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Philadelphia Film School Classroom

FILMMAKING, DIRECTING, AND SCREENWRITING IN PHILADELPHIA: HAVE AN IDEA FOR A MOVIE? WE CAN HELP YOU MAKE IT.

It’s great that you have an idea for a movie. It’s a great first step! All movies begin as an idea so you’re ahead of the game. Do you know how to turn your idea into a movie? We do, and that’s where we can help you. In fact, it’s the very reason the Philadelphia Film Connection exists—we’re here to help and guide you through the movie making process.

When you think movies and Philadelphia, the first things that come to your mind are probably Rocky, Creed, Creed 2, National Treasure, Made in Chinatown, and Philadelphia. But did you know that M. Night Shyamalan, producer/director/writer of The Sixth Sense, The Visit, Split, and Glass films all his movies in and around Philadelphia? Philadelphia has an aggressive Film Office to support the local film industry and because the Philadelphia Film Connection film directing externships work directly with many Philadelphia-based filmmakers and production companies, we can help you gain entrance to Philadelphia’s film culture.

HERE’S HOW THE PHILADELPHIA FILM CONNECTION DOES IT

The Philadelphia Film Connection knows the steps required to go from movie idea to finished movie AND we know how to teach you these steps in just six months. Your teacher will be an active film director who works in Philadelphia who will mentor you, guide you and help you transform your idea into a movie, along with a second mentor we provide who is a credited screenwriter.

STANLEY KUBRICK MAY HAVE SAID IT BEST

The late, legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey; A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut) once said, “the best education in film is to make one.”

His statement is the guiding principal behind the Film Connection film director technique–you come to us with your idea for a movie and we teach all the steps, using our experiential educational model, that are necessary to make your movie. These include:

Step 1. Screenwriting.

We pair you with a professional screenwriter, with feature film credits, to work with you to make your script the best it can be.

Step 2. Film Directing and Production.

We pair you with a film director from a Philadelphia production company to teach you film production and directing—the skills you’ll need to make your movie.

Step 3. The Pitch Meeting.

We set up a pitch meeting (after thoroughly preparing you) with film executives where you get to sell your idea (now a screenplay and sizzle reel) to them.

The Philadelphia Film Connection Film directing mentored-externship walks you through every step along the way, so let’s break these three steps down.

SCREENWRITING.

Remember that idea you have for a movie? Great. Do you know what your next step should be? Answer: you need to turn that idea into a screenplay. Why? Because ideas themselves are basically worthless, at least in the film marketplace (unless you are a movie titan.) In the movie business, ideas that are written out as a screenplay have value. Screenplays can be sold. Ideas can’t.

The Philadelphia Film Connection film directing methodology helps you turn your idea for a movie into a screenplay. We accomplish this by pairing you with a professional screenwriter, with feature film screenwriting credits, and they work directly with you to help transform your idea into a screenplay.
Without the screenplay, there is no movie. A good screenplay tells your story idea in a way that translates into film. This sounds a lot easier than it really is which is exactly why we team you up with a professional screenwriter.

Here’s why this is important:

“People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don’t have a middle or an end anymore. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning.”
Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter for: The Sugarland Express, Poltergeist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, AI: Artificial Intelligence.

“A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end… but not necessarily in that order.”
Jean-Luc Godard
Leading French New Wave director famous for the auteur theory of directing.

“If your goal is to become a film director, you must master screenwriting.”
Akira Kurosawa
Famous Japanese filmmaker who wrote Seven Samurai, Rashomon and Last Man Standing and whose screenplays were adapted for The Magnificent 7 and A Fistful of Dollars.

DIRECTING AND FILM PRODUCTION:

In order to turn your idea into a film, it’s also important to understand all aspects of filmmaking. While you take our structured course curriculum online, and while you work with your screenwriting mentor, we immerse you in the filmmaking process by placing you (as an extern) inside a Philadelphia film production company.

Once you are on the inside—in a real-world filmmaking environment, you will observe, up close and personal, how professionals make films. And in this Philadelphia film production company, you will be paired with your own personal filmmaking mentor. They will teach you in a hands-on, over-the-shoulder way, just how films really get made, step-by-step. You’ll learn first-hand about “hurry up and wait” and how to thrive in absolute chaos. And while this is going on, you’ll continue working on refining your screenplay and start transforming your vision into your movie as you go through our film directing training which includes:

Story Telling: Without a story, there is no film.
Scene Settings and Look: Staging the Perfect Shot.
Working with Actors: Getting the Best Performance From Your Cast.
Working with the Crew: It Takes an Army to Make a Movie.
Working with the Editor: How to Fix it in Post.
Budget Considerations: The Business Side of Film.

