MM’s Guide to Film Education

MM's at-a-glance reference guide to film education around the world

by MovieMaker Staff | Published July 11, 2003

From one day to one year, completion certificates to PhDs, London to Los Angeles, whatever your film education desire, the growing crop of film education programs is making experts out of novices every day. But which program is right for you? MM takes a look at a score of film schools and education programs the world over to find out where you might fit in.

Full Sail students receive access to a range of equipment, including two Arriflex 35mm cameras.

Academy of Art College, School of Motion Pictures & Television
79 New Montgomery Street • San Francisco, CA 94105
www.academyart.edu • 800/544-ARTS

Founded: 1929
Go to this school if you want: to develop your portfolio.
Length of program: BFA: 4 years MFA: 2 years
Cost: Undergraduate - $550 per unit; Graduate - $600 per unit
Prerequisites: Undergraduate program requires high school diploma or equivalent. Graduate program requires a portfolio.
Degree/Certificate: BFA, MFA
Equipment/Facilities: The Academy has camera packages including everything from Mini DV cameras to 35mm sync sound, a full range of sound gear, editing facilities with Avid, Media 100, Final Cut Pro and flatbed stations and seven Pro Tools suites.
Campus Amenities: Academy of Art College is located in San Francisco, one of the world' most beautiful and artistic cities.
Faculty: With 500 faculty members from the biggest art, design and studio companies in the industry, the Academy hires current professionals to teach future professionals.
Notable Guest Instructors: Rob Carlson and Mike Thomas
Head of Program: David Oliver Pfeil
Avg. student age: 25
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Prospective employers can connect and post job listings online. The result is that AAC graduates can look forward to an 85 percent job placement rate.
Screenings: Hosts the annual Spring Show so students can have their work reviewed by industry professionals.
Comments: Over the years, AAC has grown to become the nation' largest private accredited art college.

Academy of Converging Arts
1800 N. Vine Street, Suite 100 • Hollywood, CA 90028
www.converging-arts.com • 323/461-0851

Year founded: 2003
Go to this school if you want: to be mentored through the moviemaking process with other working professionals.
Cost: Varies by program
Prerequisites: Film or fine arts degree
Equipment/Facilities: Access to many Hollywood facilities (additional pre-negotiated cost); relationship with Post Logic Studios, one of Hollywood' premiere post-production facilities.
Faculty: Gabrielle Kelly, Bonnie Voland, Peter Frish, Barbara Dumphy, John Hora, Bob Koster, Chuck Fianance and Reine-Claire.
Notable Guest Instructors: Caroline Goodall (Schindler' List, The Princess Diaries) is currently teaching an acting class
Head of Program: Daniele J. Suissa, producer, theater and film director and former Dean of the Los Angeles Film School
Avg. student age: 21+
Post-Graduate Support/Services: The Academy is a mentoring institution dedicated to the constant development of its alumni.
Screenings: Yes
Comments: The Academy is a new institution with 100 years of experience through the dedication of its body of mentors.

Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminars
11288 Ventura Blvd. #400-B • Studio City, CA 91604
www.actioncut.com • 800/815-5545

Year founded: 1999
Go to this school if you want: the most acclaimed two-day moviemaking seminar in the industry.
Cost: $275 ($250 for students)
Prerequisites: A great love of the moviemaking process—from page to screen.
Degrees/Certificates: Action/Cut Certificate of Completion
Equipment/Facilities: An audio-visual seminar with professional scene studies.
Faculty: Action/Cut founder, international film instructor and professional working writer-director Guy Magar
Notable Guest Instructors: Randall Wallace, Scott Billups, Frank Lupo and Dennie Gordon.
Head of Program: Guy Magar
Avg. student age: 15-50
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Action/Cut offers one-on-one consultation services with Guy Magar
Screenings: The Action/Cut Short Film Festival will be announced Summer, 2003.
Comments: We provide the Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminar during spring and fall tours of major American cities: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The seminars are designed for directors, screenwriters, producers, actors and everyone interested in the moviemaking process.

