--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Film school is a complete con, because…" description: "\"Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.\" — Paul Thomas Anderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_cinema_film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-th_874259.jpg" --- # Film school is a complete con, because the information is… ![“Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.” quote by Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_cinema_film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-th_874259.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_cinema_film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-th_874259.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_cinema_film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-th_874259.jpg) > “Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.” [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Film school offers information freely available elsewhere, making it a costly and unnecessary venture for many aspiring filmmakers. **In simple terms:** Film school is often unnecessary. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge independently. Themes education film industry self‑learning Mood critical encouraging Type educational industry When to use this quote - online tutorials - mentorship programs - budget filmmaking - career planning Key Concepts Pedagogy accessibility industry barriers Questions to Reflect On - Is formal education worth the cost? - How can aspiring filmmakers gain practical skills without school? A Different Perspective Hands‑on experience may still require formal training. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I think I've always wanted to direct, but I didn't go to film school. I was lucky enough to work in movies, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-think-i-ve-always-wanted-to-direct-but-i-didn-t-go-to-film-school-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [I'm a believer in film school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-durkin/i-m-a-believer-in-film-school/) [Sean Durkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-durkin/) > [I think you get out of film school what you put into it. If you don't care about making movies, film school will do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-think-you-get-out-of-film-school-what-you-put-into-it-if-you-don-t/) [Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/) > [How much information I want to put out in the public domain is my prerogative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/how-much-information-i-want-to-put-out-in-the-public-domain-is-my/) [Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/) > [“In this time of 'information overload', people do not need more information. They want a story they can relate to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maarten-sch-fer/in-this-time-of-information-overload-people-do-not-need-more/) [Maarten Schäfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maarten-sch-fer/) > [People don't want information; they want epiphanies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-horn/people-don-t-want-information-they-want-epiphanies/) [Sam Horn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-horn/) > [We all want our genetic information. Why would you not want genetic information?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-wojcicki/we-all-want-our-genetic-information-why-would-you-not-want-genetic/) [Anne Wojcicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-wojcicki/) > [“The information you have is not the information you want. The information you want is not the information you need. The information you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/the-information-you-have-is-not-the-information-you-want-the/) [Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/) > [The information I most want is in books not yet written by people not yet born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/the-information-i-most-want-is-in-books-not-yet-written-by-people-not/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [You can have all the information you want in the world. If you don't have the people raising questions and looking beneath the surface,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lowell-bergman/you-can-have-all-the-information-you-want-in-the-world-if-you-don-t/) [Lowell Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lowell-bergman/) > [If there's information out there, you want it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump-jr/if-there-s-information-out-there-you-want-it/) [Donald Trump, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump-jr/) > [I love information. I want to stay current. I don't want to be under-informed. But I'm busy. Sometimes, I need an instant overview of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccandless/i-love-information-i-want-to-stay-current-i-don-t-want-to-be-under/) [David McCandless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccandless/) > [The information we need is not available. The information we want is not what we need. The information we have is not what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peers/the-information-we-need-is-not-available-the-information-we-want-is/) [John Peers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peers/) > [My filmmaking education consisted of finding out what filmmakers I liked were watching, then seeing those films. I learned the technical stuff from books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/my-filmmaking-education-consisted-of-finding-out-what-filmmakers-i/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [My M.F.A was in directing, and all the films I've made, for film school and after, I've written, directed and shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-s-fletcher/my-m-f-a-was-in-directing-and-all-the-films-i-ve-made-for-film-school/) [Geoffrey S. Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-s-fletcher/) ## More by Paul Thomas Anderson > [I don't think the competition's so rough, within the majority of movies made in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-don-t-think-the-competition-s-so-rough-within-the-majority-of/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [You write who you are. But you also cheat, and youwrite what you want to be. It's embarrasing to be the guy who madethe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/you-write-who-you-are-but-you-also-cheat-and-youwrite-what-you-want/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I always had a dream about trying to make a movie that had no dialogue in it, that was just music and pictures. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-always-had-a-dream-about-trying-to-make-a-movie-that-had-no/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I'm not really a Sundance baby, but they helped me so much I feel I have to acknowledge it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-m-not-really-a-sundance-baby-but-they-helped-me-so-much-i-feel-i/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [You have to be a brat in order to carve out your parameters, and you have to be a monster to anyone who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/you-have-to-be-a-brat-in-order-to-carve-out-your-parameters-and-you/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [My older sister was at the cusp of new wave, and I had older brothers from my father's first marriage who were rock 'n'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/my-older-sister-was-at-the-cusp-of-new-wave-and-i-had-older-brothers/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I think my job is to try and be as honest as I can with what is in my mind and how I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-think-my-job-is-to-try-and-be-as-honest-as-i-can-with-what-is-in-my/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I've never been a fan of whimsical or confusing storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-ve-never-been-a-fan-of-whimsical-or-confusing-storytelling/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [So with 'There Will Be Blood,' I didn't even really feel like I was adapting a book. I was just desperate to find stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/so-with-there-will-be-blood-i-didn-t-even-really-feel-like-i-was/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I didn't have any desire I might have had 10 years ago to shoot every single word that I wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-didn-t-have-any-desire-i-might-have-had-10-years-ago-to-shoot-every/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I don't think it's a director's job to peek behind the curtain too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-don-t-think-it-s-a-director-s-job-to-peek-behind-the-curtain-too/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [I'll rebel against powers and principalities, all the time. Always, I will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/i-ll-rebel-against-powers-and-principalities-all-the-time-always-i/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/but-i-d-be-lying-if-i-didn-t-say-that-every-time-you-go-to-make-a/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [It's so hard to do anything that doesn't owe some kind of debt to what Stanley Kubrick did with music in movies. Inevitably, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/it-s-so-hard-to-do-anything-that-doesn-t-owe-some-kind-of-debt-to/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [You know, I'm really not that competent at describing things musically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/you-know-i-m-really-not-that-competent-at-describing-things-musically/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) [Explore all 51 Paul Thomas Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Thomas Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-the-information-is-there-if-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-the-information-is-there-if-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_cinema_film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-th_874259.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_cinema_film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-th_874259.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/paul-thomas-anderson-13109_cinema_film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-th_874259.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.” — Paul Thomas Anderson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Thomas Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Film school is a complete con,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-the-information-is-there-if-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/film-school-is-a-complete-con-because-the-information-is-there-if-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```