We all seem really literate about the mechanics of TV/filmmaking and appreciate good storytelling and technical wizardry.

I know some of the people on the boards are outright filmmakers and some are critics or involved in filmmaking indirectly. And the rest of us are just film and TV heads and aren't involved in filmmaking at all.

But where did you get your film 'education'?

Did you just start to dig into magazines and books to learn more about the how's and why's behind filmmaking? Or did you study film in high school or college? And if you have studied formally, did you learn more in a classroom setting or just by observing film and coming to your own conclusions?

I remember watching movies as a kid, maybe 10 or 11, and fantasizing about being an actor. That ended in junior high when I took this afterschool stage class and bombed... HARD.

After that I used to watch movies and try to think like an editor or director would. Which camera angles worked best? What didn't work about that action sequence? Which would be a better way?

Most of the movies I saw were sci-fi blockbusters and since 3D animation was a half-hobby of mine, noticing good special effects was another aspect of filmmaking which I minded.

I didn't really think of myself as a film 'nerd' until late high school or college. Actually it was music videos that grabbed my attention into filmmaking by way of cinematography and editing.

But then I would study details about the composition of each frame or the pacing of a particular filmmaker or whatever. I would scan over American Cinematographer or Cinefex at the bookstore to just learn a little about that craft.

In college a friend of mine invited me to audit a film studies course. The class watched a couple of classic movies (North by Northwest was one I remember). But I didn't enjoy the pretentious of the class. I was more into popcorn movies at the time and valued movies that had artistic integrity but weren't self-indulgent like many of the films the teacher seemed to revere.

And this place helped alot with my understanding of film. There's a great deal of knowledge here and it's been interesting to get different perspectives and outlooks on the films that come out from year to year.

So what about you?