American Film Institute Conservatory
2021 N. Western Avenue • Los Angeles, CA 90027
www.afi.com • 323/856-7609

Year founded: 1969
Go to this school if you want: to collaborate with other artists, shooting short narrative projects in a rigorous and immersive curriculum that mirrors the professional film environment.
Length of program: 2 to 2 1/2 years
Cost: $24,225 per year
Prerequisites: Three - five years experience or an education in film production.
Degree/Certificate: Both
Equipment/Facilities: Conservatory fellows have the opportunity to shoot on DV, 16mm and 35mm film and 24p HD video. Editing fellows work with Avid 1000XL Media Composers, networked by a Unity storage system and using Meridien board sets.
Campus Amenities: AFI' eight-acre campus is located in the hills overlooking Hollywood and is in close proximity to the heart of the professional moviemaking community.
Faculty: The Conservatory faculty includes working professionals from film and television, who act as mentors and guides to the fellows in each discipline.
Notable Guest Instructors: Martin Scorsese, William Friedkin, Julie Taymor, David Lynch and Brad Siberling.
Head of Program: Sam L. Grogg, Dean
Avg. student age: 27.5
Famous Alumni: David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, Todd Field, Carl Franklin, Amy Heckerling, Mimi Leder, Janusz Kaminski.
Screenings: All thesis films have a showcase screening that is held at the Arclight Cinemas. Agents, managers and other film and television professionals are invited to the screening and reception. These showcases happen on a regular basis throughout the year.
Comments: The program models itself after the classic European Conservatory model, where fellows enrolled in the program work with their faculty in a master/apprentice relationship.

Columbia College Hollywood
18618 Oxnard Street • Tarzana, CA 91356
www.columbiacollege.edu • 818/345-8414; 800/785-0585

Year founded: 1952
Go to this school if you want: to gain technical proficiency in the cinema and television arts.
Length of program: 36 months
Cost: $3,500 per quarter
Degree/Certificate: BA
Equipment/Facilities: CCH has video and film cameras, lighting and sound gear and film and video editing stations including Avid and Final Cut Pro. The school also has a shooting stage, dubbing and Foley facilities.
Campus Amenities: CCH has a variety of areas and office space available for student production, as well as a student lounge, bookstore, art studio, library and computer lab.
Faculty: Film instructors are working industry professionals who are up on the most current industry practices. They share their knowledge with students in small classes, which are held predominantly in the evening.
Notable Guest Instructors: Frank Darabont, Daniel Petrie, Jr., Dede Allen.
Head of Program: Mark Stratton.
Average Student Age: 21
Famous Alumni: Tim Bui, J.D. Ripp, Jamie Farr, David Elkins and Sathish Bramhan
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Students may continue to use CCH' facilities and equipment after graduation.
Screenings: Yes

Columbia University School of the Arts
513 Dodge Hall • 2960 Broadway • New York, NY 10027
www.columbia.edu/cu/arts • 212/854-2875

Year founded: 1754
Length of program: Three to five years
Cost: About $48,000 for the first two years. $3,000 per semester for thesis years, not including cost of thesis film.
Prerequisites: Undergraduate degree
Degree/Certificate: MFA
Equipment/Facilities: Columbia boasts a sound stage, screenwriting facility, Super16mm film, 16mm film and digital video rigs, location sound equipment and post-production facilities.
Faculty: Columbia' film faculty includes, among others, director David McKenna, writer Janet Roach and esteemed producer James Schamus.
Head of Program: Dan Kleinman, Chair of Film
Comments: The International Film Institute of New York teaches summer workshops using Columbia' campus and film facilities. Classes last from four weeks to a full year.

Filmmaker' Central School of Cinema
7095 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 858 • Hollywood, CA 90028
www.onlinefmc.com • 323/467-6580

Year founded: 2000
Go to this school if you want: to learn how to direct, produce or work as a member of the crew in some of the most important positions on and off the set.
Length of program: One day
Cost: $199 - $350
Degree/Certificate: Certificate of Completion
Equipment/Facilities: Filmmaker' Central has 35mm and 16mm film cameras, digital video rigs and digital audio gear.
Faculty: Louise Levison, Daron Keet, Lawrence Benedict, Eric Galler, Troy Wilcox, Maureen Tuohy, Leonard Bram.
Head of Program: Rayelle Belleau
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Filmmaker' Central offers job placement services after completion of the workshops.
Screenings: Yes

