What are some cheaper universities/colleges with good film programs?

SC: What are some cheaper universities/colleges with good film programs?
I want to get a Bachelor’s Degree in Film/Video Production to be a film/trailer editor. But I also want to go to a regular college so I can also study Communications/journalism as a backup career plan to be a copy editor/ web content editor. Are there any colleges with solid film programs that aren’t specialized film colleges like Florida State University except cheaper?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Kristen Miller
I know that Watkins is a great film college, only I’m not sure if they offer communications/journalism, but they do have writing classes, so who knows?

https://www.watkins.edu/

Answer by ownpool
The only “cheap” civilian universities for a student are the public universities of the student’s state of residence. (There are about five exceptions, but they do not have good film programs or, likely, any film programs.)

There are so many more university graduates in all aspects of film then there are job openings that even graduates of NYU, UCLA, and University of Southern California, which have the only film schools worth attending, often cannot find steady work in the film industry.

The job prospects for journalists, copy editors, and web content editors are as bad or are only slightly better.

Sorry for the bad news.

Answer by PE2008
You need better counseling. All your career choices: Film, Journalism, and Communications, often end with living on the street in a cardboard box.
A Communications degree may occasionally get you a job at Taco Bell.

Answer by Cait
To the person who said the only film schools worth attending are the ones you listed, you’re rather ignorant. It’s worth attending any school you choose, since the most important thing is what YOU get out of it. For example, Baylor University (not a cheap option, btw) offers a BA in Film and Digital Media. A couple of the features of the program include the full studio set-up on-campus, the internship program in NYC, the chance to apply to work at the NAB in April each year (all expenses paid), and a growing number of prestigious alumni, including John Lee Hancock, the director and writer of The Blind Side. On top of this, a grassroots internship program in LA has been started and the independent market in Austin frequently hires from Baylor’s pool of graduates.

Again, Baylor is NOT a cheap school to attend unless you are able to get a lot of scholarships/grants to go there, but it is very much worth going and I have known several people to double-major in FDM and Journalism there.

Baylor was also the first film program to offer classes on HD production.

Major in what you WANT to major in, network until your brains fall out, and practice and hone your craft as much as possible. Don’t let people tell you that you shouldn’t major in something you know you want to major in just because the job market isn’t ideal. It’s better to enjoy your classes and get good grades as a film major than it is to hate your classes and end up depressed and failing them as a business major of some sort. Believe me, it is MUCH easier to do projects/homework and go to class when you’re interested in what you’re learning.