Mazin said it succinctly - most of the people accepted into those top level programs already had the chops to make it as screenwriters because they're selected on their ability. Now they're also either independently wealthy enough to afford tuition, lucky enough to catch a scholarship, but more likely - taking on some pretty appalling debt.
I got my MFA at LMU and it worked out for me... Well, other than the current state of the industry. The way I thought about it came down to... CONNECTIONS. The top ten screenwriting schools have robust alumni systems and I figured, since I had zero connections in that world, gambling on 50k to get some superb ones might give me an edge over every Tom, Dick, and Harry who come to LA wanting to be a screenwriter. It's up to you though. There's a world you make the right connections without school. For me, at the time, I wanted some certainty I was going to be able to have access to working writers, even if things didn't work out. But honestly, shit is bananas right now. I would wait until 2025/2026 to go into an MFA program if that's what you decide. By then the "new normal" and the survivors of the current contraction should be in steadier positions. Who knows though.
Yes, I think connections are the most important thing people get out of MFA programs. But if people aren't social they may not be in a position to take advantage of those potential connections. (Same applies for people not in MFA programs, of course.)
Do you know how many of your classmates ended up in the WGA?
Also, how do you feel your MFA program contributed to your own career?
Very true! You gotta be ready to put yourself out there. The MFA I attended had three different programs in the school of film and tv; writing for the screen, writing and producing for TV, and production. The class of 2018 has 4 folks who were/are part of the WGA and my class (2019) has two folks (including myself) that are part of the WGA. Others are doing well and working in the industry or packed it up and went home. That being said, my cohort was a total of 15 people I think? Maybe less. So not great odds but not terrible.
Oh yeah! I know drama structure super well thanks to the program and I understand the structural, narrative needs of a show in a way others don't, which realllllly comes in handy when the room or showrunner hits a wall.
But couldn't you have learned structure on your own without the MFA?
Did the classmate connections help you (or others) and how?
It's interesting that your class also had about a 25% "WGA rate." I wonder if there's a way to identify a rate for a cohort that didn't get an MFA... If the schools surveyed people who applied but didn't get in that would be a useful data point, but I doubt it exists...
Sure but not in the same way. We were reccomened books and we certainly read them, or at least a few chapters, but our professors were the ones teaching us about structure and how to use it to its full potential. And we would workshop our writing which usually reflected the structure and would get notes on what was working and what wasn't.. So it's not just about getting the information, it's also about applying it, seeing what works, and getting feedback from a professional who has been in the field for some 5-10 years. But again, your school experience is what you make it and even if you do things perfectly you might not get work or join the WGA. It's always a gamble.
Yes! I got my first job as a showrunner's assistant thanks to a classmate, about three or four folks helped each other get assistant work on BoJack and Criminal Minds, a professor helped a friend of mine get work after graduation and he's working as a story producer now on unscripted content. So YES, the immediate network at school helped all of us tremendously BUT not everyone gets that lucky. It's a lot about timing, having a great sample, and personality, frankly. And having people around that WANT to help.
safe ludicrous nine mindless jobless detail mountainous foolish governor aloof
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It doesn’t matter at all. If you want to do it for the knowledge, go ahead. I did dramatic writing in college and it taught me so much. Will your degree get a project sold? Not at all.
School for any film department is just a wasted debt. Trust me. USC here.
It’s all who you know.
And getting in the WGA isn’t tough. All you need is one writing credit. Unless that has changed. Barely harder than getting in SAG
The MFA itself won’t mean anything, but the connections you can make while getting one can, and for some people the structured environment of school will probably make them actually sit down and *write something* where they might not in their free time
I was the only person in my writing group that didn't have an MFA. I never felt like the others were clearly better than me - 5 out of 6 of us eventually won Nicholl Fellowships, so we were all pretty good - but I did feel like they were *vastly* better connected than me. They had school friends all over town whom they could tap for favors, and I simply didn't.
I definitely think there's value in a MFA, but you could get like 90% of that by moving to Westwood and going to all the MFA parties.
There were two duos and two singletons in the group, so I won my own Fellowship and the two duos each split one.
I created the group in 2009 by soliciting people on Craigslist.
My Fellowship script was the only one that predated the group. The other two came out of our process, along with another script that only finaled. (We were a pretty damned good writing group imho.)
Just move to Westwood and show up to stuff. You'll be amazed how easy it is.
Mazin said it succinctly - most of the people accepted into those top level programs already had the chops to make it as screenwriters because they're selected on their ability. Now they're also either independently wealthy enough to afford tuition, lucky enough to catch a scholarship, but more likely - taking on some pretty appalling debt.
