Film and TV School: Who Should Go?

But what if you haven't spent half a lifetime making videos? Even if you haven't grown up believing you'll become the next Steven Spielberg, here are some indicators that film and TV school might be for you:

You want to be an artist, and you want your work to be relevant. Even if a video camera isn't your must-have accessory, and even if you can't imagine becoming a director, there's no getting around the fact that if you want your work to reach a wide audience, there's no better medium to work in than film and television. Film and TV offer great careers for a wide variety of creative artists. So:

• If you're an aspiring literary novelist, but would prefer your work to reach millions of people rather than hundreds—consider film and TV school.
   
• If you're an aspiring photographer, but would love your audience to be wider than the proud parents of the infant whose picture you just took as part of your portrait business—consider film and TV school.
   
• If you're an aspiring illustrator who'd like a shot at drawing the next über-popular Disney/Pixar character as opposed to illustrating yet another medical text book—well, you get our drift.

You want to be a journalist, and you want to have a job. It's no secret that print media is dying—or, if not dying, at least struggling hard to reinvent itself for the current century. With major newspapers and national magazines folding right and left, this is hardly the most promising moment in history to begin a career as a print-based journalist. Cable news, on the other hand, is not only alive and well, according to a report from Journalism.org, its daily viewership grew by 30 percent between 2007 and 2008. Think you'd look good with television hair? You might want to give film and TV school a try.

You're an engineer or technical type who loves film and television. While you might think of film and TV school as the sole province of "creative" types, don't let this keep you from exploring a career in film and television if your talents lie more on the technical side. Special effects gurus, sound engineers, lighting experts, and many other techies who work in the media get their training from film and TV school.

You want an intense and glamorous career (at least for cocktail party purposes). Admittedly, if a taste for fame and fortune is the only thing driving you to film and TV school, your applications aren't likely to stand out. You'll need some talent and skill to really succeed in this career field. However, there's a lot to be said for pursuing a career that you're excited about. And expressing your passion for film can only make your application more appealing to admissions officers.

If you recognize yourself in one or more of the above descriptions, and you love to work in a demanding, deadline-driven environment, a career in film and television might be just what you're looking for.