Florida State University Film School
University Center 3100A • Tallahassee, FL 32306-2350
http://filmschool.fsu.edu • 850/644-7728

Year founded: 1989
Length of program: Undergraduate: Four years; Graduate: Two
Cost: Undergraduate: $18,616 per year for out-of-state students; Graduate: $670.92 per credit hour for out-of-state students
Prerequisites: Graduate program requires an undergrad degree.
Degree/Certificate: BFA, MFA
Equipment/Facilities: FSU' pre-production facilities include two thesis offices, a conference room and a computer lab for writing, budgeting and production planning. Students shoot on DV, 16mm and 35mm and have access to the campus back lot and studio.
Campus Amenities: In addition to post facilities with Avid editing systems, students can do final sound mixes in FSU' Mix Theater.
Faculty: FSU' faculty includes 15 working professionals.
Head of Program: Dean Raymond Fielding
Screenings: Films are frequently submitted to film festivals by the school, giving those students significant industry exposure.

Full Sail Real World Education
3300 University Blvd. • Winter Park, FL 32792
www.fullsail.com • 800/226-7625

Year founded: 1979
Length of program: 13 months
Cost: $34,075
Degree/Certificate: Associate of Science Degree
Equipment/Facilities: Full Sail boasts two Arriflex 35mm cameras, two 16mm cameras, four sound stages and many digital editing suites, including 20 Avid workstations.
Head of Program: Dave Franko
Avg. student age: 21
Post-Graduate Support/Services: A staff of 30 helps graduates and alumni with career placement.
Screenings: Full Sail showcases student film projects at film festivals, local theaters and online at www.fullsail.com
Comments: Full Sail' film program is all-inclusive, with the school covering the cost of all insurance, permits, film stock, processing and other costs of making student films.

Global Film School
8800 West Sunset Blvd. • West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.globalfilmschool.com • 310/360-2406

Length of program: Varies by course
Cost: About $800 per course
Campus Amenities: Classes are taught online.
Comments: GFS is a joint venture of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, the Australian Film Television and Radio School and the UK' National Film Television School. The founders want to facilitate the "Democratization of Film Education" by allowing students all over the world access to their courses.

London Film School
24 Shelton Street • London, UK WC2H 9UB
www.lfs.org.uk • Phone: +44 207 836 9642

Year founded: 1956
Go to this school if you want: to make a show reel of six films, including two on 35mm and train in all departments in a small, post-graduate conservatory.
Length of program: Two years
Cost: £32,000 (about $52,848), including all film budgets
Prerequisites: Bachelor' degree or equivalent experience
Degree/Certificate: MA in Filmmaking
Equipment/Facilities: Students have access to two sound stages, Panaflex, Moviecam and ARRI cameras, Avid Media Composer editing suites and Pro Tools audio stations. The school also has some Steenbecks for 16mm exercises and two preview theaters.
Campus Amenities: LFS has a coffee bar and a fully wired production office available for student use.
Faculty: There are 18 full time instructors at LFS, led by Ben Gibson (Director of School) and Alan Bernstein (Head of Studies).
Notable Guest Instructors: Mike Leigh, Jack Gold, Asif Kapardia, Simon Beaufoy, Troy Kennedy Martin, Terence Davies, Seamus McGarvey BSC, John Mathieson, Roger Pratt, Mike Southon, BSC.
Head of Program: Alan Bernstein
Avg. student age: 23
Famous Alumni: Ueli Steiger, Tak Fujimoto, Harley Cokeliss, Bill Douglas, Anne Hui, John Irvin, Kant Pan, Don Boyd, Roger Pratt, Ivan Strasburg, Ho Yim
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Graduates enjoy contact and orientation services. Industry mentors are appointed to serve as executive producers for graduation films.
Screenings: LFS films played at 67 international film festivals last year.
Comments: This school used to be considered the best of the short-term immersion workshop schools internationally. Now with its MA and two years of complete retooling it is becoming a great international graduate school with all-department teaching.

Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminars’ founder and instructor Guy Magar says he can teach you how to go from page to screen in one weekend.

