ENROLLMENT PROCESS
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Within two business days of receiving your completed application for enrollment, a Film Connection admissions expert will reach out to you by phone to schedule a preliminary interview, in which we will find out more about your goals and dreams regarding a film career. Do you want to be a film director? A film editor? A film producer? A screenwriter? Tell us what kind of career you want in the film business so we can prepare a learning plan for you.
During this interview, we’ll also let you know more about the curriculum and the training process, talk about possible film production companies in your area where you may be placed for externship, and answer any other questions you have. Once this interview is complete, if you and your admissions rep feel you are ready for the next step, we’ll start the process for placing you in a film production company.
WHERE WILL I EXTERN?
Since 1983, the Film Connection has been forming a vast and growing network of relationships with production facilities and film professionals all over the nation, including some of the top facilities on earth. We’ll utilize this network to identify a film studio and mentor who would be a good match for you, and who is available at the time you submit your application. Feel free during your interview to suggest local production facilities where you might like to train. We can frequently get you into the facility of your choice, but there may be other factors to consider. For example, we may identify a great mentor who isn’t on your preference list, but who is an expert in your field of interest and has successfully helped his last two students find good jobs in film. For this reason, we ask that you be flexible during this process.
We will ultimately place you with a mentor and a company whom we feel will be the best match for your needs and career goals, and whom we think will present you with the best opportunities for success.
HOW LONG IS THE PLACEMENT PROCESS?
Film Connection mentors are not full-time school instructors; they are working professionals with busy schedules. Your mentor will need time to clear his/her schedule to make sure you receive the personalized attention you deserve. The placement process generally takes two to three weeks on average.
YOUR ON-SITE INTERVIEW
The next step in the process is for you to meet your prospective mentor for an interview at the film production company where we have arranged for your externship. We’ll let you know when and where you need to show up.
This is an exciting step of the process because you’ll get to see the facility where you’ll be trained, and you’ll be able to get a feel for your surroundings.
As you talk with your mentor, you’ll discuss your goals and dreams for a film career, as well as talk about scheduling your sessions. This interview should not be an intimidating process, but rather a chance for you and your mentor to get to know each other and determine together whether this is a good fit for both of you, and whether you both wish to move forward.
FINAL ACCEPTANCE
Once your on-site interview is concluded, we will speak with you and your mentor separately to determine the outcome. Ultimately, your final acceptance into the Film Connection lies with the mentor.
If for some reason the mentor does not recommend you for acceptance, we’ll conduct an evaluation. On occasion, the reason for your denial is due to basic situational conflicts which can be resolved by placing you in another facility. In some cases, however, the applicant is not approved for reasons that can’t be resolved simply by changing the facility or the mentor. If this is the situation with you, we will provide you with some helpful tips as to how you can improve your chances for acceptance, and you may apply again in one year, if you wish.
The reason the mentor has the right of final acceptance should be apparent; after all, the mentor is about to bring you into his/her world and workplace for at least six months, and needs to be comfortable with the prospect of training you one-on-one during that time. The other side of the coin is that if the mentor recommends you for acceptance, it is a clear statement that the mentor believes in your talent and potential enough to invest time and energy into your future career as a filmmaker. This is an achievement in and of itself.
LAST STEPS!
Once you receive formal acceptance into the Film Connection, you will complete an enrollment agreement and take care of your tuition requirements with us. Once that is done, we’ll send you and your mentor all the course materials you’ll need for your Film Connection externship, and you’ll be ready to go!