THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO ALL THINGS ENTERTAINMENT THE COLLEGE ISSUE I DECEMBER 22, 2016 COLLEGE ISSUE RANKED! 50 TOP FILM SCHOOLS + 20 BUSINESS SCHOOLS MR. ROBOT‘S SAM ESMAIL WHAT I LEARNED (AND DIDN’T LEARN) IN FILM SCHOOL THE WRAP’S BREAKING INTO THE BUSINESS LIVE SPONSORED BY IMAX proudly sponsors this effort as a part of its IN FOCUS YOUNG FILMMAKERS PROGRAM. In association with national film programs including: ArtCenter College of Design | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) University of Southern California (USC) | Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Savannah College of Art and Design @IMAX @IMAX.MOVIES IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. ©2016 IMAX Corporation. Chapman University THE COLLEGE ISSUE I DECEMBER 22, 2016 Contents THE WRAP MAGAZINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FEATURES DEPARTMENTS Sharon Waxman EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR 12 FROM MR. COLLEGE 4 WHAT’S IN A NAME? Steve Pond Ada Guerin TO MR. ROBOT Maybe film school isn’t Sam Esmail charts DEPUTY EDITORS the right phrase Tim Appelo, Steve Root a course from NYU and AFI to prime time VICE PRESIDENT, SALES 6 BY THE NUMBERS Caren Gibbens Money, admissions, etc. SALES 18 THE GODFATHER Kelly-Marie Jones When Francis Coppola ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR wanted to experiment, 8 OSCARS 101 Eric Hernandez he headed to school Learning how to thank the Academy early © 2016 TheWrap 20 THE TOP 50 10 BREAKING IN TheWrap ranks the best THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO ALL THINGS ENTERTAINMENT FILM SCHOOLS I DECEMBER 22, 2016 film schools—plus, Words to the wise COLLEGE ISSUE communications and from TheWrap’s ON THE COVER RANKED! Sam Esmail inaugural college event 50 TOP FILM SCHOOLS business schools, + 20 BUSINESS photographed by SCHOOLS MR. ROBOT’S SAM ESMAIL Elisabeth Caren at the Werner Herzog and WHAT I LEARNED Mr. Robot o ces in AND DIDN’T much more 36 LOOKING BACK LEARN IN Culver City, California David Lynch’s surreal FILM SCHOOL school days THE COLLEGE ISSUE 1 FRONT & CENTER / Editor’s Letter TheWrap’s awards editor, Steve Pond, with Francis Ford Coppola at UCLA Film School 101 As TheWrap launches our college events, we also survey the » world of higher learning for entertainment-industry aspirants elcome to the first edition of TheWrap’s held our first live event—“Breaking Into the Business”—in college magazine, aimed at demystifying the December and learned from casting director Marci Liroff W path to a successful career in the enter- (E.T., Mean Girls) that majoring in psychology was the best tainment industry and at helping sort through the most imaginable preparation for her career. dynamic education programs in film, communica- But then there are those who fought for the tions and finance. privilege of going to film school, like our cover We started with the idea that one of subject, Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), who never told the core missions at TheWrap is to shine a his Egyptian parents that going to NYU actually light on the very best of the entertainment meant studying film, not engineering. And we business. Beyond that, we understand that hear from the legendary director and producer in a rapidly changing media environment— Francis Ford Coppola about his experience— when movies are shape-shifting and business twice—at UCLA. models are being deconstructed—young people I give you this issue with thanks to our incred- may find it confusing to plot their own careers. Yet ible editorial team—Steve Pond, Ada Guerin and Tim film schools continue to be tremendously popular. To sort Appelo—for pulling off this edition in the middle of through the best of the best, deputy editor Tim Appelo awards season, and with the hope that you will find this has surveyed no less than 500 leading individuals in the new addition to our calendar edifying and fun. industry to rank the top 50 film and television programs in the country. We appreciate their time, and won’t argue Enjoy! with their conclusions. There is no single path into a career in entertainment, as anyone in Hollywood will tell you. Many in enter- tainment never set foot in film school, of course. We ANNALEE PAULO SHARON WAXMAN, EDITOR IN CHIEF 2 THEWRAP DECEMBER 22, 2016 FRONT & CENTER / The Name Game CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT PHRASE FILM SCHOOL? In a world where entertainment comes in a variety of forms and formats, it doesn’t tell the whole truth BY STEVE POND aybe we should be to shoot on actual film these days, in you lots of information about programs calling this or out of school.) Still, that phrase film geared to those who want to explore something other than school has remained go-to shorthand the world of television—which, after