the midwest. When i was there (two days ago) we got 11 inches of powder i was in heaven.
 
pdpfilms

pdpfilms

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 29, 2004
2,382
1
Vermontana
Rentafilmer said:
Hey pbfilms i just got back from bozeman, i stayed in the dorms and got a good feel for what its like there. I also got to see the equipment for the film school and talk to some of the film students. I was impressed with how much equipment they had, especially that you start working with 16mm as a sophmore. The students there also seemed to like it alot. One thing that is kind of confusing for people who debate how challenging msu is, is that in the arts school its very easy to get in for your first year, the film department originally had 130 students but you have to prove yourself to stay in the school. After your freshmen year they have a portfolio review and the 48 students are the ones that passed. If you like to ski or snowboard big sky and bridger are ridiculus, especially for me coming from the midwest. When i was there (two days ago) we got 11 inches of powder i was in heaven.
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That's great. Man, what an old thread. I'm in my second year at MSU and am loving it. Great program. When were you here? Did you spend a lot of time at the VCB? Help out on any films? Or just college searching...
 
S

Strayinsane

macrumors newbie
May 6, 2008
1
0
Hm.

I'm a Junior in High School and live about two hours away from Bozeman. My sister is in her senior year in the graphic design program there and as far as I know, she's having a good time. Bozeman has alot to offer and I plan on attending when I graduate. At first I wanted to go some place big for film but after talking to Bozeman's graduates...it sounds like the place to be. I even heard that Martin Scorsesee has his eyes on it's students. I know this thread is old but I thought I'd put my input in. If anyone has any advice, go ahead.
 
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