I had a great experience with Writers Boot Camp. I took the Basic Training Writers Boot Camp course…read morein summer 2025. The schedule fit well for me as I work full time and live in SoCal (not the LA area); they had Saturday classes online. My take on the Writers Boot Camp: great stuff! Disregard the negative reviews, especially if those were from several years ago. Jeff runs a pretty solid program and allows for multiple opportunities to write and gain feedback. He is an open and frank person. I gained valuable feedback from Jeff during our live sessions and valuable feedback from Brad after the session. You have to take advantage of the opportunities Jeff announces to the class. I did and it helped. I completed the course and the requirements. If you don't, you don't get the benefit of Jeff's program. There's a reason why so many writers and producers come from this program. I followed the advice in the program, and I'm proud to say I placed in my first screenwriting competition as a first time writer (I placed as a quarterfinalist). This competition is long running and popular competition. I got my first laurels from the competition! I know it may not be much to be proud of but I have no experience as a screenwriter. Since the boot camp course, I've written a lot more screenplays including TV series and movies. Now I'm looking for representation. As a first time writer, I was a bit unsure of what to expect or if my writing was even good enough. The truth is, as I have learned, no one really knows everything or what the heck they are doing. You just write and all it takes is one person to push your idea forward. Jeff and the Writers Boot Camp has credibility. You won't regret the class if you just follow what he says, and follow through on why you took the class. My goal was simple: 1. I wanted to learn the basics of screenwriting 2. I wanted to write my first screenplay and 3. I wanted to see what happens after following my passion and the fun I have writing creative storylines. Very simple goals, with no pressure but it was something obtainable. And I did, thanks, Jeff, Brad and the Writers Boot Camp!

As I reflect on my time as a Professional Member at Writers Boot Camp from 2018-2020, I have a fond…read morememory of my time there and also life before the Coronavirus outbreak. My recollection there remains even more clear now because of how well the end of my time coincided with the beginning of the pandemic. Unlike most, who have clear memories on what they were doing before all of our lives changed, I remember it more distinctly because of how my writing process significantly changed over the two years I was in Professional Membership. Before joining Writers Boot Camp I would spend months filling up notebooks with stories I wanted to tell, not knowing that I was both spending too much time researching stories, but also spending way too much overwriting them. It wasn't until I signed up for Professional Membership and started in Basic Training, that I realized how much extra work I was doing and how unaware of my own process I was. I quickly learned how much time and effort I could be saving in my pursuit of screenwriting. With the tools and distinctions that Jeffrey Gordon and his staff showed me, not only did it become easier to write and decide what to write, but I soon gained knowledge and awareness in my own process. Working in a group environment ultimately makes your work more transparent, because for so long I was writing in a vacuum. Like most writers who don't have the benefit of a writing group, it's hard to see feedback as timely and throughly as I did as a Professional Member. Some breakthroughs came easier than others. In Project Group I learned how much my story was still in my head, even after multiple drafts of writing on my own. With screenwriting, as with most writing, the proof is in the pudding, and in Writers Boot Camp, the pudding is on the script page. The most important part I learned is that re-writing is when the magic starts happening on the page. Writers Boot Camp emphasizes the re-writing process from day one. They tell you right away, you're going to be re-writing your first draft, so they get you comfortable with that idea. This philosophy keeps you from thinking your idea, character and pages are precious, because unless you're a born natural, they most times are not. The company and its trained staff know what makes material work, they know how to execute those ideas and they love movies! Those three things I feel, are the most important parts about creating a productive and comprehensive learning environment for aspiring writers and filmmakers. I'm now a better writer, conceptual thinker, collaborator and authority of my own work. If you would have asked me before I joined Writers Boot Camp if these things were true, I would have told you, "yeah", but now as I look back I can truly say, I didn't even know what I didn't know. I didn't see a lot of things I was doing wrong, but today I see them all. Now, I spend my time re-writing and making my scripts better, knowing what I need to know. I no longer waste my time hoping I'll be a better writer, because I'm becoming one.