TheWrap’s for institutions that may cover televi- all, provides more opportunities than film school issue. sion and virtual reality and multimedia film and, these days, more artistic and MThat occurred to me late in the and all other kinds of creative freedom as well. production of this edition, which marks entertainment that can But film and TV are only the first time TheWrap has gotten into be filmed, taped, shown, the start, as schools add the business of examining and ranking screened, streamed or virtual-reality courses, the schools that are training students to experienced. You know, game-design programs, become the next generation filling Hol- “Big programs like ours dual degrees with busi- lywood’s soundstages and boardrooms. have to be offering op- the phrase ness schools and enter- In an offhand remark, Joe Pichirallo, tions for students to fall film school tainment-technology the chair of the undergraduate program in love and get interested centers to embrace and at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, told in things beyond getting is almost a even anticipate the next me, “You know, the phrase film school is a film into Sundance,” misnomer leaps forward. almost a misnomer these days.” said Pichirallo, whose So let’s come to an And so it is. Sure, when the Moscow graduates actually had these days.” understanding here, shall Film School was founded in 1919 or the seven films at Sundance we? When we use the USC School of Cinematic Arts opened a in 2016. “We’re not —Joe Pichirallo, chair term film school, we know decade later, they really were just teach- turning out hundreds of of the undergraduate that we mean something ing about film. But that narrow focus Alexander Paynes, and program at NYU’s Tisch much broader than what was long gone by the time Walt Disney we have to allow people School of the Arts those words actually say. founded CalArts in 1961 or NYU opened who are talented and And you know that we Tisch four years later; even their names artistic to realize their dreams in not mean something much broader, too. made it clear that they were after a just directing an indie film.” And now that we’ve got that straight, broader canvas than celluloid. (And So our “film school” issue has a tele- enjoy our deep dive into the world of, we won’t even get into how rare it is vision guy on the cover, and it’ll give um, film schools. W PixelPusher ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO 4 THEWRAP DECEMBER 22, 2016 The set of The Buzz, a SCAD School of Entertainment Arts sitcom pilot In 2016 alone, SCAD alumni received 66 credits for work on Oscar®-nominated films. From resources and technology that rival Hollywood studios to stunning locations on three continents, SCAD film and television is the place to launch your creative career. Find your role. scad.edu/film-tv FRONT & CENTER / Do the Math Film Schools by the Numbers 723 Number of film schools in the U.S., according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 78 Accredited film schools in California 34 Accredited film schools in New York 97 Years since the first film school, the Moscow Film School, was founded 87 Years since the first American film school, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, was founded Undergraduate tuition at our Top 10 film schools $53,882 NYU $53,158 AFI $51,442 USC $45,030 CalArts $40,680 Loyola Marymount $39,600 UCLA (out-of-state students) $35,190 Savannah College of Art and Design $30,024 Emerson $26,239 Columbia $24,155 Chapman $21,840 UNC School of the Arts (out-of-state students) $12,918 UCLA (in-state students) $6,370 UNC School of the Arts (in-state students) Employment in the Entertainment Industry by Age Schools on our list with the lowest acceptance rates 2.5% 6.8% 12.8% (applies to entire school, not just film school, in fall 2015) 5% Stanford 6% Columbia 15.6% 10% University of Pennsylvania 13.4% 13% Northwestern 15% UC Berkeley 17% UCLA 18% USC 22% Wesleyan 25% CalArts 2,300 Student films submitted to the Cannes Film Festival’s Cinefondation section in 2016 21.4% 27. 5% 1,749 Student films submitted to the Student Academy Awards in 2016 16-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 6 THEWRAP DECEMBER 22, 2016 DREAM ON So you want to be in pictures? You can realize that vision at UNCSA’s School of Filmmaking. Working in state-of-the-art facilities and mentored by top industry professionals, you’ll develop the skills and perspective to tell captivating cinematic stories and keep pace in a dynamic, ever-changing field. DANCE DRAMA DESIGN & PRODUCTION FILMMAKING MUSIC Learn more at uncsa.edu FRONT & CENTER / Youth Will Be Served ACADEMIA MEETS ACADEMY At the Student Academy Awards, it’s all about the “Oscar speeches” and industry connections—and for the last time, there’s no need to thank your agent BY STEVE POND ou know it’s coming— line.