Did I make the wrong choice committing to Dodge?

[u/GabbytheAbby]

I committed to Chapman Dodge as a transfer coming in as a sophomore and I’m studying Creative Producing and hopefully double majoring in business. My long term goal is producing, or tv development and distribution. I live in the LA area, so I can do internships over summer if neededbut now I keep overthinking whether LMU would’ve been the smarter move for networking / entertainment business / executive career paths because of the location.

I know Dodge has a great reputation and strong producing training, but I keep seeing people talk about LMU’s LA connections and now I’m wondering if I screwed up. I know Chapman is a top 5 film school, but I’m wondering if it would have been better to go somewhere with more network opportunitie. I’m planning on getting a car by my junior year, and that helps.

[u/Popa-Ioana06]

you definitely didn't screw up. dodge is a top 4 film school for a reason, and their creative producing program is arguably one of the best and most business-focused in the country.

[u/luckycockroach]

You’re over thinking it. The only thing that will kill your career is student debt.

[u/johntwoods → u/[deleted]]

Then you'll be fine, obviously.

(Turns out school doesn't matter as long as you go to the right alma matar for the person you're talking to in life at the moment.)

[u/Ok_Salamander_7076]

Shouldn’t have gone to film school.

[u/Embarrassed-Oil3127 → u/Ok_Salamander_7076]

I genuinely don’t understand why people go to film school in 2026. Make some short films, PA, make contacts on real sets, learn the ropes that way. Plus the wealth of info on the internet. Much of what’s being taught will likely be unusable as it’s a new world order with AI in the production mix and no one knows how things are gonna evolve. I had a friend go to grad school at LMU for TV writing in her 40s. 8 years later she hasn’t worked on a single TV show and is in debt. And she is a decent writer and was already producing scripts. She spent over 50K I think. Nuts.

[u/Devario → u/Embarrassed-Oil3127]

This take is so naive. 

Not everyone knows how they fit into film at a young age. Not everyone is so self motivated to learn exactly what they want to do on the Internet. And the Internet doesn’t teach you anything socially. 

Most of the career of a creative is getting OFF the internet and actually making something with other people. Film school is that for 4 years. Hundreds of other people in the same life stage with very similar ambitions. 

Film school is a structured catalyst. It’s not a means to an end. It’s just a beginning. It’s manufactured opportunities and it’s manufactured networking. You don’t get that on your own.

Yes there are other ways to do it, and film school can be a total rip, but not everyone has the resources to YouTube their way into a career. It does have a place, whether it served you or not. 

[u/WhatEvenIsLifeThis → u/Ok_Salamander_7076]

Yeah, they should go on r/FilmIndustryLA and ask who can help them get a $2-5 million feature made with just an idea and a dream.

[u/Embarrassed-Oil3127 → u/WhatEvenIsLifeThis]

Not sure if you’re being flippant. But if so they could start small. Shoot a short on their iPhone. See their mistakes. Learn from them. Get better. Make another short. Rinse and repeat. Maybe try to produce a feature on a shoestring. Get a sense of what it takes - in front of and behind the camera - to shoot and produce a film. Intern or work as a PA for a year on sets. Ask questions. Watch classic films and shitty films and all the films. Take a few independent classes on film production. Talk to producers, shadow them…

If there is any career in which you do not need a degree it’s film. If you’re a nepo baby with time and money to burn like Reese Witherspoon and Gwenyth Paltrow’s kids - both just graduated with film degrees both immediately have big jobs in film - go for it.

But for pleebs why start life with debt for a film degree when the industry is in flux. Not a single successful person I know in TV or film has a degree in film or production. The highest grossing film out right now was directed by a YouTuber who can’t even legally drink. Mofo taught himself.

[u/cinemaunfiltered]

Went to LMU for film. If you specifically want to be a producer, Chapman is the place to go

[u/Devario]

I don’t know anything about either school but unless you can switch, it doesn’t matter. In 10 years it won’t have made a difference. You’ll either be in your career or you’ll be doing something else entirely. 

What’s important is that you do something with your college career. Don’t wait for opportunities. Use this time to make mistakes, make as many friends and create as much as you can. Double major and find tangential approaches to film. The business major is very wise; you can be in the industry without ever being on a set.

For what it’s worth, I don’t remember meeting anyone that went to LMU, but I’ve met a ton that went to Chapman. 

[u/big_thunder_man]

Yeah, LMU has nothing on Chapman’s connections

[u/josephevans_60]

By the time you're done, film should see some recovery. The best thing I recommend here is WORK HARD, commit. If you want to do this for a living, know you have to commit.