Val Paraskiv - Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL

Professor: Val Paraskiv

Department: Film

College: Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: DP01
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

on the real. this is the only person i have ever rated on here, but i felt i had to. Val is, in the simplest terms, the sh!t. He is a neccesity if you want to be in the film industry. He ignores you, throws you out of your comfort zone, doesnt like bullsh!tting, and is the instructor most related to the people you actually run into in the industr

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: FILM1710
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Difficult but knowledgeable. Very strict on due dates and attendance. Hard to understand, thick accent. Hardest teachers ever. Will RIP APART your work. Throw your pride, ego out and you'll learn a lot in this class. Don't argue, just take the critique and apply it. Come to class, do the work, make applicable changes, do your best and you'll pass!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: DP01
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Val was a tough but awesome teacher, definitely not for the thin skinned, but i really did gain valuable perspective from his class!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: DP01
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Val is without a doubt a necessity to the whole filming department at Columbia. His tough and abusive relationship with his students is what helps them seperate themselves from the boys. If you are lazy and can't take harsh criticism, don't cry. Just leave Columbia. You'll be doing yourself a favor. Val's incredible and I enjoyed his class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: FV1700
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's an acquired taste. He will rip your work apart, and he will single you out if you continue to make mistakes. While he is difficult to understand and likes to interrupt I learned a lot from him. Best word of advice is to NOT MAKE EXCUSES if you don't do an assignment or miss a class. Don't try to explain, because he doesn't want to hear it.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: DP00
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I loved Val; he knows what he's talking about it. The only people that had problems in my D&P class were the ones that needed to get over their own egos. It's a BEGINNING level course so he treats you like the BEGINNING level writer you are. As long as you can accept the fact that he knows his sh*t, you'll do well & have a lot of fun in this class

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: DPP101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's not so bad as long as you take the class seriously and follow instructions. Turn in your assignments on time and also, when you read aloud in class, read clearly and loudly, he hates it when you don't. He also likes writings to be funny. He's not a bad guy, just kind of a crackpot, and he has a sense of humor.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: DP07
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This man is super-intense. A great teacher though, he "tears the a**hole" out of work to make it better. Would you rather your instructor candy-coat his attacks on your work? I, for one, would rather have people tell me to-my-face what's wrong with my work than dance around it. A+, would take the class again.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: DEVELPREPROD
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's obviously a teacher that takes some getting used to. He did bash everyone's work, but I think he's doing it to get you used to the fact that in a business like film, it's something that happens often. He always wanted to have fun, and bought us PIZZA on the last day. If you work hard, and are open to criticism, you'll pass.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: DEVPRE
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He has his good and bad traits. He IS a very experienced filmmaker, and knows a lot about it, but he is a VERY difficult teacher and does tend to put down a lot of students' work, but I feel it is more to make them realize that when you start, you SUCK, and if you don't improve, you are going to get screwed because film business is TOUGH.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: DEVPREPROD
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Awesome Teacher! Be open minded &try to like him, first class we got scared of him but now no one wants the class to end. Breaks down the rules for writing treatments & gives you basic and simple ideas to follow, gives individual comments on papers, and i agree-he focuses on what you did wrong, but in a way that helps you challenge urself &improve

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: SCREENWRITING1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Oh, I'm open minded all right, but this guy is so past his prime and out of his mind there's something seriously wrong with you if you like his class. He looks for one or two students to bond with then spends the semester tearing the a**hole out of the rest. What an ego trip. What a waste of time. What the hell is his problem? Seriously.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: DP
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I LOVED THIS GUY, HE WAS WAY FUNNY> if you people cannot be accepting to the way other people are and different personalities and cultures, then you are the ones who deserve bad ratings. He is kinda crazy. What a trip, but what a fun time

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: SCREENWRITINGI
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Worst teacher I have ever had...ever. Expects every script to be a hollywood romance with a cheesy ending or a comedy. Class consists of reading our assignments aloud followed by countless put downs, no matter how much the rest of the class sticks up for you. Our class had several fights with him, nothing changed. Don't take him!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: DEVPREPRO
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Grades personally. Run away. He told me I would never get through Film School -- I'm off to Grad School at one of the toughest programs around, so he can kiss my .. I've told lots of people that if I was to ever walk into a class and he was teaching, I'd turn and walk out. You should do the same

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: SCREENWRITING1
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: DEVPROD
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Total jerk!! He is not friendly and gets off on being an ass! Run away!!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: 241700
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is evil. He goes through your work specifically to find what you did wrong and the other students will onyl give you nebulous comments. His English is broken at best and his assignments are very vague and then he gets mad at you when you can not follow