Film school: Irrelevant?

In my last post, I mentioned the uproar in DIY filmmaking. Many people are writing and shooting their own ideas. With the help of new technology such as smart phones, GoPro's, DSLR's, and drones. But there are still the few young kids who discover it early on, should they go to Film School? If they have all of the technology readily available, is it worth the cost of tuition?

No.

Film school used to be necessary to learn about film, without the access to internet or cheap equipment. But now kids can create their own films and gain experience by themselves without paying an arm and a leg to go to film school. The biggest benefit to Film School is networking, and using professional equipment. But if someone were genuinely interested in filmmaking as a career option, they would probably find a way to accomplish this without going.

Facebook and YouTube have the biggest impacts on learning the art of filmmaking without going to school.

Facebook: Link yourselves to other people who enjoy filmmaking, join a group, learn and grow together. You don't have to learn from your own mistakes if you learn from others'. The benefits of having a support system of knowledge is incredible.

YouTube: Videos. You can watch videos. (Duh, right?) But a lot of people don't realize how many DIY tutorials and filmmaking tip videos are available on YouTube, accompanied by reviews and hands on tutorials of any equipment you might buy. The possibilities are endless when it comes to learning from the search bar.

Below I have linked an interview segment with Robert Lawton (CEO of CrowdSource Studios) in which he comments on this subject: