Screenwriting : Film school... by Marvin Watkins

Make short films and listen to every podcast and piece of advice you can get. Film school will build your network. You will have to build it another way.

As with most things, it's what you make of it. I've known tons of people in the industry with and without film school degrees. If you decide to go, make the most of it with work outside of the classes. Get internships, make short films with classmates, do everything you can and bring that experience to your first job in the industry.

I'm not sure what your situation is, but a community college is also an option. Usually a much cheaper alternative, but you still can get access to great instructors, grow your network, often use school equipment, and it makes you eligible for a lot of internships that are only available to students.

There's a famous story of Wes Anderson at NYU. When he turned in a page from a David Mamet script for his first assignment and his unsuspecting teacher gave it a C+, Anderson knew he had to leave. Living off of the tuition NYU returned to him, he got to work on a short film of his own.

There are myriad ways. Focus your camera - iPhone, iPad, DSLR, - on something you or someone else wrote.

Nope you dont. Creatives don’t need college degrees. Lebron James, Lady Gaga, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Jackson didn’t need school to master their crafts.

But if you’re not a prodigy, film school is a good option, next to moving to a major city with a large film/tv industry.