Is Film School Necessary?

no.

hey, powerofmap!

well--no be say i dey vex, but i no feel say the question dey require too much elaboration.

film school is a valuable experience, and one can learn a lot there--but ultimately, you learn to make movies by MAKING MOVIES.

but for the average person, MAKING MOVIES is easier said than done. the average person does not have access to a film set or to other people in the film community. if he tries to do it by himself, he probably doesn't have all the necessary equipment. has no means to hire actors or a crew. and he's teaching himself everything, learning by trial and error--and in filmmaking, errors are VERY expensive.

and that's the advantage of film school: you have ready access to top-rate equipment. you have a willing cast and crew waiting for you in the form of your classmates who are ready to work for free, on the condition that you will return the favor when they are working on their films (which gives you even more practical experience). if you make mistakes, you have an experienced faculty there to catch you. basically,  you are totally immersed in the moviemaking experience; it encompasses your entire existence.

the guy working on his own can probably learn everything the guy in film school learns--but it's likely that the film school guy will learn it faster and less painfully. (not to mention to important professional connections he's likely to make at school.)

essentially, this is an extension of the previous question about whether or not Nigerian filmmakers need to make short films. like i said before, the point of making short films is to develop your craft and to demonstrate your proficiency to potential producers/investors. film school is a place that creates a conducive environment for you to build this proficiency via practical filmmaking.

in Nigeria, nobody gives a rat's ass about your proficiency anyway, so who cares? going to film school isn't necessary advance your career in Nigeria; if anything, it might even work against you.

Nollywood producers do not like film school graduates AT ALL! they hate the film school graduate because they know that the he is most likely very thorough in his approach; he most likely will take more time to set up shots, more time to rehearse scenes, more time to do additional takes--and "more time" = "more money."

so when they hear "film school grad," they run away. nobody in Nigeria is thinking about your proficiency--what they really care about is your SPEED.

Yes. There are some pratical stuff that are not mentioned in books. no knowledge is wasted.

visit nyfa.com and you will see you need  to attend a filmschool