My Independent Life - TylerLeisher.com

So, I’m still unsure which, if any, Film School I’m going to attend. I grabbed Wikipedia’s Top 50 Highest Grossing Films of all time and compiled a list of the directors of those films in the same fashion as yesterdays chart. This is what I found:

• 24 Directors Featured
• 59% of Directors Majored in Film
• 71% of Directors Went to college
• Youngest Directors Start was 22
• Oldest Directors Start was 38
• Average Start Age was 30
• 2 Directors Attended USC
• 1 Director Attended UCLA
• 1 Director Attended LMU
• 1 Director Attended CSULB

I am leaning towards attending school, and trying for USC… but I’m not entirely sold on it yet. Many film makers (29% to be exact) were very successful without any degree or any college. Ron Howard (The Grinch, American Graffiti, A Beautiful Mind), Jon Favreau (Elf, Ironman), Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong), Larry Wachowski (The Matrix), Sam Raimi (Spiderman 1, 2 and 3), Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Goldeneye, The Legend of Zorro), et al.

But does that mean I shouldn’t try because of them, or try harder despite them? It’s true, they aren’t the majority, 29% is in fact the mintority.

The old saying goes that if you are talented and have the desire, discipline and dedication to be successful in this business, you will be.

What do you think? Do you plan to attend film school, or the school of life?

This originally started as a document for my own personal use. It was a spreadsheet used to find out how many major directors went to college, how old they were when they started their first major film, and how they started their careers.

The following information was obtained from Wikipedia:

• Birth Year
• College
• Major
• Degree Type
• Age When they had their first hit

For the purpose of this spreadsheet, and the purpose that it is supposed to serve. The Director MUST have been born AFTER 1944, and must have had at least one film that had a wide theatrical release. For this reason, directing legends such as Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Jean Renoir, et al. have not been included.

The reason for this is that during their era of film making, Film School was not an option. The best way to get into the industry at the time was an apprenticeship at a studio, or lower level job.

For the purpose of the graphs and stats below, the term “of Directors” really means, “of Directors featured in the survey.” For a full list of the directors used, as well as seeing the raw data, visit the link at the end of the article.

• 45 Directors Featured
• 69% of Directors Who Attended College Majored in Film
• 64% of Directors attended College
• Average Start Age (No college) was 29
• Average Start Age (College) was 29
• The Youngest Director Started at Age 23 (Ron Howard)
• The Oldest Director Started at Age 38
• 82% of Directors Born Between 1930-1949 Attended College
• 85% of Directors Born Between 1950-1959 Attended College
• 40% of Directors Born Between 1960-1969 Attended College
• 40% of Directors Born Between 1970-1979 Attended College

If you take away anything from these stats it should be this, those that went to college and those that did not were just as successful as those who did not go to college.

I’ll be doing some more in depth look at the differences between those who attended and those who did not attend. What’s your opinion of Film School? For or against it? Post a comment and let me know!

For a full look at the data, check out this spreadsheet.

While the economy is hurting pretty bad, Netflix decided now would be a good time to increase the price for Blu-Ray movies. If you, like me, are a Blu-Ray fanatic then you should probably take note that you’ll be paying a little more per month for Blu-Ray rental capabilitiies.

Netflix is increasing the subscription price on November 5th by $1.00, plus any taxes (Which, in California comes to around $1.08). A small price to pay indeed, but kind of annoying.

Below is the email I received from Netflix regarding the price change:

Dear Tyler,

As you may know, Blu-ray movies are more expensive than standard definition movies. As a result, we’re going to start charging $1 a month (plus applicable taxes), in addition to your monthly membership charge, for unlimited access to Blu-ray movies.

The additional charge for unlimited Blu-ray access will be automatically added to your next billing statement on or after November 5th, 2008 and will be referenced in your Membership Terms and Details. If you wish to continue getting Blu-ray movies for $1 a month more, you don’t need to do anything. If not, you can remove Blu-ray access anytime by visiting Your Account at the Netflix website.

If you have questions about this change or need any assistance, please call us anytime at 1-888-638-3549.

-The Netflix Team