FOCUSED CINEMATOGRAPHY TRAINING
San Francisco State
University
(San Francisco, CA)Liberal experimentation is
the key principle that SFSU’s
School of Cinema is built upon.
It emerged in the 1960s and,
in a nod to that era, it proudly
declares to this day that it
“continues to celebrate cinematic
expressions that challenge social
and artistic norms." Programs
include animation, screenwrit-
ing, media and culture, and film
and media studies. Its filmmak-
ing (documentary, experimental,
and fiction) programs are worth
considering in terms of visual
training that is not the norm.
Classes include Cinematography
and Lighting, Digital Cinema-
tography and Experiments in
Cinematic Form.
On-campus clubs such as the
Cinema Collective help filmmak-
ers become better in their craft
and produce quality films.ESTEEMED THEORY AND CRITICISM TRAINING
Portland State
University’s School of Film
(Portland, OR)Portland is a creative en-
clave between Hollywood and
the “Hollywood North” that is
Vancouver, British Columbia that
is blossoming as a home to film
and television’s best. Covering
film studies, film production, and
screenwriting, PSU’s School of
Film offers classes like Film Noir
from 1960, The American Acting
Style: Brando, Newman, De Niro,
and Mockumentary. There are
also practical courses, including
Introduction to Digital Filmmak-
ing, Intro to Premiere and Motion
Graphics. Game design and 3D
production training is available.
Other technical courses
include Story Development for
Film, Directing Actors for Film,and Narrative Film Production.
Each year students can have their
films screened and potentially win
awards and prizes for their efforts.
Additionally, an on-site movie
theater allows students to watch
films for free all year and even
help oversee operations.
Director of the School of Film,
Dr. Mark Berrettini, says: “Our
curriculum incorporates a thor-
ough and synthesized investiga-
tion of film and media studies,
film and media production and
screenwriting within one degree.
“This approach, along with
professional development
opportunities for students,
such as lectures from profession-
als in the field and internships,
prepares them for their profes-
sional endeavors after college.”
Film class of 2015 alumnus
David Jordan Rodriguez, co-
founder of Wicked Tale, says: “I
entered the film program at PSU
during a very uncertain period
of my life, having just disbanded
from a video production company
I’d helped start but which left me
feeling boxed into my role.
“In each class I explored
aspects of filmmaking that previ-
ously felt ‘off-limits’ to me. In fact,
the more uncomfortable the work
made me, the more I was encour-
aged by faculty to engage, culmi-
nating in the creation of a short
film for which I took first place
in a competition with over 100
entries. I bought a camera and
graduated feeling equipped for
whatever life outside school held.
After exploring opportunities
abroad and experiencing a role
with a traditional production
company, my partner—a talented
animator—and I took the risk
and formed our own business:
Wicked Tale. We now offer global
services in video production and
motion graphics.”INTERNSHIPS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Seattle University
(Seattle, WA)Seattle is the HQ to companies
like Amazon and Starbucks, so
students can get internships in a
range of corporate environments.
A hub of film and video game
production, and not far from70 SUMMER 2019 MOVIEMAKER.COMPAGE-TURNING SCREENWRITING TRAINING
Writers’ Program at the
University of California,
Los Angeles
(Los Angeles, CA)
The Writers’ Program is a
structured way for writers to get
their film script, TV pilot or even
novel started and finished. It
offers 400 writing courses each
year, both on its campus and
online, taught by 200 working
writers.
It also offers a Writers Studio,
a writing retreat, certificate pro-
grams, specializations, screenplay
and literary competitions, one-
on-one mentorship, consultations
and scholarships.
Some of the films and televi-
sion shows written by alumni
include Pirates of the Caribbean:
The Curse of the Black Pearl,
Letters from Iwo Jima, Collateral,
Game of Thrones, and The Office.
ALL-ENCOMPASSING PRODUCTION TRAINING
Loyola Marymount
University
(Los Angeles, CA)
The specialized programs
at LMU’s School of Film and
Television provide outstanding
opportunities. There are degrees
in Animation, Film Studies,
Screenwriting and Recording
Arts, making it ideal for bud-
ding sound editors, mixers and
designers. Its Production MFA
“emphasizes experiential learn-
ing.” Students work in tandem
with instructors who are accom-
plished in the business.
There are also lectures from
folks like Jack Reacher and
Mission: Impossible III producer
Paula Wagner.
Alumni include James Bond
producer Barbara Broccoli,
Francis Lawrence and
David Mirkin.
MAGICAL ANIMATION TRAINING
California Institute of Arts
(Santa Clarita, CA)Besides Mickey Mouse et al,
Walt Disney wanted this to be
his lasting legacy. As he stated:
“CalArts is the principal thing
I hope to leave when I move on
to greener pastures. If I can help
provide a place to develop the
talent of the future, I think I will
have accomplished something.”
He and his brother Roy began
implementing the idea in the
early 1960s before it finally
opened its doors in 1970.
The school offers BFAs in
Character Animation and
Experimental Animation in its
School of Film/Video. It helps the
student develop as a fully-fledged
animation artist within both the
traditional and computer graphic
(CG) animation environments.ESTEEMED THEORY AND CRITICISM TRAINING
University of California
Santa Barbara’s
Department of Film
and Media Studies
(Santa Barbara, CA)Beautiful Santa Barbara is both
a haven by the Pacific Ocean and
within driving distance of the
film industry. The Department
of Film and Media Studies at
UCSB offers a chance to learn the
fundamentals of the motivations
behind the art of making movies.
It offers courses on the history
and theory of film and media
practices around the world; fic-
tion and nonfiction filmmaking;
video games, interactive, and
web-based digital media produc-
tion; screenwriting and archival
and curatorial practice.
Around 500 undergraduate
majors and 30 graduate students
make up its body. Its MA-PhD
program is one worth thinking
about as it considers itself
groundbreaking in terms of mold-
ing the changing
media landscape.