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Education
Miami International University of Art and Design
A truly complete film education not only keeps students technically savvy, but also challenges them to widen their perspectives on life and the world at large. Miami International University of Art and Design's film and digital production program strives to provide just that type of education.
November 22nd, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By Daniel Fritz
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Full Sail’s Real World Film Education
It sounds like the name of a nautical academy, but Full Sail Real World Education has offered moviemakers a quality education over the last 28 years. Located on the outskirts of Orlando in Winter Park, FL, the school offers a bachelor's degree over the course of 21 months and also offers a degree in Entertainment Business. The school's Website claims that that it can "help you make a better movie than Battlefield Earth." If that doesn't entice you to sign up today, maybe the school's unique approach to learning will do the trick.
November 12th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By Andre Ward
The FX Institute’s Special Effect on Moviemakers
Ask any casual movie fan and he or she will tell you that special effects are reserved for big productions directed by people like Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg. But Jon Gress, director of the upcoming 1 Anunnaki, begs to differ. Having taught digital and visual effects at the graduate level, Gress founded The FX Institute to help independent artists bring extra flash and pizzazz to their movies.
October 21st, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By Andre Ward
Action/Cut’s Crash Course in Film
Not everyone can shell out thousands of dollars or spare the years necessary to attend film school. So Guy Magar, director of such movies as Children of the Corn: Revelation, has boiled down the essentials into one weekend of intense instruction. With his tutelage, the Action/Cut Filmmaking Seminars offer a comprehensive overview of the moviemaking process light on theory and heavy on actual film breakdown.
October 7th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By Andre Ward
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Make It Short
The Make It Short Movie Project is an exciting experiment in cinema. Each year the project makes one 16mm short film as well as an educational feature, which are both then premiered at local cinemas with all proceeds going to charity. What's exciting is that, for a small donation, anyone can work or act in the movie. Contributors can staff positions ranging from extras and principal actors to editing assistant or director's shadow. Lee Chambers, producer and co-founder of Make It Short, says, "Most of the cast and crew have never been on a film set before. It's about demystifying the process, educating and entertaining all at the same time."
While some participants are would-be or experienced moviemakers, Make It Short influences all of its participants regardless of skill level. "We had a 65-year-old guy who came out the first year because he was curious about how movies were made. He loved it so much he comes back each year and has even starred in a bunch of student films," says Chambers.
September 10th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By Brian Hickey
Film School of the Week: California College of the Arts
Thanks to the digital revolution, the tools of the moviemaking trade are now easily available to everyone. And while these advancements have created a new wave of moviemakers able to utilize the technology, that does not mean that all of them are necessarily able to bring together a cohesive and compelling movie. That’s where an education becomes useful--and the California College of the Arts steps in.
Beginning in the fall of 2008, the school will launch a new all-digital graduate film program, which, much like the school’s earliest classes, will be used to teach concepts based on the latest technological advancements. “Ultimately we are approaching digital [technology] as a tool with new aesthetic possibilities,"Â explains Academy Award winner and CCA program chair Rob Epstein.
In 1907 cabinetmaker Frederick Meyer founded the California College of the Arts to educate students on the trades of the Arts and Crafts movement--a movement developed in response to the new technology of the Industrial Revolution. German-bred Meyer began with $45 in funds, three teachers and three classrooms. Today, CCA students roam two campuses and study 19 different undergraduate program--ranging from sculpture to the written word--and six fields of graduate work. Digital, narrative moviemaking is the next logical step.
“In keeping with the goals of the college, we see exciting possibilities for a narrative film program within an arts context,” says Epstein. Plus, “we will be ahead of the digital tsunami that is about to hit every film program, as well as the film industry--if I hasn’t already.”
Applications for the first semester of CCA’s graduate film program are due later this year. For more information, visit www.cca.edu.
Sound Off: The moviemaking world is still abuzz with word of the impending “digital revolution.” Where do you think this revolution will take us next? Let us know in the “Comments” section.
June 4th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By MovieMaker Staff
Film School of the Week: Idyllwild Arts Academy
As one of only three arts-focused boarding schools in the United States, Idyllwild Arts Academy has a particular knack for bringing out the creative talents of young people. With departments covering film, visual arts, theater, music, dance and creative writing, the school is a haven for those students who seek an environment that prioritizes their artistic abilities, rather than treating them simply as a hobby. With the “Hollywood Ending” writing contest, the school has reached out to young artists around the world, hoping to add a few more talented members to the Idyllwild community.
Participants in the contest were asked to complete the work of two current Idyllwild students, either a short story or screenplay, with Grand Prize winner Joseph DiFronzo landing a $25,000 scholarship to the Academy (second- and third-place winners were awarded $10,00 and $5,000 scholarships, respectively). “The Motion Picture department, as well as the entire academy, always looks to find potential students who have academic prowess, who are ambitious and highly focused,” says Darren Schilling, Idyllwild’s director of marketing. By bringing together the skills of current and future students, Idyllwild has ensured that its artistically vibrant community will continue to thrive, providing a space for young people to explore their creative potential.
For more information, visit www.idyllwildarts.org.
Sound Off: Do you wish you’d had the opportunity to attend an arts-focused high school? How do you think an early education in moviemaking impacts a person’s artistic style and growth? Let us know in the comments section!
