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Full Sail University

Winter Park, United States

Average Rating
★★
☆☆☆
(14) Write a review

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3300 University Boulevard
Winter Park, Florida 32792-7429
United States

Tel. +1 407 679 0100
Email. No email address provided (Add)
Web. www.fullsail.com

Are foreign students accepted?
Yes

Courses Offered
Under Graduate Degree (Bachelors), Graduate Degree (Masters)

Majors/Specialisms
Unknown (add info)

Camera Formats Used
MiniDV, Pro DV (DVCAM/DVCPRO), HDV, HDCAM/HDTV, VHS, 16mm, 35mm

Post-Production Systems Used
Avid (High End), Media 100, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Linear Video Editing Systems

Average Age of Equipment
Less than 2 years


Reviews of Full Sail University

★★★★★
Melissa Current Student, 27-Apr-2012
First of all I have to say I love everything about Full Sail, don't listen to all the hate they get. The hate comes from people who sit around until graduation and expect to make it into the entertainment industry without trying. Most the kids who go to Full Sail go with 'mommy & daddy's' money thinking they can be famous someday. NO. You have to be committed. I'm on my second year at Full Sail & i'm absorbing everything i'm learning and already making films & trying to break my way in the industry & I still have two years left. I know a lot of kids who go and party and come to school and don't take in what they should. You have to be dedicated and most of all you have to have passion and talent. Don't let everyone's negative comments keep you from going here. The equipment is AMAZING and of course the tuition is high but look what you're working with. Tell me what other school has all the up to date equipment that Full Sail has. Full sail also offers you classes after you graduate to regain your knowledge of the programs that might have updated since you were last there. Of course, like almost everyone, I use student loans to attend and yes, i'll be paying them off for awhile but I plan on making the best of what is right in front of me instead of sitting around and complaining about every little thing. If you're passionate in film and truly believe you have talent THEN GO HERE. Don't listen to the hate. Hate is from kids who partied their way through school to end up working at subway because they sat around for three years without picking up there camera and TRYING to do something. I love this school.
★★★★★
Eric Non-Academic Staff Member, 22-Jan-2010
It is intriguing to see the mentality, demeanor and character of those who disapprove of Full Sail University. The prevailing lack of grammatical refinement is just one of many attributes of such individuals. Full Sail University's curriculum as well as it's comparably lax academic restrictions (i.e. no minimum ACT/SAT score required) combine to form an inherent appeal to prospective students with less aggressive work ethic (i.e. lazy). Full Sail Admissions Directors meet personally with each student, either over the phone or in person (or both) prior to admission, to determine student-to-school compatibility and passionate desire for success. The students that succeed are those who are capable of success in the industry. Those who are self motivated and aggressively pursue their goals and dreams will greatly succeed at Full Sail University. Employees of various companies within the actual industry are expected to do their job professionally, on time and without complaint. Full Sail University expects no less from the students it invests it's time in, and who will one day bear it's name as their institution of education. For examples, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Sail_University - see Full Sail University Alumni & Productions. Full Sail University weeds out the amateurs.
★★★
☆☆
David S Former Student, 08-Jul-2009
Have you ever been wowed by a trailer only to discover that the actual movie didn't live up to its hype or your expectations? That's Full Sail. Please don't be suckered in by the Behind the Scenes Tour, which is nothing more than an elaborate production intended to get prospective students (and their parents) to buy into Full Sail's marketing. I should know; I worked it for many years, until I finally came to my senses and could no longer support their mission. Ballooning admissions mean less time for each student on the gear. Monthly subjects mean mastery of none (only a cafeteria sampling of all). Many teachers are recent graduates with no real-world industry experience. Most of the impressive facilities presented to prospective students during the tour are off-limits. Students desiring to expand their academic or artistic horizons beyond the school's curriculum are seldom encouraged to do so, primarily because teachers and administration are lazy or selfish. For the price someone interested in the film or TV industry could do one of two things: 1) purchase their own gear, make productions, learning through trial and error (and by reading books or working with more seasoned aficionados), and enter them into contests or exhibit them on the web; someone's bound to notice, and they make a great demo reel for a job; or 2) pay your living expenses while you intern at a production facility; you will learn more in a shorter period of time and probably have a paying job at the end. Honestly, why attend a film school in a town with 0 film production work? You should note that this "school" was founded by business investors who see it not as an educational venture, but as a money-making opportunity. Additionally, it started as only a recording arts program and only a certification program, but grew to encompass all of the other industries (including film) and expanded to include graduate studies because they were more profitable.