The Los Angeles Film School
6363 Sunset Blvd. • Hollywood, CA 90028
www.lafilm.com • 323/860-0789

Year founded: 1999
Go to this school if you want: hands-on moviemaking experience taught by industry professionals.
Length of program: Three weeks to one year
Cost: Varies by program
Prerequisites: Students must be 18 or older, except for high school program.
Degree/Certificate: Certificate of completion for one-year program.
Equipment/Facilities: Students shoot in High Definition, digital video, 16mm and 35mm and use premier sound and lighting packages. LAFS has Avid editing systems, ProTools workstations and 4,000 square feet of sound stage space as well.
Campus Amenities: Students have access to a 345-seat theater, a student lounge, student lockers, pre-production, production and post-production facilities, student mailboxes, producers' labs with individual workstations equipped with a PC and phone and access to a fax machine.
Faculty: Faculty is comprised of professional moviemakers who rotate between their movie sets and LAFS classrooms.
Notable Guest Instructors: Vilmos Zsigmond, Donald Petrie, Christine Peters, Salvador Carrasco, John Manulis, Luis Mandoki, Joe Carnahan, Doug Jung, Barbara Boyle, Arthur Hiller, Spike Jonze, Jonathan Sanger, Saul Zaentz, Jon Turteltaub.
Head of Program: Joe Byron, Acting Dean
Avg. student age: 24
Famous Alumni: Miles Swain and Nancy Stein
Infamous Alumni: Josephina Lopez
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Alumni can get up-to-date job postings directly from the school.
Screenings: Production companies are invited to hear final pitch presentations from students in the Feature Development Program.

Metropolitan College of New York
75 Varick Street • New York, NY 10013
www.metropolitan.edu • 800/33-THINK

Year founded: 1996
Go to this school if you want: to plan, produce and promote a new media venture, service or business while you earn your MBA.
Length of program: One year (three semesters)
Cost: $25,194
Prerequisites: Four-year baccalaureate degree, B average, writing sample, GMAT scores, media talent or ability.
Degree/Certificate: MBA in Media Management
Equipment/Facilities: New students are given a PC upon beginning school at Metropolitan College. Students in the program are required to travel to the Cannes Film Festival each spring to complete the study abroad component of the program.
Campus Amenities: Located in Tribeca, where leading media industries are just steps from the campus.
Faculty: Graduate students are taught by 21 full- and part-time faculty with expertise and experience in film, radio, television, theater, ethics, law, accounting, e-commerce and other fields.
Head of Program: Dr. Fay Ran
Avg. student age: 32
Post-Graduate Support/Services: A career services center helps Metropolitan College alumni with job placement.
Screenings: No

The New School University
70 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor • New York, NY 10011
www.newschool.edu • 212/229-8903

Year founded: 1919
Length of program: BA: Four years; Certificate: Eight courses
Degree/Certificate: BA; Certificates in Film Production, Screenwriting
Equipment/Facilities: The Knowledge Union is a state-of-the-art film, video and multimedia production facility. Student work is screened in the Tishman Auditorium, the 400-seat theater that hosts "Inside the Actors Studio." Their student-to-equipment ratio is equal to that of larger schools like NYU and Columbia.
Campus Amenities: Located in Greenwich Village, the 55 West 13th Street building houses the University Computing Center, the Knowledge Union, a cafeteria and music facilities.
Faculty: All instructors are working moviemakers who teach part-time and live in NYC.
Head of Program: Annie Howell, Program Coordinator
Post-graduate Support/Services: The New School sponsors frequent screenings and festivals for networking. They also have a well-respected internship program.
Screenings: Student films frequently appear in the New School' invitational film festival. The festival, in its 25th year, is attended by local industry members.

New York Film Academy
100 East 17th Street • New York, NY 10003
www.nyfa.com • 212/674-4300

Length of program: Varies by program, from one week to one year.
Cost: Varies by program
Prerequisites: Vary by program
Degree/Certificate: NYFA diploma
Equipment/Facilities: The New York Film Academy headquarters are located in Tammany Hall, overlooking Manhattan' Union Square. In addition to a large screening room and several flatbed editing stations, the building has digital editing stations and a transfer facility.
Campus Amenities: Workshops are held year-round in New York, Los Angeles and London. Summer sessions are hosted by Harvard, Princeton and Rhode Island School of Design, as well as schools in France, Italy and Australia.
Faculty: NYFA instructors include award-winning and working moviemakers from all over the world.
Notable Guest Instructors: Brett Ratner, Melanie Williams Oram, Carol Mayes and David McKenna.
Head of Program: Jerry Sherlock

