About Our Los Angeles Film School Alternative
Welcome to the Los Angeles Film Connection, the film school alternative that gets you training with a professional filmmaker inside of an actual Los Angeles film production company. Learn online via direct one-on-one lessons with a film professional or train as a film student extern. However you do it, we’ve got you covered. Learning directing, producing, editing, camera, screenwriting or general production is all possible with us. Whether you want to learn what it takes to break into the Los Angeles film business through online training or to start inside of a Los Angeles film production company as an extern, Film Connection can help.
You don't have to spend 10-50 thousand dollars on film school tuition; you can go to our alternative to film school in a real production company for far less. Learn directly from the pros, and get connected as you get educated. Our film school alternative is a smart, affordable and effective way to get a quality film education.
Los Angeles, California is not only the 2nd largest DMA in the nation—it's also the film capital of the world. Every year, thousands of aspiring filmmakers, actors, screenwriters and film school graduates flock to Los Angeles looking for their chance to "break in" to the business. Countless films and major television productions are shot on Hollywood sound stages an on location throughout the Los Angeles area. Celebrity spottings are common occurrence.
With all this film activity and so much demand for talent, you might think it would be easy to find your way into this business, but the opposite is true. Whether you want to produce, direct, edit, run camera or write screenplays, breaking in just by knocking on the doors isn't the way its done in Hollywood. Most hiring is done from within, and getting noticed and making connections can be quite difficult. Sitting in a classroom isn't a viable path in either. If you want to work in the filmmaking and/or television industry, finding your way to where the action is happening is what it's all about.
That's where the Los Angeles Film Connection comes in. Get instruction from a pro online or receive curriculum-backed training inside of a real film production company. We provide you with the inside track, the competitive edge to get you building connections inside of the business and get you noticed. That way, when opportunity comes knocking, you can be perfectly situated to be the one who gets chosen.
How do we do it? Simple: Film Connection uses a mentored alternative to school of film. We provide each student with their own mentor, a working industry professional in the specific discipline chosen by the student. This mentor provides one-on-one training to the student. For students who choose the in-person externship option, they could be training on real film sets, or TV stations, and production companies. Externship students train two to three days (in accord with their schedule). For a period of six months, the student has the opportunity to acquire industry connections and contacts—connections that often lead to future work.
Check us out! You owe it to yourself to see what the Los Angeles Film Connection can do for your career!
Our fully-immersive curriculum
covers all of the following:
Building Relationships
Learn filmmaking in the real world with the Film Connection’s mentored externship-based approach. We make building relationships an integral part of what we do.
Hardware and Equipment
Film Connection mentors work in the real world where the competition is fierce and having the right gear matters. As an extern you have access to the latest hardware and tools of the trade.
On-Set Etiquette
Knowing how to handle yourself on the set is a prerequisite for careers in the film industry. Your mentor will guide you through proper etiquette during real film shoots.
Making Movies
We believe the whole point of going to any film school or certificate program should be to learn how to make movies—especially YOUR movie. Our Film Production & Editing curriculum is designed around this concept, from start to finish.