Many students, fresh out of high school, aspire to become actors, screenplay writers, producers, or directors of films. These students usually have trouble succeeding with these careers if they go to schools that only provide a theater program. However, now many colleges offer a film program spanning all of these careers, which provides students a better comprehensive education when planning to go into a career in film.
There are two main types of film programs available for students interested in film programs - university based film studies programs, and commercial or non-university based instruction. Differences between these two types of programs are mainly based off the different countries theses schools are in. Fir instance, Prague Film School and London Film Academy are much different from each other in terms of amount of courses and systems of learning - Prague's is similar to the system used in American colleges and universities, while the London Film Academy uses the British university system. This is something that is important to consider when applying to a film program, as film programs are spread out all over the world.
Something else you might also want to consider is the diversity of courses available at the school you plan on attending. Some colleges, like the Prague Film School, might only offer courses for students who are planning to become producers or directors, as most of the classes available there are those best for the more technical and administrative parts of the film industry.. Others might be acting film schools, concentrated just on that aspect of films. A few might even be more suitable for screenwriters, though those are less common than acting film schools and schools for directors.
Cost for both types of schools (university based and commercial colleges) are about the same, though costs could vary depending on what type of career you eventually want to have. Overseas schools are another problem when it comes to cost - flying overseas every couple of months can become very expensive very fast, which is something to take into consideration when choosing a school.
Another thing to consider when talking about university versus commercial film programs is the variety of courses when it comes to exploring fields outside films. Although many universities based programs are just one part of a much large university, and therefore offer chances to take courses outside of the area of film, others are completely concentrated on film programs, as are most commercial programs. If you think you might want to have a career outside of film, the former would be best.