New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
22 Washington Square North • New York, NY 10011
www.nyu.edu/tisch • 212/ 998-4500

Year founded: NYU: 1831; Tisch: 1965
Length of program: Undergraduate: Four years; Graduate: Three years.
Cost: Undergraduate: $25,380 per year; Graduate: $14,621 plus lab fees and production costs
Degree/Certificate: BFA, MFA
Equipment/Facilities: NYU film students get access to the Todman Center, with a 5,000 square-foot sound stage with blue screen and control rooms, an animation studio, rehearsal rooms, editing suites and a kitchen. The Tisch Building has film and video editing and dubbing equipment, film-to-tape transfer equipment and sound mixing equipment.
Campus Amenities: In addition to their Greenwich Village surroundings, Tisch students have a massive film library to peruse, not to mention classrooms, screening rooms and production resources all under one roof.
Faculty: Dozens of experienced moviemakers teach classes to both undergrads and graduate students in the film department.
Head of Program: Undergraduate Chair: David Irving; Graduate Interim Chair: Christine Choy
Famous Alumni: Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker, Joel Coen, Chris Columbus, Jim Jarmusch, Todd Solondz, M. Night Shyamalan, Ang Lee, Barry Sonnenfeld, Joel Silver, Oliver Stone
Post-graduate Support/Services: Tisch alumni have free access to job fairs and resume counseling sessions and the Screenplay Bank, a listing of screenplay loglines that is published and distributed within the industry each year.

North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking
1533 South Main Street • Winston-Salem, NC 27127
336/770-1330 • www.ncarts.edu

Year Founded: 1993
Go to this school if you want: to train for a professional career in the arts
Length of Program: 4 years
Cost: Undergraduate $2,195- $12,795 (in state/out of state); Graduate School $2,302- $13,101 (in state/out of state)
Degree/Certificate: BFA or College Arts Diploma
Equipment/Facilities: Digital Video and 16mm film equipment, state of the art pre- through post-production facilities, exhibition theater. Three sound stages and 62,000 square foot “Studio Village,” a Hollywood style backlot. Also holds second largest non-commercial archive of 35 and 16mm films, DVDs and videos.
Faculty: Accomplished moviemakers and professors with credits in direction, cinematography, editing, production and screenwriting.
Notable Guest Instructors: Spike Lee, Kevin Reynolds, Tom Rolf, Andrew Laszlo
Head of Program: Dale Pollock, Dean
Famous Alumni: David Gordon Green, Randolf Benson, Anna Dudley, Jeff Fradley
Post Graduate/Support Services: Alumni community and career services are provided to ensure a growing connection to the professional arts world.
Screenings: Student films have been shown in Hollywood at the Directors Guild of America Theater Complex and in New York at the Tribeca Film Center.

Rockport College
P.O. Box 200 • 2 Central Street • Rockport, ME 04856
www.rockportcollege.edu • 877/577-7700

Year founded: 1996
Go to this school if you want to: learn to be a creative and artistic writer, director, cinematographer, editor or documentarian.
Length of program: One, two or four years.
Cost: $15,000 per year; Production fees: $1,500 per year; Student fees: $150 per term; Housing and meals: $3,000+ per term
Prerequisites: High school diploma or GED
Degree/Certificate: Two-year Associate of Arts; One-year Professional Certificate; Four-year BFA (scheduled for 2004); Three-year MFA degree program.
Equipment/Facilities: The College provides a fully-equipped residential campus with access to ARRI and Panavision 16mm and 35mm film cameras, Sony and Canon video cameras, Avid and Final Cut Pro editing workstations, a sound stage, production village, lighting and grip trailers for student shoots.
Campus Amenities: The College campus includes numerous classrooms, studios, digital and traditional photo labs, a large library, theater, galleries, student Internet cafe, recreational fields all in the heart of a small fishing village.
Faculty: There are 10 full- and part-time faculty members.
Notable Guest Instructors: Vilmos Zsigmond, Michael Schiffer, Rob Draper
Head of Program: David Lyman, President
Avg. student age: 18 to 55
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Rockport College has an alumni newsletter and offers the chance to make invaluable industry connections while at the school.
Screenings: DVD copies of student work are available and screenings of student films and documentaries may be seen on PBS television and at numerous festivals.