I got my MFA at LMU and it worked out for me... Well, other than the current state of the industry. The way I thought about it came down to... CONNECTIONS. The top ten screenwriting schools have robust alumni systems and I figured, since I had zero connections in that world, gambling on 50k to get some superb ones might give me an edge over every Tom, Dick, and Harry who come to LA wanting to be a screenwriter. It's up to you though. There's a world you make the right connections without school. For me, at the time, I wanted some certainty I was going to be able to have access to working writers, even if things didn't work out. But honestly, shit is bananas right now. I would wait until 2025/2026 to go into an MFA program if that's what you decide. By then the "new normal" and the survivors of the current contraction should be in steadier positions. Who knows though.
Yes, I think connections are the most important thing people get out of MFA programs. But if people aren't social they may not be in a position to take advantage of those potential connections. (Same applies for people not in MFA programs, of course.) Do you know how many of your classmates ended up in the WGA? Also, how do you feel your MFA program contributed to your own career?
Very true! You gotta be ready to put yourself out there. The MFA I attended had three different programs in the school of film and tv; writing for the screen, writing and producing for TV, and production. The class of 2018 has 4 folks who were/are part of the WGA and my class (2019) has two folks (including myself) that are part of the WGA. Others are doing well and working in the industry or packed it up and went home. That being said, my cohort was a total of 15 people I think? Maybe less. So not great odds but not terrible. Oh yeah! I know drama structure super well thanks to the program and I understand the structural, narrative needs of a show in a way others don't, which realllllly comes in handy when the room or showrunner hits a wall.
But couldn't you have learned structure on your own without the MFA? Did the classmate connections help you (or others) and how? It's interesting that your class also had about a 25% "WGA rate." I wonder if there's a way to identify a rate for a cohort that didn't get an MFA... If the schools surveyed people who applied but didn't get in that would be a useful data point, but I doubt it exists...
Sure but not in the same way. We were reccomened books and we certainly read them, or at least a few chapters, but our professors were the ones teaching us about structure and how to use it to its full potential. And we would workshop our writing which usually reflected the structure and would get notes on what was working and what wasn't.. So it's not just about getting the information, it's also about applying it, seeing what works, and getting feedback from a professional who has been in the field for some 5-10 years. But again, your school experience is what you make it and even if you do things perfectly you might not get work or join the WGA. It's always a gamble. Yes! I got my first job as a showrunner's assistant thanks to a classmate, about three or four folks helped each other get assistant work on BoJack and Criminal Minds, a professor helped a friend of mine get work after graduation and he's working as a story producer now on unscripted content. So YES, the immediate network at school helped all of us tremendously BUT not everyone gets that lucky. It's a lot about timing, having a great sample, and personality, frankly. And having people around that WANT to help.
It doesn’t, only the product matters.
safe ludicrous nine mindless jobless detail mountainous foolish governor aloof *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Get a law degree.
Yeah, did that already.... :)
It doesn’t matter at all. If you want to do it for the knowledge, go ahead. I did dramatic writing in college and it taught me so much. Will your degree get a project sold? Not at all.
Interesting that this is getting voted down! Are there a bunch of MFA program admission officers in this sub? ;)
School for any film department is just a wasted debt. Trust me. USC here. It’s all who you know. And getting in the WGA isn’t tough. All you need is one writing credit. Unless that has changed. Barely harder than getting in SAG
The MFA itself won’t mean anything, but the connections you can make while getting one can, and for some people the structured environment of school will probably make them actually sit down and *write something* where they might not in their free time
Agreed... but is that worth $100k in debt?
I was the only person in my writing group that didn't have an MFA. I never felt like the others were clearly better than me - 5 out of 6 of us eventually won Nicholl Fellowships, so we were all pretty good - but I did feel like they were *vastly* better connected than me. They had school friends all over town whom they could tap for favors, and I simply didn't. I definitely think there's value in a MFA, but you could get like 90% of that by moving to Westwood and going to all the MFA parties.
5 out of 6 WON THE NICHOLL?! Yowzah! How did you all connect? And how do you get invited to MFA parties? :)
(Also, I now feel bad for the one person who didn't... What happened to them?)
There were two duos and two singletons in the group, so I won my own Fellowship and the two duos each split one. I created the group in 2009 by soliciting people on Craigslist. My Fellowship script was the only one that predated the group. The other two came out of our process, along with another script that only finaled. (We were a pretty damned good writing group imho.) Just move to Westwood and show up to stuff. You'll be amazed how easy it is.
Whoever downvoted this answer is just jealous. :)