May 21st, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By MovieMaker Staff
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Film School of the Week: The Secrets to Distribution
”Many moviemakers won’t share the information that took them years to learn, for fear of diminishing the value of it and their strategies,” claims writer-producer Jerome Courshon. Luckily for up-and-coming moviemakers, Courshon has not been so stingy with his own knowledge of the Hollywood machine. Using the experience he gained from getting his first feature, God, Sex & Apple Pie, picked up by a major distributor, Courshon is now imparting his hard-earned and practical wisdom through a traveling seminar entitled “The Secrets to Distribution: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!”
Over the course of one day, Courshon provides seminar attendees with the essential tips needed to get on the path to U.S. distribution, from advice on how to best utilize the festival circuit to the names and contact information of the 80-plus U.S. home video distributors. “I came to my experience and knowledge from my own trials and tribulations of getting distribution for the independent movie I produced,” explains Courshon. “So this isn’t coming from someone who hasn’t done it themselves or what I call a ‘theorist’—which makes a big difference.”
Over the next several months, Courshon and his seminar will make their way across the country, starting in New York on May 12, and ending in Los Angeles in August. For more information on upcoming seminars, visit www.distribution.la.
Sound Off: How much do you depend on the advice and insight of other moviemakers to help you find your way in making and distributing your own work? Do you have, or would you like to have, an “industry pro” give you advice and support? Talk back in the comments section!
--Jennifer Straus
May 6th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By MovieMaker Staff
Film School of the Week: UCLA Extension
Affiliation by name to one of the country’s best film schools doesn’t put any pressure on the accomplished staff and faculty of UCLA Extension--their product is just as good as the bigger version. The Extension is a certificate-granting program for people not looking for a full degree, but instead needing skills to succeed. “Success in the entertainment business depends not only on who you know, but on what you know,” says Brian Bell, UCLA Extension’s media relations manager. Film courses from UCLA Extension range from “Film Scoring†(the first program of its kind, formed in 1984) to new additions such as “Costume Design.â€
In 1922 the school began offering a course they called “Motion Pictures: The Film as a Factor in Molding Tomorrow’s Citizenry.” Interestingly enough, this basis has lasted, guiding many industry professionals along the way, including Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Iris Yamashita (Letters from Iwo Jima).
The spring quarter at UCLA Extension, which began March 31, is offering its established courses on producing, directing and post-production and this year will introduce instruction for aspiring voiceover professionals, costume designers and cinematographers looking to advance to HD. Best of all, as a certificate program, any paying student can attend without worrying about applications or prerequisites.
Expand your mind at www.uclaextension.edu.
Sound Off: UCLA Extension makes it easy for any interested person to attend film school--plus it has that recognizable moniker. But what factors really draw you to film classes?
--Mallory Potosky
April 10th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By MovieMaker Staff
Film School of the Week: Mobile Film School
Getting an education in moviemaking can be tough-the best programs can be almost impossible to get into, and cost alone is enough of a deterrent for some. But what about those who have no access to a film school, or even the equipment they need to start making movies on their own? The Mobile Film School was founded with these people in mind, with the mission to reach out to underserved communities by bringing film school to them.
The Mobile Film School, which employs guest instructors like legendary documentarian Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter), travels to rural areas in two buses: One containing editing suites and production equipment, the other holding a resource library and staff offices. They offer five-week courses in narrative and documentary moviemaking as well as acting, giving students the opportunity to express themselves via the medium of film.
The inaugural run of the Mobile Film School took place this February in the town of Manor, Texas, where high school seniors collaborated on the completion of a documentary short entitled In A Place Like This. “The students were so intuitive about the process, it was really exciting to watch,” says executive director and founder Lisa McWilliams. “They absolutely exceeded my expectations.”
For more information on the Mobile Film School’s upcoming workshops, visit www.mobilefilmschool.com.
Sound Off: Mobile Film School is one of several organizations sprouting up in order to help under-represented communities express themselves through the medium of film (Mira Nair’s moviemaking laboratory, Maisha, is another). Do you think programs like these should work to expose the rest of the world to the experiences of these communities, or should their goal solely be one of artistic expression? Talk back in the Comments section!
--Jennifer Straus
March 26th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By MovieMaker Staff
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' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Brooks Institute of Photography
One of the greatest assets a film student can have during his or her education is a mentor—--someone who can guide him or her through the challenging process of moviemaking, using years of experience in the field as an invaluable resource. Most students would be lucky to find just one such person; but at the Brooks Institute of Photography, members of the school’s film program are blessed with dozens.
For the last four years, the Santa Barbara-based Institute has been the recipient of Kodak’s 35mm Project, a grant that enables students to produce a 35mm short film project in collaboration with a 150-person crew and more than 30 local vendors. Students who attend the Brooks Institute, which offers both bachelor and master degrees in film and video production, participate in the 35mm Project by enrolling in a corresponding class, then apply for specific production jobs on the film.
In order to augment Kodak’s program, Emmy Award-winner Tracy Trotter and his wife Judy, who serve as faculty sponsors on the project, used their connections in the film industry to bring together an impressive collection of mentors. Hailing from a variety of fields and organizations, from the Directors Guild of America to Clairmont Camera, these experts assist the students over the course of the project by providing input and support at each stage of the moviemaking process. Judy Trotter notes that the benefits of the mentoring aspect of the project go both ways: “We as teachers and mentors share our 30-plus years of on-set experience with the Brooks students and in turn they share their joy for the filmmaking project.”
Find your mentor at www.brooks.edu.
--Jennifer Straus
March 12th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week, Education | By MovieMaker Staff
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