All this is what makes the Film Connection film directing mentorship special and different from most traditional film schools. It’s bears repeating–we place you inside a Philadelphia film production company, as an extern, surrounded by film professionals while they work on real-world film projects. And yes, you’ll get to work on some of these projects too. The benefits of being in this real-world learning environment cannot be overstated as an alternative to most traditional film schools.

“The real trouble with film school is that the people teaching are so far out of the industry that they don’t give the students an idea of what’s happening.”
Brian De Palma
The Untouchables, Body Double, Mission: Impossible, Scarface

OUR MENTORS ARE IN THE INDUSTRY EVERY DAY. IT’S HOW THEY MAKE THEIR LIVING.

“…the curriculum is often abstract and not relevant to real life, teachers and students don’t connect with resources and experts outside of the classroom, and schools operate as if they were separate from their communities.”
George Lucas
American Graffiti, and the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises

OUR CURRICULUM IS EXPERIENTIAL, OUR MENTORS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE RESOURCES, EXPERTS AND PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY.

The men and women who make movies for a living are generally far more concerned with their crew members having relevant skills, experience, and knowledge than they are about talking about the film movements of the 1920s. Our curriculums are written by working professional filmmakers. Designed to work with our hands-on in-industry approach, the lessons are geared towards providing our students with the foundational and historical knowledge they can use to deepen their understanding of the practice of the craft and art of making films. In other words, with us you can forget about having to write long term papers. What we want to see in our students is a deep and observable commitment to the work, the acquisition of filmaking practices, skills, and knowhow, and a go get ’em mentality.

THE PITCH MEETING: WHERE OUR STUDENTS’ DREAMS CAN COME TRUE.

It all started with your idea for a movie. Next came five or six months working with your screenwriting mentor to get your screenplay honed and sharpened and ready to be pitched. Along the way you learned a lot about film production, film directing and the business side of filmmaking. Then you took all of that and put it into a sizzle reel—a short promotional video designed to sell your idea to those who you are about to pitch it to—film industry executives who can fund your screenplay. Finally, you’ve spent time with your mentors getting prepared for your pitch meeting. You have:

• Your elevator pitch.
• Your sizzle reel.
• Your screenplay.
• Your budget breakdown.

In addition, through your mentors, you have insights into what to expect, how to act and how to pitch or present your idea during this meeting. If you’ve done it right and they love your idea and are impressed with you and the stars align, you’ll get the green light to make your movie.

DOES THE FILM CONNECTION EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION WORK?

While most of our students do not get their films funded on their first try by the time they graduate, they’ve gained valuable experience on the screenwriting, production, and the pitching process, established great industry contacts, and they have a much better understanding of how things actually work in the real world of filmmaking.

And sometimes magic happens, like it did with these students (with the help of their mentors).

Film Connection graduate Melissa Merkel flew to Los Angeles for her pitch meeting and her screenwriting mentor hired her for a Lifetime Series Project he was working on the first week she was there.

Film Connection graduate Victor Cobb sold his script to a company in Atlanta that turned it into a Lifetime Original Film Project.

Film Connection graduate Anne Marie Cummings movie was optioned by Intrinsic Value Films.

Film Connection graduate Yuqing Chi wrote Lost in Love which is being directed by Emmanuelle Gallissi.

Film Connection graduate Ofu Obekpa sold his script and directed his own feature called Klippers starring WWE’s Kevin Nash.

THE NEXT STEP IN BUILDING YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER IS UP TO YOU

If you are serious about seeing your idea for a movie become a movie, we recommend you apply to the Philadelphia Film Connection Film Directing program.

It will take hard work and long hours. It will take dedication. It will take passion.

Give us these three things, and we’ll guide you through our film directing approach—everything you’ve been reading on this page—in as little as six months. The Philadelphia Film Connection film directing student externship is open enrollment, which means you can start anytime. Are you ready?

THE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA FILM CONNECTION FILM SCHOOL ALTERNATIVE

1) Locations Everywhere.

Because of our unique brand of externship training, the Film Connection isn’t limited to one or a few campuses. We’ve got locations nearly everywhere, including in Philadelphia! No need to move or to quit your day job. Your pathway to Hollywood can start right where you live!
Learn near where you live. Advantage: Film Connection.

2) Graduate Debt-Free With Our Low Tuition.

The cost of education has been skyrocketing. How can you launch a film career when you’re buried in student debt? It doesn’t have to be this way, and we have a system that proves it every day. Our tuition is so low that you can graduate with little or no debt and get on with your film career.
Typical film schools not only cost more, they often have lots of add-on charges. Advantage: Film Connection.

3) Ditch the Classroom, Learn On-the-Job.

At the Philadelphia Film Connection, we don’t believe in classrooms. You will have a structured curriculum, but you won’t spend a single day in a classroom with other students. Instead, we train you on-the-job by placing you as a working extern in a real film production company. It’s a more effective way to learn, and it’s a great way to get connected to the film industry.
Real-world experience, not useless theoretical classroom instruction. Advantage: Film Connection.

