Columbia College

Scott Mohrman Former Student, 08-Mar-2011
First I'd like to say that what one would get out of film school is directly related to the effort you put into it. Film school may not be for everyone, but it was good for me. Columbia provided the equipment and the community for learning and networking. Columbia puts you right into the filmmaking environment. Film is not only storytelling but also about community. I appreciated and took advantage of the college's priority on film. Most of the teachers at Columbia are part-time industry professionals and part-time teachers. The equipment they have is the best. Columbia teaches technique and style. But they also teach you how to be a filmmaker in very aspect of the word. I sincerely believe I am where I am and who I am today because of my experience at Columbia College.

matt d Current Student, 09-Aug-2007
depends on your major/concentration. If you want to be a DP - you can change my rating to 5 stars. If you want to be a director - stay away. I'm in their directing program and it's really quite pathetic. After directing a scene you're being graded on whether the actors were wearing time period-appropriate costumes, teachers often don't seem to know that directing involves communicating with actors, building relationships between characters or doing script analysis. If you want to direct, i recommend you pick up a book by Judith Weston, you'll learn more than Columbia would teach you.

Patrick Former Student, 20-Jan-2007
My one year here was the worst year of my life. The majority of the teachers are part time and had little interest in teaching the craft of film. Several teachers often made myself and others feel like lesser people because we did not know as much as they. I would never consider returning nor would I recommend this school. All together it is a poorly run school. I had a better education from high school.

Dave Current Student, 22-Apr-2006
I feel that Columbia definately has its pros and cons, and like with any school you attend, you have to see if it will fit for you. I personally have learned a lot at Columbia, and the school is really becoming a top notch school (locally and nationally). From what I gather, the administrators are going to be streamlining some of the film classes and open it up a bit more for students to move around in the major. The technology is a bit of an issue with me (old cameras that are not available enough), but that changes as you progress in your concentration. Also the school is very liberial if you ask me. That could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your ideology. I think it is a bad thing (because it is unrealistically misrepresenting the country's ideology), but that is just me.

MiMi Hall Current Student, 23-May-2005
I would have to agree with Patrick's comments. Columbia wastes 2 years of your life hand splicing and filming on cameras from the 1930's that you will never need in the real world. most students dont get out in less than 5 years because the progam teaches the same basic skill in 4 different classes which not only wastes your tuition money but your time. Very few professors have had extensive film careers. The school is focuses on independent filmmaking and condones anything remotely hollywood. many of the professors even went to the school and had little time in the outside workforce. I was miserable for 2 years, they are unorganized and dont care about the education they are supposed to be providing the students.

Dessie A Former Student, 05-Jan-2004
I have not studied film anywhere else, but our school had the perfect mix of students and teachers from all walks of life- the people who are just taking film class because it is trendy and the people who are genuinely interested in the art of film; we have the teachers who will put you through the motions and the teachers who will show you why film is an art form. This is not a theoretical school, this is a school where you have a camera in your hands right away and you find what it feeels like to shoot a film. No school can teach you who you are as a filmmaker, but Columbia will show you if you have the heart. Plus we have a great campus- the heart of the city of Chicago; a very diverse student bodywhere a very large percentage of our alumni work in Hollywood and the alumni association is very well organized; almost all of our teachers work in the business and know the ropes from the inside out.

Paul Current Student, 26-May-2003
This school is like any other school in the fact that at every school there are great teachers and crummy teachers. I have had both, but I can say that I love going to CCC. The program focuses mostly on independent and experimental productions. The thing that I like the best is that after you have taken your core film classes you are free to take any classes that you like. Yes, they do have guidelines for the aspiring director, editor, DP or screenwriter, but you are free to take special studies and learn what ever you want.