jasonbkohl.com

His students are already among the elite, having been admitted to one of the most prestigious graduate programs in the country. Yet, Tom Denove says he spends the first couple of weeks of instruction reminding those admitted to UCLA’s graduate film school that despite their presence at a top-ranked university, they face a career in which the odds of success are not in their favor. “I know for a fact that most of our graduates are extremely talented people, but Hollywood is full of extremely talented people that are unemployed,” says Denove, a professional cinematographer and the vice chair of production at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. “Anyone thinking about film school has to look at the reality of why they’re doing it,” he says. “Is this something they’re really willing to make the sacrifice to do—not just the sacrifice of going to school but of having what it takes to stick around long enough to be successful? How many years can I starve before I get my break?”