Seattle Film Institute
1709 23rd Avenue • Seattle, WA 98122
www.seattlefilminstitute.com • 800/882-4734

Year founded: 1994
Go to this school if you want: an intensive, hands-on program in film, digital video and screenwriting.
Length of program: 40 weeks
Cost: $14,500 (includes all film and processing)
Degree/Certificate: Certificate
Equipment/Facilities: SFI students are equipped with 16mm camera and lighting packages, digital video packages, high-quality sound gear and Final Cut Pro editing stations.
Campus Amenities: Seattle Film Institute is located close to downtown Seattle and the University district.
Faculty: Classes at SFI are taught by film industry professionals with film school degrees.
Notable Guest Instructors: Meg Richman, Alec Carlin
Head of Program: David Shulman
Avg. student age: 25
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Seattle Film Institute guarantees an internship for every student that completes the program.
Screenings: Yes
Comments: SFI' program starts twice a year in September and March. Because of the hands-on nature of the program, enrollment is limited to 22 students each term.

Shoot Camp USA
7095 Hollywood Blvd., #858 • Hollywood, CA 90028
www.shootcamp.com • 323/467-6580

Year founded: 2000
Go to this school if you want: to learn precisely what you need to know to make your own movie.
Length of program: Eight days
Cost: $2,500 - $2,800
Degree/Certificate: Certificate
Equipment/Facilities: Past programs have included costumed period pieces and special effects-laden films. Some of the locations used by Shoot Camp have included the RMS Queen Mary, one of the grandest ocean liners ever built and the S.S. Lane Victory, a fully-operational WWII ship.
Campus Amenities: Shoot Camp projects are shot on location.
Faculty: Eric Galler, Bill Williams, Daron Keet, Rob McFall, Keith Grauchala, Garrick Wilkie, Darren, Fowler, Audra Golden, Robert Choate
Head of Program: Rayelle Belleau
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Shoot Camp offers one-day job referral and placement assistance.
Screenings: Yes
Comments: Shoot Camp USA is a full eight days of moviemaking where you produce, direct and edit and become the crew of a live action short film.

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
Student Services, Dept. of Film, Television and Digital Media
UCLA n Box 951622 • Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622
www.tft.ucla.edu

Length of program: Varies by program
Cost: Varies by program
Prerequisites: Varies by program
Degree/Certificate: BA; MA; MFA; Professional Certificate
Equipment/Facilities: UCLA has three sound stages, two for student productions and one for teaching; three theaters, including the 497-seat Freud Playhouse, not to mention the highest quality film and video equipment. Sound is handled in the on-campus recording stage in several different high-end formats.
Campus Amenities: Campus resources include prop and costume shops for student productions and close proximity to everything a moviemaker could need, from a coffee shop to a title house.
Faculty: UCLA faculty includes award-winning directors, producers, sound designers editors, screenwriters and many others. Students in the UCLA Professional Programs in Screenwriting and Producing are taught by many of the same distinguished teachers.
Head of Program: Robert Rosen, Dean of the School
Famous Alumni: Allison Anders, Carol Burnett, Francis Ford Coppola, Susan Egan, Tim Robbins
Post-Graduate Support/Services: The Theater, Film and Television Alumni Network sponsors networking nights so that alumni can reconnect while making new acquaintances in the industry.
Comments: The Professional Programs at UCLA are modeled after their MFA programs in writing and producing. They give non-degree students a chance to obtain a similar education while working. The Screenwriting Program, for instance, runs for three academic quarters. Classes are held in the evening and UCLA facilities like the Screenplay Library are available for students' use.

