The bottom line with SCAD is it's about the bottom line. There is no motivation from professors or the administration to teach the students what is necessary to get a job. Unless your ambition is to be a grip, and come here to get a MFA in that.A majority of the professors in the Film and TV Department have little to no experience in the film industry. Those that did have experience were not successful, so they spend their time trying to reignite the spark rather than teach the next generation.
There is no discipline amongst the student body. They treat each other and the facilities with no respect. It's like I went back to high school. The administration and faculty only care about their "star" students, which means those kids whose parents have money.
The top administrator is more concerned with world domination than taking care of the campus in Savannah. It's money, money, money. Students are not held accountable or disciplined for any infractions.
I can't tell you how many times someone flaked out on me or a shoot and nothing was done. They still got to attend classes. They'll run to get you on their set, but when you need a favor they're no where to be found or "busy." But as soon as they need a grip, here they come.
Students get away with anything until it means a professor's job then they take action, and it's a slap on the wrist at best. They'd get kicked out of any other school.
A prime example, a student got caught lying about the misuse of equipment. They not only gave him a slap on the wrist, a professor gave him a recommendation for grad school at a top notch film program. I was in class like, WTF!!!! He lied to the faculty and got a recommendation for grad school? Of course, an African-American student asked for the same recommendation and was denied. Not enough money from her parents or the wrong skin-tone.
The chair of the department has no clue, and does not make it mandatory for the professors to teach the same curriculum. That means there is no consistency when it comes to education. Students in a Film 100 class will not learn the same thing. I learned how to use just the camera, but my buddy learned how to use lighting equipment, flags and C-stands. I can't get that stuff but he can. We're both taking the same level course, but because he has a different teacher - who teaches what he wants - he gets all the perks. That's bogus.
The real bottom line with SCAD is it's more about itself then its students. The curriculum is a joke, the security is a SHAME (you can get jacked in broad daylight on campus) and the faculty cares only about themselves.If you can go to another school with better contacts - FSU, UCLA or NYU - go there instead. The school has another 10 years, and at least three or four department chairs to go before they can call themselves a vital film school. A conservative art college, yes. A worthy film school, no way.
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