☆☆☆☆
OnoSheDidnt Current Student, 28-Mar-2009
This school is really not that great at all, they have great gear but that is it. The instructors don't know how to teach the kids, and they are just reading from a gear manual any way. You really have to go to a real collage to get an education and this is not one, I am almost dun and this is not worth the money, it really isn't. 80 kids per class and one instructor that has failed at what ever he was doing in the entertainment industry. If you are going there good luck, and there are much better things that you can waste your money on. You are getting an education that can not be used for anything, you are paying 40 grand for an idea, and it isn't even a good one.
☆☆☆☆
CT Former Student, 23-Dec-2008
Unless you are rich enough that your parents can pay your entire $30,000-$60,000 tuition, Please stay away from this school. You will only end up with aa mountain of debt you can't afford to pay back. I went here for computer animation, received no help whatsoever with job hunting, ended up with a job that doesnt even use my worthless full sail degree. now i'm in so much debt, i pay 28% of my monthly salary ($525) a month just for my student loans, and unless I somehow get a whole lot of money, I have to do that for the next 30 years. Full Sail has ruined my life. I have no hope of being out of debt in the next 30 years. That means no house, no new car, nothing. If that's the life you want, then by all means, go to full sail. get on some 3d/design jobs boards like highendcareers.com, mograph.com, cgsociety.org and check out what jobs are available. now consider that full sail pumps out about 50 new graduates a month (in computer animation alone). there simply arent enough jobs for that many people.do the math and you'll see-its not worth it.
☆☆☆☆
NB Current Student, 06-Apr-2008
Full Sail is not what I expected it to be. First off, some of the teachers are genuinely ignorant and it's a travesty that they teach college-level courses. Secondly, it is far too expensive given the teacher-to-student ratio. And most importantly, the information that they teach you can be ascertained much more quickly and less expensively by simply reading a book. Do not waste your time like I have.
☆☆☆☆
No hard feelings just honesty Former Student, 03-Mar-2008
I attended and completed the courses at Full Sail and was one of the top ten students in my class. I completed the courses and thought I was ready to begin my life in the film industry. I moved to California and found gainful employment at a large, well known editing firm. I was only there about two weeks when I realized I had no clue what actual film editing was about and how the so called 'real life experiences' that they teach you at Full Sail was bogus. I sat down with my mentor (an experienced editor from the company) and explained how I felt. After about an hour of going over what I learned at Full Sail, it was apparent that they left me hanging. We came to the conclusion that Full Sail was just in the business for the money and I could have learned just as much at any two year college or four year university offering a degree in film editing/production. Sure they have cutting edge equipment at Full Sail, but short of camera equipment, they do not offer any more than any other educational institution that can afford a computer and the right software. I cannot stress enough, if you are into editing/production/directing, etc... skip Full Sail and save yourself a ton of money and wasted time in your life. Spend your $65,000 of tuition money on a local school, buy a nice macbook pro and final cut pro and learn how to edit. Full Sail doesn't teach you anymore about editing/producing/directing or setting up shots and cropping and how to have an eye for film making than any other school. They just have newer equipment, and lets face it, if you can run an old camera and make a nice film then you can do it with a new camera. The industry is updating all the time, but may of the studio's out here (California) are still using 10-15 year old equipment because it works and that is the bottom line.
☆☆☆☆
Deb Former Student, 22-May-2007
I went to Full Sail. Then I taught at Full Sail. They are about making money and keeping the little children happy--not about real life and useful information. A few gems teaching, but not worth putting up with the rest and your classmates and definately not worth the money.
☆☆☆☆
Dean Current Student, 21-Mar-2007