4) One-on-One Mentoring From a Bona Fide Film Professional.

There’s no classroom with our approach; there’s also no “class.” You’re the only student, paired with an established film professional with actual film credits and lots of connections. This seasoned pro will become your personal mentor, training you in your chosen film discipline one-on-one.
One teacher to one student. Advantage: Film Connection.

5) Hundreds of Film Professionals Endorse Us.

We’ve got so many endorsements from high-profile film professionals that they are too many to list here. These pros endorse us because they know our way helps break people into the film business in less time and for less money than most conventional film schools or film programs.
More professional endorsements than any other film school. Advantage: Film Connection.

6) Actual Job Placement Assistance.

No informal “cold call” job lists from us. We don’t just clue you in on the latest job offerings—we work hard to help you get hired. Our one-of-a-kind Stay Connected Program provides up to 12 months of active job placement assistance after you graduate. Work hard and play your cards right and your mentor is one professional who just might hire you! It happens all the time with the Film Connection.)
“Job placement” at typical schools often means handing you a cold-call lead list when you graduate. Advantage: Film Connection.

7) No Pounding on the Door: You’re Already On the Inside.

Usually the biggest challenge to breaking into the film business is getting your foot in the door—getting noticed by busy people who don’t know you from Adam. With the Philadelphia Film Connection, we’ve got you covered in this area. From day one, you’re placed as a working extern inside a real film production company, so you can build those relationships as you go. By the time you graduate, you’ve become an insider.
The other guys are on the outside, looking in. Advantage: Film Connection.

8) Tutoring at No Additional Cost.

If you’re having trouble with your assignments and your mentor isn’t available to ask—ask us! We offer tutoring at no cost to all our students to ensure no one falls through the cracks.
Private tutoring for you. Advantage: Film Connection.

9) Connections—The Way Most Get Hired.

The Film industry is basically centered around connections. You could be the best cinematographer, director, producer, screenwriter or film editor on the planet, but if no one knows you—good luck with that. The advantage with the Film Connection is that all your classes take place in the industry—on-the-job and on the set—where you can meet and connect with numerous established pros. These are the people of influence you’d most likely never meet in a classroom—the people who can one day hire you.
Real world film industry connections. Big Advantage: Film Connection.

10) Take It All the Way to Hollywood!

You might be perfectly content to work in the thriving Philadelphia film scene, but if you want more…we’ve got more. Your curriculum is structured to guide you through the steps of developing your own film idea. When your externship is complete, we’ll arrange a meeting in Los Angeles with actual Hollywood film industry professionals, and you’ll have the chance to pitch your movie to them! Can you think of one ordinary film school that does this? We think not…
A real chance to break into Hollywood. Big Advantage: Film Connection. NO CONVENTIONAL FILM SCHOOL DOES THIS.

Your PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA FILM SCHOOL ALTERNATIVE

Among Philadelphia film schools, only one actually gets you inside a real Philadelphia film production company to work as a film student extern, learning the arts of directing, producing, editing, camera, screenwriting or general production from the pros. Hands down, we ardently believe that the smartest way to break into the film business in Philadelphia is to extern inside a Philadelphia film production company–and Film Connection is the film school alternative that puts you there.

Don’t make the mistake of spending 10-50 thousand dollars to go to film school at a college or film trade school when you can get your film school education in a real production company for far less money. Be smart, get on the inside track, learn from the pros and make vital industry contacts while you learn in a real-world environment! Our film school alternative is the cost-efficient approach to getting going in film.

To APPLY for our Philadelphia film school alternative, click here.

Home to more than 1.5 million people (and anchoring a metro of nearly 4 million), PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA is the 4th largest DMA in the United States. A city rich in history, music, art, culture, and sports fans (with SIX major teams calling Philly home), the “City of Brotherly Love” is bustling with things to see and do. This city’s legacy in the entertainment industries can’t be understated, either. Entertainment icon Dick Clark first launched his star-making dance/music show American Bandstand at a Philadelphia television station in the early 1950s. Other major entertainers and film professionals with Philadelphia roots include Peter Boyle, David Brenner, Bill Cosby, Bradley Cooper, Tina Fey, Grace Kelly, Irvin Kershner, Will Smith, Holly Robinson Peete, Boyz II Men, Frankie Avalon, M. Night Shyamalan, Kevin Bacon, and John, Ethel, and Lionel Barrymore, just to name a few.

