What It’s Like at Howard Film School
Insider look into the Black “Mecca” of film: A Black filmmakers quasi-paradise
Making any type of art in a space without having to be the “diversity voice” or “Black voice” can be somewhat liberating and highly inspirational. This is how I would describe making art in a predominantly Black space versus a White one. Liberating, necessary, fun. And film school at Howard was just that.
Into the Mecca of Black Filmmaking – My Journey
There was a sense of glory of going to a Black film school at a university with a great reputation. Unlimited opportunities and a mass of the best Black creativity I could find.
At times, it felt like a Black bonanza of creativity and competitiveness. Spending the weekends on student film sets, the weekdays writing with other film students, and traveling for “inspiration” were some of the best times creatively for me. The level of community really sets the tone for this program. You want to be the best and most talented, but working with others is also so satisfying. More than you ever thought art could be. The atmosphere is incomparable.
I was constantly meeting new people on different student film sets or events I would film at. Everyone was eager to share opportunities with one another. This meant you could find a plethora of unpaid and paid gigs on/off-campus. The connectedness was intimate, as it seemed like everyone had met everyone through different filmmaking experiences or friends.
The best part of the program is the access to a quality film education. This can be crucial for young Black filmmakers who don’t have the resources to create a film to apply to a film program. This alone can make a film school option for lower income students suddenly become possible. This allowed my own transition from switching majors to be rather smooth and exciting.
Infamous Pre-Release Screenings and Celebrity Events
Celebrities and known figures come to so many events at Howard – and film students get even more perks. Being in proximity with greatness can motivate you, but being able to watch movies like Black Panther before it hits theaters was a nice perk too.
You definitely have to get out of your comfort zone though. It’s not the type of environment where opportunities are just handed to you. I had the privilege to attend film screenings to see movie pre-releases, and I even met Ryan Coogler and Boots Riley in person at these screenings. I got a chance to have a conversation with Julie Dash, a pioneer in the directing world. Even more, I got to network with multiple reps from USC Film Graduate School that loved Howard film students. They answered every question and were eager for my application.
There are so many more opportunities like this to hear the professionals talk about their experiences in-person. There are countless other experiences like this that can make or break your film program experience at Howard. And an unlimited amount of opportunities to get the best Howard – and the film program – have to offer.
The Black Creative Community I Never Knew I Needed
Prior to attending Howard, it was hard for me to understand the magnitude of the diaspora and its effects on what Blackness meant in America. When I arrived, however, I instantly knew that you didn’t have to be one type of Black person at Howard. (Like it felt like I had to be where I was from). There was a connectedness in our differences. That fact ultimately had incredible implications with the filmmaking students and their stories they decided to tell. The stories were expanded into the untold and the unknown.
The energy in this film program is really a hustle mentality with creatives just wanting to create. By any means. Howard is more of a film school of “doing it” rather than just “learning it.”
This just can’t be replicated at a PWI, where the voices feel convoluted against the norm and historical censorship of authentic Black voices. This systemic issue does affect education – whether we would like to admit it or not. And at an HBCU like Howard, you can finally let go. The set of rules are fundamentally different at this HBCU. And in my opinion, on more stable ground.
Recalling SESH: A Major Film and Creative Space at Howard
The SESH originally began as the Howard University Film Organization (HUFO). We had writing circles, we talked about the industry and our experiences, and we bounced ideas off of each other. It definitely had humble beginnings.
Shortly after, a film major in my year became the founder of SESH and completely shifted the paradigm for Howard film majors and all Howard creatives campus-wide. This was done by creating an official collective space to network in a judgement-free zone. And have a bit of recreational fun weekly as well. More importantly, SESH created a place to do your art, whatever that may be. Spaces like this are very hard to come by for artists. Speaking as someone who has gone to a lot of trash writing sessions and open mics, the SESH was the real deal for a lot of students.
What began as a series of small writing sessions quickly evolved into a fully integrated artistic collaboration, forming into the SESH Artist Collective. The founder describes SESH as a space “where artists can just be, and not have to do anything specific” and says that SESH means scribe or storytelling in Egyptian. So it became not only a space that offered writing workshops to aspiring screenwriters, but an entire artist experience where artists can tell their stories. Ultimately, it was a place where you could go off-campus and feel included.
I didn’t go to a lot of these sessions myself personally, so I can’t say exactly what was done on a consistent basis.
However, I remember one event vividly. Writers from Avatar: The Last Airbender were on a video chat panel for us to ask them questions. This was one of my favorite childhood shows, so it was just mind-blowing that the founder of SESH was able to secure and share this opportunity for other film majors. The collective also got film majors out to Sundance Film Festival and into rooms with professionals. Sundance is one of the biggest film festivals in America, so this was also a very notable opportunity.
You can find the location in GroupMe. If it’s still around by the time you apply to Howard, it seems like a phenomenal way to meet creatives and expand your artistic palette. From what I’ve seen, it extends beyond film majors to musicians, singers, painters, and anything else you can imagine. It’s like a free high-quality residency for artists and filmmakers.
The Campaign for the First Department of Film at an HBCU: The problems of a Bachelor of Arts film program
The film program still needs a lot of work. There is a limit of financial resources, and it can seem stifled at times from an academic perspective.
This is why the campaign began many years prior in the first place. It started before my time, but still continues in the shadows. In 2019, myself, the founder and his co-president of SESH, and two savvy film grad students (who did most of the groundwork) all spearheaded a new branch of the campaign during my last semester there.
You can get more info about the campaign here.
There is a noticeable lack of funding for film majors overall when it comes to specific film and audio equipment, film studios, editing labs, types of lighting available, classrooms, and the like.
