When I was in high school, I spent most of my time sketching cartoons in the margins of my notebooks. I probably should have been paying attention, because when I got out of school I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I tried to write and illustrate my own comic book, but with no knowledge of the industry and limited artistic skills, the idea never panned out. I decided that perhaps film was the better way to go, and started researching film schools. I didn’t have to look far though. I Googled the words “Vancouver Film Schools” and guess what I found?
It was a big decision to make, but one I felt was worth the risk.
Getting There
At the time, I was working at a grocery store in my hometown. I spoke to an advisor, told him my situation, and he gave me these poetic words of advice: “Dude, get out of there!” Getting out wasn’t quite so easy though; I had to take out two separate student loans and a line of credit, half to cover the $12,500 cost of tuition, the other half to cover living expenses. VFS has no student housing, though they’ll help you find accommodations (be careful if you take that road, however; a few of my friends ended up in bad situations because of it), and Vancouver is an expensive city to live in, so needless to say there was some stress attached. It was a big decision to make, but one I felt was worth the risk. The VFS Writing program seemed to present the most comprehensive and industry-savvy curriculum of those I researched, so I went for it.
The VFS Community
One thing that surprised me most about VFS at the start was the structuring of the school…it feels less like an institution and more like a community. The campus is spread throughout four or five different buildings in Downtown Vancouver, so you don’t often interact with students in other programs. You will, however, pass them on the streets every day wearing their VFS backpacks, or run into them at the VFS cafe (which acts as the central hub for the school), making the whole of Downtown feel like your campus.
The Writing classes feel much the same way. Though you spend forty hours a week with your classmates, whom you’ll quickly come to either love or hate, you’ll only see members of the classes before you (whom you can ask for advice) and behind you (who will ask you for advice) in passing. As for the instructors, they are by far the best part of the whole program and what makes the hefty tuition feel much lighter. As working members of the writing community, not only is their advice invaluable and pertinent, but you feel as though you’re speaking to a colleague rather than a teacher. They are open, honest, and knowledgeable people who are willing to advise you not only during class time, but afterwards as well in one-on-one mentoring sessions. Good teachers make for a good education, and VFS has them in spades.
The Rewards
Don’t think that because this course is only a one year program that you’re getting short-changed. Diverse and demanding, it teaches you not just how to write well, but also what it takes to be successful and what roads to take to achieve that success. Though you start light, by Term 3 you get put through the ringer. Any given week you’ll find yourself writing fifteen pages of a both a feature film and TV spec script, several sketch comedies, a documentary pitch, and in your spare time you’ll read and critique the work of your classmates. Though it may not sound it, this is the program’s greatest strength. You learn to work under pressure in an environment that teaches you how to both give and take constructive criticism so that your work meets the demands of both the audience and the industry.
If you ever thought writing was a solitary profession, this class will make you think again.
In addition to this, you’re given the tools to stand out in an overcrowded industry. Format teaches you Final Draft (a program you will need to buy if you don’t already have it) and what will catch a producer’s eye; Pitch takes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to sell yourself with your voice and not your pen; in Dialogue you won’t just take a hatchet to your words, you’ll turn the damn things backwards to see how best they fit together. By far the most beneficial classes are Workshops. Here, you share your ideas with your class and instructors and work together to turn what you thought was a great script into what others think is a great script. If you ever thought writing was a solitary profession, this class will make you think again.
Another great gift of the program is its diversity; this course does its best to cover all aspects of the industry. You may arrive expecting to learn just screenwriting, but you leave with knowledge in formats like documentary, entertainment journalism, animation, sketch comedy, short film, even reality TV (yes, they have writers, too). What you learn is up to you after Term 3 — several courses become optional at this point. By then, however, you know yourself so well as a writer that making those decisions is easy. Instructors will impress upon you that being a successful working writer means keeping all avenues open, so don’t short-change yourself, go after every course you can. You’ll also learn a lot about the legal side of writing in Adaptation and Biz Marketing.
One thing VFS as a whole prides themselves on is collaboration. In the Writing program, most of the collaboration is with your fellow writers, but you are given the chance to work with actors and directors, both student and professional. For me, there was no fear greater than trusting my work in the hands of someone else, and no thrill greater than seeing it not only come to life, but evolve into something beyond my expectations. The Sketch show and Port Short screening were the highlights of the year for me, and yet another part of the experience that made tuition cost less daunting.
The Drawbacks
One thing you will not learn until you get started is this: there are no guarantees. Producers read through thousands of scripts a year, and only a handful of those are ever even read from start to finish, let alone optioned. Only a fraction of those optioned are green lit, and not all make it through to production. VFS can teach you what it takes to break into the industry, but getting in is up to you, and you alone. Without passion, dedication, and a thick skin, you may never make it in an industry that is fiercely competitive…just attending the school won’t get you a job. It takes a lot of time, knowing the right people, and a whole lot of rejection just to get in the door, and even then, you’ll have to work your way up from the ground. A VFS Writing diploma isn’t a golden pass through this process; you’ll have to fight just as hard as everyone else to succeed, but you will have the knowledge and tools to help set yourself apart. That’s what you’re really paying thousands of dollars for, so think it over before you commit.
One of the only disappointments I had in regards to the curriculum was a lack of diversity in collaboration. Besides the Sketch and Port Short courses, there are pitch sessions held once a month where Writing and Film Production students share their ideas and get together on extra curricular projects, but if you’re looking to work with animators, game design students, or any other program, you’ll have to search them out on your own; the Writing program has yet to make collaboration courses available for these mediums.
Is It Worth It?
Let’s face it, this is a big investment, and not one to be taken lightly. Based upon my own experiences, would I recommend this course? Absolutely. The year I spent at VFS was one of the greatest of my life; I made lifelong friends, had the chance to learn from passionate, dedicated people whom I am forever indebted to, but most importantly I learned more about myself as both a writer and a person than I could possibly have anywhere else.
But that’s me.
How successful you are isn’t determined just by your skills as a writer, but by your perseverance, your dedication, and, most importantly, your passion. Oh, and luck.
Some Final Words
VFS provides you with an outstanding environment to develop creatively, and the Writing program gives you all the tools you need to become a successful writer in the film industry, but you are warned from day one that you will have to fight to break in. One of my instructors said it best; “Writing is a lifelong career choice. Employment comes and goes, and you adapt from year to year. How successful you are isn’t determined just by your skills as a writer, but by your perseverance, your dedication, and, most importantly, your passion. Oh, and luck. Lots of luck.”
Am I employed in the industry? Only if you consider Blockbuster Video a part of the industry (insert toilet joke here). Do I regret my choice to go to VFS? Never. I made an investment in myself, long term, and I plan to see it through… but I’ve got a long road and a lot of debt to pay off before I see a positive return. That’s the decision you have to make. If you’re passionate about writing and film, by all means, take that risk and invest in yourself – you won’t regret it. One of the first and most important lessons you learn at VFS is this: you get back what you put in. Just be willing to commit.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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