What to Expect

Film students learn about the many different aspects of filmmaking. From editing footage to directing the entire show, these students are training for "reel" jobs.

There is a constant sense of adventure to being a film student, says Emil Stern, who studied film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Stern says there is no typical day as a film student. "What is constant is the almost never-ending switching between modes," he says. "Most days involve a period spent writing, for class or just for the sake of writing, homework for liberal arts or cinema studies classes, pre- or post-production, depending on what stage one's short film is in."

Discussions with other students about their projects and about the nature of film take place most days, Stern says.

The nature of the studies is intense, but Stern says it's important to take breaks. "On occasion, you simply need to escape the chaos and go read, or review a great favorite movie or something, to clear the dust off your eyes," he says.

Students at the graduate level or those taking advanced programs often spend their time doing actual film work. "The projects vary from traditional documentary, to experimental and some commercial work," says Holen Kahn, who took a graduate program in film.

Kahn says that on a typical day, he would edit film with a director or producer for eight to 10 hours. "This can be a very creative process, depending on the nature of the project."

For students wishing to pursue a position in editing, Kahn recommends an internship. "It is a practical field, and other than watching many films, it is learned through an active involvement in the process," Kahn says.