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Schools are different now. they are becoming BIG BUSINESS. and for some, the only option for a job in the studio climate is to teach there. For the owners : $$$. For the market : saturation of engineers who end up working at Guitar Center and starting their own basement studios.....
AND : you would be surprised how much these kids know about Timecode, Post, Frame rates, OMF workflow, spotting, heck even "bias".
***HOWEVER****
This is not always true. Case in point. Guy wants to get into audio and knows nothing about it, just knows he likes it. He lives in Iowa. And he should Intern at _________?....... Yes, I know : Go to LA. Ok, so, you play polo, love horses, grew up on a farm, want to keep that lifestyle (as does your serious girlfriend). Do you go to LA or NY and not know ANYBODY or ANYTHING and spend A LOT OF MONEY on an rat-hole of an apartment? Or, do you enroll in a school -- not knowing much of anything about the industry -- and apply yourself. Learn everything you can. Some of the schools programs are getting better. And when a friend and colleague of one of your professors needs interns and comes into your class to introduce himself. Well, that just might lead to a job. In a place that can fit your lifestyle.
Point is, I often need interns who know THE BASICS. All of these grads know how to thread a tape deck -- something i need from time to time. All of these grads can hook up a simple Pro Tools system and controller and speakers without supervision. If i get an interns off the street, I don't have time to babysit them through Audio 101.
I am taking on 3 interns now and we are on a fast moving train. i have ZERO time to babysit. I need people who have SOME skillset.
THAT said, they learn more here in 6 months than they did in 2 YEARS at school.
School can lead to networking opportunities. Or, not. the alternative can lead to no networking opportunities. Or, it can. either way, APPLY YOURSELF!!!! if you don't go to school, learn the basics of signal flow, plugging stuff in, wrapping cables, learn a DAW (probably Pro Tools) inside out.
oh, and THAT said, after I hired a graduate of "one of those schools" I hired a guy who hired me to score his feature. He needed a gig and he had sound designed his feature. It was crude, but full of all sorts of great and creative ideas. He had the right ideas, just needed a little technical help. Also, he LOVES film, loves sound, is VERY smart, KNOWS software. He comes in with a good brain fro editing, he just needs some technical schooling. He sits and edits and pulls out the manual or the PT coursebook when he needs to figure something out. he is also a nice, funny, and very enthusiastic guy.
there are SO MANY ways to do it.
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