Since the late 1980s, Philadelphia has been home to an emerging film industry as well, thanks in part to generous incentives and the support of the Philadelphia Film Office. MovieMaker Magazine once named Philadelphia as the second-best location to make a film. Today, local soundstages, great local talent, and diverse locations make Philly a popular site for film and TV productions. Here are just a few noteworthy films and shows that have done location shooting here:

• Unbreakable
• World War Z
• Limitless
• Philadelphia
• The Sixth Sense
• Twelve Monkeys
• After Earth
• Marley and Me
• Baby Mama
• Silver Linings Playbook
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (TV Series)
• Rocky (all the Rocky films)

You can see that there are plenty of opportunities in Philadelphia to connect to the film industry, and the FILM CONNECTION’s mentor-extern approach can get you closer to the action than any average film school can. Whether you desire to be a director, producer, editor, camera operator, lighting director, special effects master or any film professional, the FILM CONNECTION has a tailored curriculum and workshops for you.

You will study one-on-one with your mentor who will be a film professional in your field of study. Your classroom will be on-the-job and on the set in Philadelphia. Upon graduation, you will have gained the on-the-job, real world experience and industry connections that you need to succeed in a career in the film industry—and if you choose it, when you’ve completed your externship, we can even arrange for you to pitch your OWN FILM to REAL INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES! Want to see what you can do for your film career?

To APPLY click here.

Giving you a different view of how a film school can work

It’s true: There are professions that require a certain amount of classwork or a degree before you can find your place in the “real world.” When it comes to filmmaking, however, having relevant skills, working knowledge of the business, and experience means more than a piece of paper.

The Philadelphia Film Connection knows the steps required to go from movie idea to finished movie AND we know how to teach you these steps in just six months. Why spend four years, two years, or even a year in a classroom when you could be learning on a set or on location?

Not only will you spend less time with the Philadelphia Film Connection than you will with more traditional schools, you’ll also spend less money. At just a fraction of the cost, you’ll get the insider experience that just can’t be replicated anywhere else.

Your mentor will be an active film director who works in Philadelphia who will teach you, guide you, and help you transform your idea into a movie. Along the way, you’ll learn the tools of the trade, work on your idea, and get guidance on your script. You won’t learn just a few facets of filmmaking, your mentor will discuss all aspects of bringing your idea to life.

In the studio or in your home

Philadelphia has an aggressive Film Office to support the local film industry. The City of Brotherly Love has been the backdrop for many a’ movie (the Rocky Franchise, 12 Monkeys, National Treasure, and many M. Night Shyamalan movies). While finding a Philadelphia Filmmaking school shouldn’t be difficult, how many will give you the kind of access Film Connection does?

And how will those schools handle it when that access just isn’t possible? Being in the production studio is where you’ll get the majority of your instruction with us, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to be in the studio. As a year of social distancing and self-quarantines taught us in 2020, there’s more than one way of getting an education.

For decades Film Connection has been offering remote learning for those that want to follow their dreams but still need to deal with life. Family or job commitments, transportation issues, and other obstacles are removed when you enroll in one of our remote programs. Film Connection works hard to give you the access you need, not put more roadblocks in front of you.

Get a seat at the table

The experience we give you leads to one of the most important ways to break into the biz: connections. While you may not need years of schooling to make a living in filmmaking, you do need to be able to drop a name or two. Or better yet, have experienced filmmakers drop your name.

Whether you’re on the set or on location, you’ll be working with professionals. These are the opportunities to get your foot in the door, impress the people you could be working for, to make the connections that will help you get your story told. Every day is a new day to make a name for yourself.

But it’s up to you to make the right impression during these interactions. Yes, you’re here to learn – but you’re also in a real-world environment. Part of that is doing work that is less than glamorous. Making a movie or TV series isn’t always as glitzy as it looks. Lugging tools, getting water, running cable – it all comes with the territory.

That’s why you’re here, to learn the lay of the land. The relationships you make, the experience you gain, the knowledge you absorb all service to build a solid foundation. How are you going to take advantage of the time you’re spending with professionals? It can be as much about who you know (and impress) as much as what you know.

The question is when they think of you, what will they think? It will take hard work and long hours. It will take dedication. It will take passion. Give us these three things, and we’ll guide you through our film directing approach—everything you’ve been reading on this page—in as little as six months. The Philadelphia Film Connection film directing student externship is open enrollment, which means you can start anytime. Are you ready?

Philadelphia Film Connection Mentors

With our mentors in Philadelphia, you’ll be working with a production company that’s made independent films, worked with cable television, as well as produced many video productions. With experience on both the big and small screens, you’ll be able to lean on your mentors for a wealth of information.

Our mentors will show you how to block a scene, set the lighting, and direct the talent in front of the camera (as well as how to operate the camera). And you’ll learn it all from inside the industry, working alongside real-world professionals who do this for a living.

Whether you want to make your own film or find yourself working for a production company, our mentors will give you the information—and experience—to start making a name yourself. And when your program is over, you’ll already have a few industry connections in your back pocket.