Is it worth doing a film production degree?

Lots of people want to go to uni, but question whether the degree will actually lead anywhere or bring them something. Some are clearly designed to lead to professions that are definitely needed, e.g. medicine, science, however some, like film production, hangs in that limbo area in between where no one can really decide if it’s an area that benefits from having a degree or not. Of course, having a degree in any subject can never hurt but I’m sure many of us would like to know that the thing we’re studying for and most likely going into debt for will be worth it in the end. So let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of doing a film production degree and if it truly is worth having one. You can also read more about whether doing a degree that doesn’t lead to a specific job e.g. humanities or arts is worth it here.

The pros of doing a film production degree

1. Develop your filmmaking skills

Probably the biggest reason anyone does a film production degree is that you get to play with the big toys! But in all seriousness, developing your skills in filmmaking is such an important part of your journey to becoming a filmmaker. Sure picking up a regular camera is simple enough, but when you get to the giant, extremely technical ones you’ll be thankful your first time using one is when you’re in university and not on a professional film set. And honestly, those cameras are rather intimidating up close (and when you learn just how much they are you’ll be too scared to even breathe on them; I know I was at first). Doing a film production degree allows you to not just develop your skills in the technical department, but in all of them. Usually your first year of uni allows you to explore every area of film production so you can start to look more at your preferred area of expertise in the second and third year. This gives us the opportunity to get a feel for every piece of the production stage and find where our groove lies. Whether that’s in the pre-production or the post-production stages. Or even slap bang in the middle of production. Also, by developing your skills in a range of different areas, it will make your CV look even better. By showing employers you have experience in a multitude of areas, it could help your chances in securing your dream job, or at the very least show your variety of skills. Which leads nicely into our next pro.

2. Getting experience and creating your film reel/portfolio

During your time on a film production course, chances are you are going to see a set and get to work on it. Which is exactly what you want! You want to be seeing and working on as many films and sets as you possibly can. Experience builds knowledge and everyone knows that knowledge is power. The more you know, the better your chances of success. By seeing how a set is run, you can start to build you own mental image of what you need to do once you’re on a set of your own. And the beauty of university is that you can make mistakes without having to worry about the consequences. When you’re on your own set in the big wide world of filmmaking, you are more or less on your own. Therefore make sure you’re making use of as many of the university’s resources as you can whilst you have the time. Want extra practice with a certain piece of equipment? Ask. Want to see how different film sets work? Find people you know who are working on a project and simply ask if you could volunteer your time or at least observe. Another thing that university allows you to do is begin or continue the creation of your film reel/portfolio. What is one of those you might ask? Well it’s a collection of your works that is designed specifically to show your future employers exactly where your skills lie and what you can do when given the opportunity to do so. Now by no means do these collections have to be perfect or look anywhere remotely as good as James Cameron’s Avatar – so long as the piece of media showcases your abilities in the role you want then that is all that matters. Short or long, fiction or not, if it shows your skills then it is worthy of your portfolio.

3. Networking and making connections

Student life in university is traditionally all about the partying until the early hours and then somehow ending up with a giant group of friends by the end of it. Well doing a degree in film production is no different, just without the drinking. While on your course you will meet a wide range of people who all, hopefully, have the end goal of wanting to make films. It’s entirely possible that you’ll make a number of connections with your peers as you will eventually end up working with a number of them on a series of projects. Now while this is an opportunity for your lecturers to see how you work and what you can create, it also gives you the opportunity to see which of your peers you believe you would work best with on future projects both within and outside the university. A big thing that is pushed onto you when doing a film production degree is how networking and making connections is your gateway into the industry and they are not wrong. Having friends from your course who go on to make things for different people puts you in a position where they could drop your name as a recommendation for a certain role, especially if they’ve seen you in that particular role and know you’re a valuable team member. Remember that the next time you’re on set – these people could end up being your chance for a big break one day!

The cons of doing a film production degree

1. Time and money

I’m sure we all know that university is expensive and studying film production is definitely expensive. Like other courses, there are going to be things you need to purchase for particular modules and even things you’ll want to get so you can make the most out of your time as a film production student. For example to develop your own skills and portfolio you’re going to need to film something – so what do you need to have? A camera. Sure you could try and see if you could get one from the university but some places might not offer them to students outside of study hours. And in other places it could be a popular service, which would make getting one just as difficult. So instead of going through all the paperwork to hopefully be allowed to rent one you decide to get one for yourself. And these days cameras are certainly not cheap, especially if you’re looking for one that will produce good picture quality. It’s worth checking out second hand cameras to buy too. As for the time spent, the average BA takes three years to complete as a full time course. Now granted in those three years of study you can argue you are learning from industry professionals, getting the chance to work and live in places you never thought you would, and using industry standard equipment. But at the same time there are many arguments to be made against these. You can learn almost anything online in present times, even from industry professionals. And many of the greats you see directing never worked with fancy equipment when they were first discovered, they used what they had. Even some blockbuster films were made using anything but the best technology for the time they were made.

2. Having the degree does NOT guarantee you a job

As much as we would all love for a degree to mean you instantly have a job lined up once you leave university, this is rarely the case. Having a degree is great and all but remember – even when you try and get a job, the chances are high that a number of the other candidates also have degrees, some might even have more advanced ones than a BA. If you really want that job you have to show them you’re the best one for it. This is why getting experience, developing your skills and building your portfolio is so incredibly important. At the end of the day, the degree is a simple piece of paper, but your portfolio will hopefully speak for itself on what type of filmmaker you are.

3. Expecting you to have a certain skill set

Going into any degree, you’re expected to have a certain knowledge bank of things already. And this degree is no different. You are expected to have a good understanding of the technology used both in the production stage and post-production stage, as well as terminology. If you perhaps haven’t had access to particular equipment then you are going to be at somewhat of a disadvantage to others. While yes you will be trained on all equipment ,some steps may only be lightly touched on as they think you would already know what to do from any previous experience you’ve already done. Same goes for software used for editing during post production. In my first year, we were expected to already know how to use a couple of different programs and therefore many of the instructions given were not as detailed as they could have been. I was one of the few who hadn’t had very much experience with the stuff they were describing in some classes and felt quite lost at times. Doing my own research on top of what they provided helped a lot.

4. Competing for roles

The film industry is an extremely competitive place and getting a degree in it is no difference. In university you are sharing a space with maybe 200 like-minded peers who are all wanting the same thing as you: to make films. However when you’re split into classes with numbers ranging from perhaps 20-30 and are told to make 3 films between you, as we were told in my first two years of university, that’s when things become fierce. Imagine this scenario. You are looking to write one of those three films but so are four other people, which means two of you are guaranteed to not write those films. So how do you decide who has their preferred role and who is going to be left? That’s just it, you don’t. It can definitely seem like a popularity contest sometimes when you’re trying to get the role you want. If you happen to come from a large group of friends and their film idea has been chosen then chances are you are more likely to get the role you want. But if not, be prepared to prove you are the one for the job. It can be incredibly disheartening if you end up not being picked, but please try and keep your chin up. You weren’t lucky this time but there’s always next time. And even if you end up doing a role you 100% know you don’t want to have a career in, try and remember that you are still getting the experience of working on a production even if you aren’t in your desired role. Overall, whether or not you choose to do a film production degree will depend on lots of factors. In my experience, the good outweighs the bad. However, it’s important to be mindful of some of the cons when making your choice. Still not sure what type of degree you want to do? Then why not take our UniFresher Quiz: What Degree Should You Do Based On Your Personality?