The worst of it all though is sharing equipment and curriculum with journalism/audio majors. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) can seem a bit general if you’re not continuously committing to making films yourself outside of class. You are also forced to take a ton of humanities courses since this degree is a B.A., and don’t get the same focus as a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) where most of your classes would be film-related. This fact is more annoying than harmful. You are also required to have a minor because it’s a B.A., so there aren’t a lot of extensive film courses if you want to advance beyond the foundations.
This was the core essence of the campaign to transfer the B.A. over to a B.F.A. in order to increase funding and put emphasis back into film. This would mean film majors would be taken out of School of Communications and into the School of Fine Arts. I personally got a lot out of my journalism classes that I had to take, and it expanded my mind thoroughly. However, some creatives may not like the extensive additional classes, so that’s something to keep in mind.
The campaign touches on all of these issues of the film program.
The caveats to keep in mind for an ideal experience
One, you have to get out of your comfort zone. The whole “I don’t like people” thing just doesn’t work in film, because making a film takes so many people. There are going to be times when you’re not comfortable. Times like jumping in front of the camera because your lead dropped out on the last day, or staying up all night to make your own costumes, or building your own sets when crew is limited. You just have to do some extra things with film sometimes; that’s just the way it is.
Two, your work has to be quality and not bullshit (effort translates to your film work because quality practice never lies). You can see the quality of work some of your peers make by how their film looks. You can see effort, craft, and skill in what you make, so practice practice practice.
Three, your first film will be crap; accept it. We all need the practice, so just get that first time (and several more times) out of the way, and revel in the fact that you can only get better with time. But do not half-ass, because no one is going to want to work with you at Howard. There is no time to waste due to assignments, deadlines, jobs, and outside passions.
Four, more ways to meet and connect with a strong group of film students: Work study in the department, WHBC radio station, freelance videography, SESH, HU Elite models, music videos, listening parties, work on your peers’ set (this is a BIG one).
Five, when connecting with others, it’s important to recognize if you like their vision or work ethic before you commit to a project. Experience overall is always helpful, but not all of it was made the same. Some people will have more valuable experiences for you, and that’s okay. Luckily, there’s so much creativity and talent at Howard; you just need to go out and make friends, be intentional, and have a sense of your goals (even if they change). Don’t cheat yourself out of a dope experience because you’re scared to branch out, but also be cautious of who you allow around you. Not everyone’s intentions are pure.
Six, the celebrities you meet most likely won’t remember you, so if you’d like to get some real insight and connection from them, you’ll have to have some hutzpah to walk up and talk to them. Or else you just have proximity without the results. If you do talk to them, don’t be that guy who asks Michael Ealy to be your acting mentor. (This really happened; Ealy said no.)
Seven, remember all of these dope events where celebrities will just randomly come to Howard? Well, the only caveat to these priceless events is the department will tell you LAST MINUTE – as in the DAY OF, or the day before. You may not even know from the school, and have to find out from a friend. (MAKE FRIENDS!) You’ll be scrambling to get into that event, but more often than not, it’ll be worth it.
Eight, like with every school, there are cliques – and subsequently drama. There’s a lot of community, but cliques can’t be helped. Try your best to remain neutral. Avoid all the extra gossiping; it will get you nowhere. And remember at Howard, you may be working in the industry with your classmates at some point. Don’t burn bridges before you’ve even begun. This can be eased when you put your ego to the side; it’s easy to think you’re the best or work harder than everybody else, but you’re all at Howard (and not working on Issa Rae’s set) because you’re on a similar level.
A Mini Inside Look Into Professors
Also, take Professor Dvir! She gets a bad rep in the film program, but she’s one of the BEST professors there. She’s been there forever, and is brutally honest. It may not feel good as an artist the first few times, but she really pushes you to be better. You will become better; I’ve seen it; I’ve experienced it.
There are so many horror stories of her giving entire classes Fs and demolishing student films with daunting critiques (all this has happened, just so you know). But what I’ve realized is that if you do the work, you don’t have to be the best. She just wants to know you actually give a f*ck. She gives you all of the resources you need to be successful, and if you’re lazy or won’t be open to feedback, it’ll reflect in your grade.
Be warned though, her classes are incredibly challenging; I’ve taken her twice and her workload did not get easier. But I’ve come back with polished film skills and an appreciation for the art that I wouldn’t have gotten without the push. She really cares about her students, but she’s a hard ass for a reason. Filmmaking is not easy, and I don’t know why people think it is.
Other professors to keep an eye out for include: Professor Ramberan, the undergrad tv and film coordinator with professional film experience, and Professor Shome (if you can find him). I had to chase Shome down for months to get him signed for a one-on-one Directed Studies course, but his industry experience and knowledge is incredible, so it was worth it.
Final thoughts
Is Howard film school worth it? Every penny; it’s absolutely worth it. I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything. There’s magic on Howard’s campus. Every moment won’t be this spectacular, and you’ll have those annoying moments in Financial Aid or dealing with some drama or just feeling alone, but what I’ve learned is that’s just part of the bargain: the good, and the bad. Hopefully your good outweighs the bad if you decide to go forward with this film school.
And Howard film school got the cosign from Ava DuVernay. (Just sayin’.)
Resources for more Howard Film School (MFA): https://www.howardgraduate.film/
Hot tip: If you are looking for an intensive film experience, I highly recommend the MFA program. It was recommended by the Hollywood Reporter as one of the best film schools in the country. The BA is beautiful for different reasons, but education/resource-wise it just doesn’t compare to a Master’s.