University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television
University Park • Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211
www.usc.edu/schools/cntv • 213/740-2804

Year founded: 1929
Go to this school if you want: to study with top professionals at the country' leading cinema-television school.
Length of program: BA: Four years; MFA: Three years; PhD: Three
Cost: Undergraduate: $40,318 per year (including room and board); Graduate: $32,784 per year (including room and board).
Prerequisites: A strong academic background is required for admission to all programs.
Degree/Certificate: Various graduate and undergraduate degrees
Equipment/Facilities: USC has state-of-the-art classrooms and screening rooms, Avid editing suites, lighting and visual effects gear and over 150 digital cameras. There are several sound stages and post-productions facilities as well as a digital production center.
Campus Amenities: The 155-acre campus in University Park is rich with architectural history and home to a vibrant cultural community, in addition to its strong academic environment.
Faculty: Barbara Corday, Scott Fisher, Marsha Kinder, Christine Panushka, Howard Rodman and Lawrence Turman
Notable Guest Instructors: Frank Darabont, Spike Jonze, Jeffrey Katzenberg, George Lucas, Leonard Maltin, Gary Ross, Fred Silverman and Steven Spielberg.
Head of Program: Dean Elizabeth M. Daley, Ph.D.
Avg. student age: Undergraduate: 20; Graduate: 25
Famous Alumni: Conrad Hall, Ron Howard, James Ivory, George Lucas, Gary Rydstrom, Stacy Sher, Robert Zemeckis, Laura Ziskin.
Post-Graduate Support/Services: USC' Office of Student Industry Relations helps graduates and students find jobs and internships.
Screenings: Yes, at the First Look festivals, held twice-yearly.

Vancouver Film School
200-198 West Hastings Street • Vancouver, BC, Canada V6B 1H2
www.vfs.com • 800/661-4101

Year founded: 1987
Go to this school if you want: an intensive, hands-on moviemaking experience that teaches you all aspects of film production in one year.
Length of program: 48 weeks
Cost: $24,500 (includes equipment use, film stock and processing)
Prerequisites: Post-secondary fine arts education or related experience
Degree/Certificate: Diploma in Film Production
Equipment/Facilities: The VFS film campus houses everything an independent production requires: digital video and 16mm camera equipment along with the requisite rigging/lighting, a host of Avid editing suites, a Pro Tools Studio, production offices for students, budgeting software lab, several studio spaces and a custom-built 70-seat theater.
Campus Amenities: 24-hour access, central location
Faculty: Ric Beairsto, Ricky Choi, Julia Courtenay, Dean Emerick, Ty Haller, Don Hunter, Alan Goldman, Cindy Leaney and others.
Notable Guest Speakers: Bryan Singer, William Walker, Carl Bessai, David Nutter.
Head of Program: Bryan Wert
Avg. student age: 21-25
Famous Alumni: Gary Hawes; Sherry King-Bloxham; Tom Whelan.
Post-Graduate Support/Services: VFS has an alumni Website with a job board and contact list at www.myvfs.com. Alumni also pay reduced tuition prices for additional courses.
Screenings: Industry screenings provided upon request.

Writers Boot Camp
2525 Michigan Avenue, Bldg. I • Santa Monica, CA 90404
www.writersbootcamp.com • 800/800-1733

Year founded: 1989
Go to this school if you want: to write professionally for film or television.
Length of program: Six days to 22 months, depending on program
Cost: $595 - $6,900 plus corporate fee structure
Prerequisites: Varies depending on program
Equipment/Facilities: Writers Boot Camp offers classes in Los Angeles, New York and online.
Campus Amenities: WBC has an 11,000 square-foot structure in Santa Monica, CA housing classrooms, event space and workspace for writers. There is also a classroom and event facility in NYC.
Faculty: Writers Boot Camp has 10 instructors, all personally trained by WBC founder Jeffrey Gordon. Gordon teaches as well.
Head of Program: Jeffrey Gordon
Avg. student age: 20s - 40s
Famous Alumni: Hank Azaria, Cindy Chupack, Emily Fox, Jennifer Grey, Anthony LaPaglia, Jeff Leiber, David Levien, Laurie Metcalf, Marti Noxon, Sinbad, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Steven Weber, Peter Weller, Moon Zappa, Daphne Zuniga
Post-Graduate Support/Services: Alumni of the Career Development program receive ongoing career support from WBC.
Screenings: WBC provides industry submission to writers whose work reaches a professional level.
Comments: WBC is unique in its vocational, hands-on approach to conceptual development. There' a huge gap between having an intellectual understanding of what comprises outstanding writing and being able to apply that understanding to your own work. What we do at WBC has proven extremely effective in bridging that gap.

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