I gave it 5 stars because I truly learned a lot from the lessons. I got my operator and…read moreprofessional certificate for ProTools and I can say I did not know anything about ProTools and left knowing so much. Everyone was very friendly, and Chilitos had so much patience. The overall experience was so much fun and worth it. Would recommend anyone to come and learn from the best!

I will start by saying that Chilitos is the best teacher ever!!! I came in with minimal knowledge…read moreof Pro Tools, but I took the classes to become more than average and learn what I always wanted about Pro Tools and connections. And I found that connection with Chilitos and engineering. He makes you feel comfortable, yet challenges you to be the best version of yourself with your goals in mind. I HIGHLY recommend any course that you take, let it be with my good friend Chilitos.

Excellent school and very prestigious art and design school. Be sure to look for when they have…read moresales or open studios. The quality of the work coming out of this school is amazing!

OTIS has been a life-altering experience for me. I joined OTIS just to get my hands warmed up in…read moresurface design. I took classes from Debra and Michael who were kind and amazing teachers. Debra's online digital class is so helpful!I learned plenty, and got a job as assistant textile designer by end of my program. I have been working in downtown LA for more than two years now. With faith, hard work, and good teachers, anything is possible!

My teenage son and I took Beat Academy's intensive introduction to Logic workshop and that was the…read morebest thing we could do. So much better to than trying to learn from YouTube videos. There's nothing like having an experienced music producer teach you how to be creative with this software and answer your questions right there on the spot. Joe knows Logic like the palm of his hand. He is also very patient when clearing any of your doubts and going over information. We now have a solid foundation on Logic and a great starting point to expand our knowledge of it. Thank you!

I highly recommend taking a course with Beat Academy! You will learn so much and have a great time…read moredoing it. Joe is the best teacher! He is very thorough, encouraging and makes the class extremely enjoyable. I had such a blast and was able to learn more than I ever expected in just two days! Definitely take a course here!!

This is a pretty good place to host a film screening. We used the Mark Goodson screening room for…read moreour event. The downsides are - theater only seats about 135, which may or may not suit your needs, and there isn't a great deal of close parking. We also had a lot of things (including catering) to load in and that required going up and down a lot of stairs. There are elevators but we weren't given access to that part of the building since the nearby library seemed to still be open. But one of the good things is there is a (very small) kitchen you can use, so that means you can do your own catering, which will certainly help save money. The interiors aren't beautiful. Some of the carpets are stained and the look in general is very 1980's outdated. But I liked the convenience of the location, the friendly and helpful staff and the ability to bring in your own catering and have room for a small reception pre or post screening. If you're looking for a screening space, I do recommend you check out AFI.

Usually the graduates of AFI do not bad mouth the place to perpetuate the myth of its brilliance…read more If I were a young aspiring filmmaker that was bent on going to film school I'd take my money and hopes to Chapman University. In 2006-2007 Chapman's program stole some of the best Faculty from AFI because it was a bigger and better film program.  http://ftv.chapman.edu/about/facilities_equipment/ Call AFI and compare and contrast what Chapman offers before you enroll. No, it's not in Hollywood but it's an hour drive away from Hollywood.  Chapman has: many, many REAL editing suits a back lot NEW state of the art equipment not just a sound stage but 2 enough equipment for everyone all sorts or studios and stages for various aspects of filmmaking most of AFI's great faculty (excluding Jim McBride) a theater with 500 seats make-up rooms and green rooms oh, and a few hardcore libraries on campus. AFI has: none of the above.  no soundstages no new gear fuzzy monitors glitchy cameras a dozen molding editing suits a small 200 person theater no make-up rooms no green rooms (they'd like to turn the library into a green room for special lecture guests) a room called a library that's been gutted of everything rare and relevant for a filmmaker a nice view of the city on a clear day (but we all know LA is the most polluted city in the country so there is rarely a clear day) CELEBRITY GALAS CELEBRITY LECTURES, AFI's 100 Lists... that's what AFI is really about: the fluff the student is last on their lists of priorities. Lastly, I would like to say Martin Scorsese requested his original film score for Taxi Driver from the AFI "archives." First, the head librarian could not find it. Second, when found it was on top of some rickety shelves totally placed in a spot with no rhyme or reason. Third, this archive had broken windows and pigeons living inside it. So lastly, the film score was covered in a half inch layer of bird feces. Dear Scorsese, take your papers elsewhere! Dear aspiring filmmakers, visit the schools you're applying to or just apply to Chapman. WASC how could you accredite this place?

