The Art Institute of Las Vegas Reviews: Not On Track

I have been at The Art Institute of Las Vegas for two years and eight months with a set graduation date in December.  I have been in the Digital Filmmaking and Video Production program the entire time.  I have four classes after this quarter, none of which will be teaching me what I should have been taught way before now.

This last weekend, I was helping out other students on a project.  The director decided he wanted a few shots done on the track, or dolly track.  This school has a curved and a straight track. 

When we were doing some practice shots, we found that the tracks weren't put away properly.  When they were setting up the tracks, I found myself just observing:  After just months away from completion of the film program, I have never been taught how to put these tracks together or shown any kind of techniques on how to use them more proficiently.

(The school's straight track getting set up)

 

To be sure, I could have figured it out on my own.  I like doing that kind of work.  However, it is inexcusable that I have never seen these in a class room.  If the school cared about its equipment, it would instruct students on how to use the equipment properly to extend the longevity of the equipment.  Why are students paying so much to not be taught?

There is also a jib at the school that I have never seen in the class room.  There was one class, Field Sound Production, where my group wanted to use the jib, so we got it and figured it out on our own.  Again, is this what an education is?  Should I be learning most of what I know on my own?  I thought I came to school to be taught.

Some people would argue that I should be taking the initiative and just learning this stuff on my own.  Those same people probably would call me lazy for not figuring things out on my own.  I don't see why students should have to go through all of this on their own if they are paying almost $90,000 for a film degree.  I could figure out on my own and it might work, but I might miss a step and be doing damage to the equipment.  I might be doing something the hard way when I could be doing it the easy way.  I might as well just have never went to school and used that money to buy my own equipment. 

 

(I actually have been taught how to use the equipment shown in this picture.  However, the video captured off those cameras can't be captured in HD, so it is pretty old equipment)

 



I am currently in Advanced Camera & Lighting, the last possible class I have where I could be learning about these tracks or the jib.  I just finished my second to last class session yesterday.  Next week is finals week.  This means I'm not going to be taught how to use the tracks or the jib.

I spoke with some students that were in one class where the instructor actually pulled out the jib and the tracks.  However, the instructor didn't know how to put the tracks or the jib together.  He went and found another student to help, but the student found something wrong with the equipment and thought "Well, I'm not the instructor here!" and left.  I don't blame that student at all.

There is also a "Cinematographer's Kit" and supposedly a follow-focus device, but I haven't been taught any of that either.  If I can't use certain pieces of equipment until I have taken certain classes, doesn't that mean I was probably suppose to learn that equipment in those classes?

List of all the posts I have about my experiences at AILV