What do YOU want to get out of your studies? Outside of the industry-oriented schools (USC, FSU, Chapman etc.) the main reason people seek an MFA is it's considered a terminal degree, and thus the minimal qualification for most college teaching jobs.
If you just want to become a better filmmaker (whatever that means to you) an MFA could certainly be useful, but there are other ways to go about it as well. Depends in part on what kind of films you want to make. By "full-ride" I assume you mean a fellowship? Extraordinarily rare. TA positions that will cover tuition and expenses are also rare. Most students have to take out loans. Large state schools where film is connected to a rubric of 'communication' or 'RTF' are the best bet for TA slots: Wisconsin, Texas, Temple... don't know about Iowa since Film split with Com... Schools where film falls under the fine arts / studio art are not going to have much for TA spots, if anything. Keep in mind that most people who teach in grad programs are specialists, and thus programs that offer that 'good technical foundation' often establish that as a habit-of-mind to the detriment of individual practice, conceptualization, experimentation... By far the most important thing in applying to grad school for anything is to learn about the faculty, and find someone you think can be an effective mentor for you. That not only means you respect their work, but you have reason to believe thay are a good and caring teacher, will be on campus and available, open to your creative interests, and likely to get along with you personally. Of course, you can't glean all that from reading bios and course descriptions on the web. Start there, identify some possibilities, and then dig further. Talk to current and/or former students -- certainly before you enroll anywhere, and maybe before you even go through the rigors of applying. Even for an arts program, your GREs will play a role in terms of what schools you can get into, and what kind and how much support in terms of TA hours you may be offered. Recommendations are important as well, especially glowing ones from people who are networked with the faculty at the particular program. If you don't have that sort of 'inside track' or didn't kick ass on the GREs, don't set your expectations too high. _______________________________________________ FrameWorks mailing list [email protected] https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
