A BFA or MFA from one of the best film schools can catapult you right out of that $69 IKEA mesh office chair and into a canvas Director’s Chair that comes with a megaphone, a beret, and a 3-picture deal with a major studio. But some film programs are more competitive than Harvard Law School, so having a clever script idea and a handful of witty YouTube videos won’t cut it. You’re going to need a compelling personal statement, first-rate storytelling skills, and stellar recommendations from the RIGHT sources (hint: it probably isn’t Spielberg, no matter how well your uncle knows him).

Our Forster-Thomas creative coaches aren’t just educational consultants who fancy themselves snooty film critics. They’re award-winning film professionals who went to top film schools themselves. They have contacts at MFA and BFA programs including USC, UCLA, NYU, AFI, and Columbia, so they know what the admissions gatekeepers really want to see. And most importantly, they are successful visual storytellers. They’re not just going to tell you what would make your reel or sample script a bit better; they’re going to coach you through every step of the process, from helping you brainstorm script ideas to showing you how to put the credits on your film. In short, we’ll make sure your candidacy doesn’t Fade Out before Act Two of your career even begins.  Click HERE to see a webinar created for the Independent Educational Consultants Association about BFA and MFA Film Portfolios.

Film School Coaching: How It Works

Working with a Forster-Thomas creative coach is just like one of those intensive summer filmmaking programs…except the student:teacher ratio is 1:1, and we don’t kick you out after 3 weeks. We have a unique and personalized candidate-focused process that ensures you’ll get the most for your money:

1. Reflection & Inspiration 

Just as you have to know what your film is about before yelling “Action,” we need to get to the heart of who you are before we can help you. To do this, you’ll fill out a detailed inventory of your personal background and values, your professional and creative accomplishments, the defining moments in your life, and your future aspirations. Once you’re done, you’ll have your first meeting with your creative coach, who will use it as a launching pad to get to know you. We’ll ask tough questions and expect honest answers, so keep the canned responses for a cocktail party. We’ll also want to view any films you’ve shot and read any scripts you’re written. That way, we know what skills you have a strong grasp of, and which ones you need to develop. 

2. Brainstorming & Guidance 

Once we really know who you are, we’ll work together to brainstorm your creative materials. We’ll look over your film ideas and help you decide which ones would make good feature-length treatments, which ones could make a great short script, and which you should probably bury forever. Then we’ll help you develop the best ideas further, making sure you strong narrative structure, dialogue that really sparkles, and characters who aren’t flat and one-dimensional. We’ll also develop the contents for your personal statement (required by every school), and begin to come up with an outline for it. 

3. Polishing & Tightening 

After you've e-mailed us the first draft, we'll make detailed notes and send it back—or call you directly for a one-on-one discussion about how to improve the work. During this session, we’ll examine your work—making certain your writing is engaging, well structured, and insightful—and then review it with you, going over the notes and answering any questions you may have. Once everyone is on the same page, you will complete your second draft.

If we’re coaching you to actually shoot a short film, this is where we’ll review every aspect of the production, from casting to crew to locations, to make sure you’re as prepared as you can be before you hit the record button. 

4. Editing & Proofreading 

Our final step is time spent mostly on our own. Our copy editor, who hasn't yet seen your work, steps up to the plate to clean up lingering grammar mistakes and sloppy constructions, spell-check the spell-check, and make any final notes to ensure that your materials have an edge with admissions. We will speak with you one last time, explaining any final changes we suggest. Then we review and proofread the final work—you can never be too confident. We’ll also view your DVD reel and make sure the menus are right, the titles are correct, and the audio levels are where they should be. You want to make sure the film schools are viewing your work the way it should be viewed. 

Film School Services

Our film school packages leave no stone unturned. Your dedicated creative coach will walk you through each and every step of the application process, from helping you develop your creative portfolio to ensuring every word of your resume is just right to spell-checking your actual online application.

All our MFA and BFA packages include the following services:

• Candidacy Assessment. We evaluate your candidacy and determine what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are, and how to put your best foot forward. 
• School Selection. We advise you on which schools you should apply to…and which ones you shouldn’t.
• Comprehensive Brainstorming Sessions. We help you develop strong ideas for all your application materials, from sample scripts and film treatments to your personal statement.
• Professional Editing of your written work.
• Recommendation Strategy. We ensure that you choose the right recommenders and give them focused talking points to highlight your most important attributes. 
• Application Review & Advice
• Waitlist service

If you need a killer short video to prove your filmmaking chops, or want some professional film/video experience to show you’re serious, we can upgrade to a high-level film school package that includes all of the above, as well as: 

Pre- and Post-Production Advice. If you need to make a sample film/video, we give you expert advice on casting actors, creating a budget, renting equipment, securing crew, and editing the film/video. 

Candidacy Building. We won’t just strengthen the existing elements of your candidacy, we’ll help you build it up from scratch—whether through providing internship and career advice or helping you choose adult education classes. 

To find out more, request a free candidacy assessment.

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