film school is a general name for any educational institution designed for training students in moviemaking, including, but not merely, screen writing, film theory, and producing.

By and large, hands on technical training is incorporated as part of the course, like learning how to use light meters, movie cameras and other kinds of film making gear. many film schools are part of existing universities and colleges, most often in art or communication departments. Some of them are privately owned and not linked to colleges, such as technical schools furnishing associate diplomas.

A good amount of debates have raged over the years on the importance of film school in allowing someone to become a part of the film industry. without a doubt, examples can be found from both sides, as directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola graduated from prestigious film schools, but Quentin Tarantino had no formal schooling.

The fast rise of independent filmmakers and digital video have changed this argument slightly, since anybody with a couple thousand dollars can make a film (and some people have done so quite successfully) with little formal schooling in the film industry. Thus, it could be debated that the cost of attending a film school can now be better off spent on making a film.

Others claim that film school is important because it allows students to network and make contact with others involved in film making, as well as with individuals who might eventually offer them careers in the film industry.