The school has some really good gear along with some terrible broken stuff that doesn't work. The teachers I have had so far know about the equipment but don't have a clue how to teach it to people. If you try to contact an instuctor or anyone on the faculty it will most likly be weeks before you talk to them and even longer until even the smallest problem is solved. If you like to put up with a lot and learn things on your own then this place is good because they do have the equipment. The instructors suck... the facuilty sux... a lot of the equipment sux... the attendence policy is bullshit.... some equipment is good... the decision is yours... choose wisely.
☆☆☆☆
Scott Current Student, 27-Mar-2004
If you are an intelligent, ambitious, creative person with a passion for storytelling...do NOT go to Full Sail. Please. Go to a legitimate four year college, broaden your mind and study filmmaking because it is your creative passion. Surround yourself with other intelligent, creative people and work your tail off. Then get the entry level job lugging cables and fetching coffee (which is exactly the type of job you'd land coming out of a trade school like Full Sail...or any film program. You should know that already.) Filmmaking, at bottom, is THE ART OF TELLING STORIES in the visual medium. Very few people at Full Sail, from the instructors to the administration to the students, seems to understand this basic premise. Full Sail is made up of thousands of people who could probably dismantle a $500,000 35mm camera and put it back together with their eyes shut. But they have no idea what to do with the camera once it is rolling. If you feel confident in your artistic abilities and simply want to "learn the gear," read trade magazines, ask questions about the gear when your fetching coffee for the professionals, and keep you eyes open while your lugging cables on those first few film shoots. Kevin Smith dropped out of a similar one-year trade school film program after his fourth month. Was he unable to make "Clerks" because he had no experience with an Avid editing suite? Don't waste your money in Winter Park, FL. Full Sail is a business, a money-making scheme posing as a trade school, not an educational institution.
★★★★
Gavin Current Student, 12-Feb-2004
Anybody who hated Fullsail will hate the real industry. Fullsail will teach you every thing you need to know to get started in the industry. Sure there are lazy people in the school who's parents wanted to help there kids get a job, but those people are in the industry as well. In my opinion if you have the money or can get the money and are serious about working hard at your "dream" then full sail is the right place for you.
☆☆☆☆
Jim Former Student, 08-Sep-2002
This school's so called faculty is nothing more than bad wedding videomakers. I know for a fact that they have trained people with zero film experience (he worked on a army television station that shot SVHS) to teach their 35mm film production class! When they say the instructors are industry professionals, maybe we should enquire about what industry they are talking about. Full Sail has great tools, poor teachers, and is swarmed by lazy students. You are better off attending a trade show than wasting $28K on this highly overrated school.
★★★★
FS graduate Former Student, 18-Jan-2002
I really enjoyed my time at Full Sail. Dubbed Full Male by some of the students. At the time I attended the school was about 80-90% male. I was a Film/Video major and out of about thirty in my class there were four women. The year (14 months) is basically broken up into three sections. First section you learn a basic technical knowledge. There motto is that you can go there knowing absoblutely nothing about the field you're sutdying. Second period we made a 16mm film. My script was the script chosen (from our screenwriting class) to be filmed. The third period we made a 35mm short film (I worked as script supervisor). You get out of Full Sail what you put into it. If you work hard and you'll gain extensive knowledge and gain connections that'll last you a lifetime. All of the instructors are working professionals, so you have to use them for their knowledge and skill. It's a worthwhile experience.
★★★★
mimregi@yahoo.com Former Student, 03-Jan-2002
You can get out of this school everything that you put into it. The downside of this is that, because it is a shorter, non-academic-intensive program it attracts people that do not like to work hard and are bitter when they finish that a job has not been handed to them on a platter. I and my friends at school worked our @$$es off and got a great deal in return- chiefly unfivaled technical knowledge. And make no mistake, it is certainly a tech-focused school- perfect for folks with no artistic ambition or even better for those (like myself) confident in their artistic strengths looking for a strong technical education. There is plenty of room to be artistic there, it is simply not the focus. Fast, focused and really fun, I would recommend Full Sail to anyone that is willing to work hard (well worth the time and money for me).

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Guide to Film School Ratings

★★★★★

Awesome - this school rocks!

★★★★

Good - worth the effort.

★★★
☆☆

Adequate - you'll learn something useful.

★★
☆☆☆

Poor - but beggars can't be choosers.

☆☆☆☆

Dire - don't waste your time!

☆☆☆☆☆

Unrated - the jury is still out

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