What can I say about this class that would appropriately describe its value. For starters, as a…read morenative Angeleno, I once held an internalized contempt for this city; I used to think everyone was either a jaded transplant or an apathetic native, and the acting culture seemed undeniably vapid. Well, lo and behold Lifebook Acting Academy. I joined Lifebook on a whim after getting back into acting in early 2020, and after a global pandemic and two industry strikes, it seemed like an easy way to keep my acting chops polished. In short, Lifebook has not only revitalized my passion for art, but my passion for community. Everyone I have met at Lifebook is a quality human being; there are no airs of pretentious, just fellow artists willing to uplift each other through scenes and student-run showcases. I have made friends that have gone above-and-beyond for me in ways other people in my life have not; they all celebrate each other inside and outside of class; and the genuine love for the art is there! Every student is both passionate AND talented! As for the instructor, Allen Levin, he's an energetic, direct, and knowledgeable creative. Allen doesn't oversell what the industry has to offer and gives raw critiques that push us to grow past memorizing lines and yelling out in forced expressiveness; Allen isn't one to feed your ego, he will give you the needed words for you to look past said ego and bring out the good and bad elements of your life that create characters and moments between scene partners. Allen will tell you that once the bookings come, your attendance will likely drop because you'll be busy on set. As for me, the friends/family I have made at Lifebook will keep me returning for years to come--it's my second home. .

Please try another more professional, less seedy acting class! I will say the teacher here does…read moreknow some of his stuff. He has a lot of insight into the business side of acting which I found really useful. However, I did not find the exercises particularly helpful. It was mostly improv (freeze tag) and cold reads, but none of it was filmed. I was only auditing a class, but I don't know how you could justify not having things on camera when most of the students are presumably pursuing a career in film/tv. Very different from other acting classes I have taken! However, my lower rating stems mostly from some of inappropriate behavior I witnessed from the teacher. I found a lot of his jokes to be kind of offensive. He made a lot of racial and misogynistic comments. He said because he was a minority, he could use slurs. He said he was in an open relationship and made several overtly sexual statements. He also made It clear students were banned from dating each other. The weirdest part was when he insistently urged new students (some as young as 18) to join his nude comedy show (that's right--stand-up routines without any clothes). He also mentioned a cuddle company he was looking to start, where students would be required to audition with him (that is, cuddle with him one on one and see if they were adequate enough to be hired). The whole vibe made me very uncomfortable, and the girl I was with felt the same way. I don't know if he could tell, but I was writing notes on all of it. I have just never seen anything like this in any other acting class. It's a shame because he did give some genuinely helpful advice, and it does seem like a really cool community of people, but I would suggest a more professional class.

In The Act is hands-down the best place to take workshops. I live in Santa Clarita and I will…read moredrive all the way to Culver City just for ITA! The caliber of other actors is stellar, you can trust that you will be paired with talented actors if you are partnered in a scene by a casting director. The Talent Blast the last Sunday of the Month is the best theater in town, and the best CDs know it. After studying with Adam Marcus (camera style scene study) this last year I booked 12 gigs in 12 months! 1 play = Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate. 5 TV shows = Awake, The Newsroom, Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous, Switched At Birth, Up All Night. 2 commercials = Bud Light and Allstate, 2 print jobs and 2 films = Atlas Shrugged 2 and Revelation Road. I credit ITA with giving me the tools and the visibility to achieve this success. Am I bragging? You bet I am. Did I mention that their prices are absolutely the best you will find. Period.

