University of Ohio
Location: Athens, Ohio Program Length: Three years Tuition per Year: $4,902 (for residents), $10,521 (out of state) Number of Applicants: 125 Number Accepted: 18 The Pitch: Sort of a freestyle film program. In the first and second years, students learn the basics of production and work on short films. In the third year, students can make a thesis film or write a screenplay. The Back Story: According to students, some of the film equipment is aging, but there is now new digital video and digital audio equipment. The annual Athens International Film Festival is the closest Athens gets to Hollywood. Housing is pretty cheap, and there's always a trip to nearby Columbus if you want to catch a Big 10 football game. Be sure to bring: Your knowledge of past AIFF winners Leave Behind: Your urban self Famous Alumni: Cinematographer Ed Lachman (''Erin Brockovich''). ''Coyote Ugly'''s Piper Perabo attended the university.

University of Texas
Location: Austin Program Length: Three years Tuition per Year: $2,400 (for residents), $8,000 (out of state) Number of Applicants: 82 Number Accepted: 12 The Pitch: Geared toward indie style narrative filmmaking and documentaries. Students begin by completing several short exercises on video, then a 10 minute ''pre thesis,'' and, ultimately, a 30 minute third year thesis film or video. Its film studies department gets four stars. The Back Story: Austin is home to a famous music scene, with its own Sundancesque music- and now film fest held every March. It's also the site of a screenwriters' conference in the fall. Reports are the equipment is good, though most of the new money is going into digital video equipment and postproduction facilities. Digital video will likely be more popular than film here in the near future. Be sure to bring: Your car, your club hopping earplugs, and your hiking boots (LBJ's Hill Country is just around the bend) Leave Behind: Your stress pills Famous Alumni: ''Fargo'''s Joel Coen attended.

University of California, Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles Program Length: Four years Tuition per Year: $6,685.50 (for residents), $16,927.50 (out of state) Number of Applicants: 600 Number Accepted: 21 The Pitch: Offers specialized programs in screenwriting, producing, animation, and directing. The focus is on independent style filmmaking, but Hollywood is in the air. Famous filmmakers often drop by to teach, and various donors have contributed a lot of money to the School of Theater, Film, and Television that may help the students pay for their movies. UCLA has a great film archive, and its ongoing screenings of rare films are unique among film schools. Students make two shorts in the first year, a 15 minute film the second and third years, and a 30 minute film the third and fourth years. Most students still shoot on 16 mm, and the school's DV equipment is largely used for documentaries. UCLA also has a respected animation department and a hypermedia studio for interactive and Web based media. The Back Story: The most down to earth of the three major film schools in L.A., and students do not directly compete with one another as they do at USC. Good locations are plentiful, and the weather, of course, is beautiful all year round. But even in this company town, some locals dislike film crews and students say it's common to have shoots disrupted by folks asking to be paid. Be sure to bring: A car and a lot of sunscreen Leave Behind: Your Armani suits (at least until the third year) Famous Alumni: Charles Burnett (''To Sleep With Anger''), Alexander Payne (''Election''), Francis Ford Coppola

University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles Program Length: Three years Tuition per Year: $14,698 Number of Applicants: 500 (per semester) Number Accepted: 100 (50 per semester) The Pitch: Probably the most Hollywood oriented of any film school -- not that there's anything wrong with that. USC offers specialized programs in producing, screenwriting, and production. In the first year, all students make five short films; in the second year, students team up for a ''crew'' project. That project is, in turn, pitched to faculty. If it's selected, the school foots the bill for the finished piece. The Back Story: The equipment is good and plentiful. Great courses on film theory and production. As part of its student body support, USC has licensed a hundred films to the popular website AtomFilms.com. Be sure to bring: A car and your copy of Peter Biskind's ''Easy Riders, Raging Bulls'' Leave Behind: Your framed photo of Harvey and Bob Weinstein -- they're so New York. Famous Alumni: George Lucas, Ron Howard, Robert Zemeckis

Helpful Websites