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.
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.
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