I'll probably regret this later, as I.T.A. is one of the best-kept secrets we actors keep.... and…read morethe more popular this place becomes, the quicker I'll have to be about signing up for their workshops with casting professionals (they have workshops with Directors of television shows, heads of network casting, head CDs, Associate Casting Directors, etc.). But the owners of this wonderful resource for actors deserve to make their rent each month, and more talented and serious actors deserve to know about the fact that there ARE places that you can find for casting director workshops that aren't willing to rob you blind, just so you can get in the same room with a casting director. The fact that ITA charges HALF of what some of their competitors charge has motivated me to make the commute from Hollywood (work) and Studio City (home) to the west side for the past few years. (Note: Actually, the commute from the valley is surprisingly easy in the evenings, since it's going against traffic!) Here's what's great about ITA: You have to audition first, before you can sign up for any workshops. What's so great about that? 1) Some casting directors prefer to bring in (and assign to you) their own material. When that happens, they often assign you a partner (fellow classmate/actor), and after a very short rehearsal period you both go up and perform the scene together. In those instances, you're going to be in much better shape if your scene partner is AT LEAST as competent as you are. (The last thing you would want is to be paired with someone who's not ready for this sort of challenge.... If they're terrible, then you look terrible too!) At ITA, they've done their due diligence to make sure that you don't have that problem. 2) On at least three separate occasions over the years, I have heard head casting directors comment about the consistent high quality of actors that they see when they come to I.T.A. That's an automatic point in your favor, in my opinion. Other things that make ITA a wonderful place? Their CD workshops are at rock bottom prices. Seriously. Recently they ran a special where a lot of their upcoming workshops were only $25. That's unheard of in most places! The classes are reasonably small (as opposed to the 40+ actors that I've seen attending at some other workshops!), so you get a fair amount of time and attention from the casting professional. Some of the actors attending the workshops at ITA are regularly booking guest stars, and still attribute their success to having been on a casting director's short list, because they met at a workshop. They regularly have actor showcases for those actors looking to find a new agent or manager. The staff members are friendly and helpful. (They're actors, too!) The atmosphere amongst the other actors is very supportive. I like the people that I meet there. Free parking in the neighborhood right behind Washington Blvd. There's a great gluten free bakery right down the street. (But I digress!) Ok. Get your butt down there before I pull this review. It's already making me nervous.... (Isn't that funny, how sometimes people don't want to share the things that they love best?) As you probably know, there is no promise of work just because you enrolled in a class and got to strut your stuff in front of a heavy-hitting casting director who is currently casting. And this is just my personal experience, mind you..... But less than a month after I took a class at ITA with the head CD for Criminal Minds, I got called straight to producers (a huge compliment!) for a really great role....and I booked it!

I had the pleasure of participating in a tight-knit cohort for my Product Management Class under…read morethe guidance and instruction of Lenworth Gordon. For those of us who are wanting to level up their own skills sets so that they can enhance their career (and progress upwards into new possibilities), this is a great fundamental class that introduces you to the product manager style of thinking. What enriches the class are the in-class discussion topics on trends and sharing of professional and personal experiences. A key take away is to understand the different point of views that people are expressing themselves. Point of views are influenced by experiences, culture, and circumstances, and its always great to have this insight. I also did enjoy Lenworth - he made it relatable and he was quite approachable. Good times.

First things first: School is about what effort you put into it!…read more That being said, I give five stars to Product School for two reasons: The Instructor and The Cohort. These two items are critical to your success, in addition to what you put into it. I have taken 2 courses so far: Data Analytics and Product Management. Both instructors (Andy Chu and Lenworth Gordon) have been outstanding - they really make Product School worth it from a teaching stand point. Both are established Product Managers and make the course more than the material. Andy specializes in Data Analytics and gives you a good analytical approach to Product First Thinking. Lenworth is on the money in terms of Product Management principles and helped us outside of class to network and grow professionally. Both instructors get you focused for a possible job transition if you put in the effort. I highly recommend both instructors if you see a class available with either of them. The cohorts have been good and the teams focused on classwork. I think we meshed well for the most part and it is good for networking outside of class too. The only downsides about Product School: The courses are fast! You have to put in the time and effort to get every dollar out of them. The teachers will help, but make sure to invest all your available resources to get that value out of your time. Also, the classroom we had was not good. They should use another location (I told them that directly). Additionally, the course material for Data Analytics needs to be built out a little more. Andy really helped to make the course material a better product and deliver true value (see what I did there :)). Just to note, I will be taking 3rd course in Digital Marketing.