Wally Pfister (Inception<\/em>), Rachel Morrison (Black Panther<\/em>) and Robert Richardson (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood<\/em>) are among the cinematographers who graduated from the AFI Conservatory, a two-year program offering MFA degrees in cinematography, as well as directing, editing, producing, production design, and screenwriting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fellows accepted into one of the world\u2019s most prestigious filmmaking academies have access to state-of-the-art camera equipment, sound stages and AVID editing rooms, and are regularly introduced to influential artists in the field and major industry players, often alumni, who speak, mentor and teach. AFI offers a practical curriculum centered on learning through doing, which guarantees that fellows make at least three films, if not 10, by the end of the program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their thesis films screen at AFI Fest, one of the world\u2019s most respected film festivals. The many notable alumni illustrate the strength of the curriculum, and the school is committed to decreasing the gap between students and professionals through its Bridge to the Future office, which helps recent graduates find career-launching opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING SCREENWRITING TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Antioch University MFA in Creative Writing<\/strong> (Los Angeles, California)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This screenwriting program is only a few years old, but it has already attracted the attention of guest speakers Jon Landau (Avatar<\/em>), Stephen McFeely (Avengers: Endgame<\/em>), Billy Ray (The Hunger Games<\/em>), Jane Anderson (Olive Kitteridge<\/em>), and Dorothy Fortenberry (The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/em>), who share their wisdom with students attending this two-year, low-residency MFA program at the private university\u2019s campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An MFA semester consists mostly of working from home \u2014 or wherever students like to write \u2014 with an intensive 10-day hybrid residency of online and in-person classes, followed by a five-month online project period, during which each student works under the supervision of a faculty mentor. What really distinguishes this program is its emphasis on social justice, which, if you haven\u2019t noticed, is a major theme in projects getting the greenlight from studios and indie film investors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students don\u2019t just talk about it, either \u2014 they\u2019re required to complete a field study, putting their knowledge and skills as writers to work in service of something they personally value. Each field study must address at least two of the three aspects of the MFA program\u2019s unique purpose: the education of literary and dramatic artists, community engagement or service, and the pursuit of social justice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A school representative tells MovieMaker<\/em> that MFA field studies have changed the lives of not only students, but also those they serve. Chapman University, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts \/ MFA Film Production Program<\/strong> (Orange, California)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This esteemed film school is just a short drive away from Los Angeles, giving students easy access to the epicenter of the film business and internship possibilities galore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Faculty include director-producer John Badham (Saturday Night Fever<\/em>, WarGames<\/em>) and senior associate dean Michael Kowalski, an expert in sound design and documentary filmmaking. Editor Addison Donnell (Julia<\/em>, Get Shorty<\/em>) tells MovieMaker<\/em>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHaving four years to study editing under professors who were long-term established editors in L.A. was invaluable to my career when I graduated. \u2026My experience at Chapman University is one that I highly value, from the long nights in the editing lab to the close bonds forged with my classmates, who I now call colleagues.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students choose between directing, cinematography, editing or sound design as an area of specialization, and the programs are focused on mentorship and practical, hands-on experience, two of the best ways to learn any craft. They instill in-depth understanding of the fundamental components of visual storytelling, story structure and story analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING PRODUCING TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Columbia University<\/strong> (New York City, New York)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to be a producer, not only must you have a knack for organization, an eye for talent, and a thorough understanding of the ever-evolving entertainment business models, you\u2019ve also got to understand story structure and development, and have great relationships with the writers and directors that bring them to life on screen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This three-year creative producing MFA, taught by a faculty of working producers in film, television, and digital media, throws students into the mix with those in the Writing for Film & Television and Screenwriting & Directing concentrations during their first year in order to facilitate friendships and professional collaborations that last throughout the program and beyond. Network is a producer\u2019s strongest tool, and Columbia students start building an expansive rolodex on day one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jack Lechner, chair of film at the Ivy League university, is a producer himself, with credits including the excellent Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams drama Blue Valentine<\/em> and the Oscar-winning documentary The Fog of War<\/em>, so students are in good hands. \u201cColumbia Film is distinguished by its constant focus on story,\u201d he tells MovieMaker<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur faculty are working professionals, who convey up-to-date information to students about their own experiences in the current media marketplace. The Film program is part of Columbia University, with endless opportunities for students to learn and to make creative connections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Columbia College Chicago Cinema and Television Arts<\/strong> (Chicago, Illinois)<\/p>\n\n\n\n With graduate, undergraduate and minor degree options available, as well the opportunity to spend a semester in Los Angeles, immersed in the entertainment capital of the world while learning in the heart of Hollywood on the Sunset Las Palmas Studios lot, this school is a wonderful place to learn all aspects of the craft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n BFA students can choose pathways for studying directing and cinematography, and students may want to stick around for an MFA in Cinema and Television Directing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The program has trained former president of the American Society of Cinematographers Michael Goi, as well as Emmy-award winning cinematographer Christian Sprenger (Atlanta<\/em>, GLOW<\/em>), who said in a testimony on the school\u2019s website that the curriculum\u2019s \u201cfundamental education is still something that I rely on today, and in a lot of ways it\u2019s universal to whatever the technology is that you\u2019re using.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students receive a well-rounded education through intensive study in screenwriting, cinematography, editing and sound, while those on the directing track write and direct their own scripts, as well as material written by others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING FILM STUDIES <\/p>\n\n\n\n Concordia<\/strong> (Montr\u00e9al, Qu\u00e9bec, Canada)<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to a fine animation program that MovieMaker<\/em> highlighted last year, as well as an ample film production program, Concordia offers a rich, intellectually stimulating environment to pursue a BFA, MA or PhD in film studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Concordia aims to arm deep thinkers with the tools and visual literacy necessary for aesthetic, historical and cultural analysis of cinema and audiovisual media. Students develop critical thinking as well as a thorough understanding of the history and traditions of the moving image, while actively researching individual scholarly goals under the mentorship of acclaimed faculty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They will also will find themselves at the forefront of new scholarship in the field by attending screenings, workshops and seminars hosting distinguished guest speakers, and can immerse themselves in one of Canada\u2019s great cultural capitals. Concordia is on proud display to the world each summer as Fantasia<\/a>, one of our 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee<\/a>, takes over many of its comfortable, ultra-modern facilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY TRAINING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DePaul University<\/strong> (Chicago, Illinois)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Documentaries were always one of the most produced formats of the film and television industry, but ever since Netflix\u2019s Making a Murderer<\/em> captivated the world over a decade ago, mainstream viewers have been craving docs about anything and everything, so there\u2019s never been a better time to learn to be a documentarian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n DePaul\u2019s demanding MFA program mixes theory and production to instill a deep understanding of the genre, as well as the skills to create compelling stories within it \u2014 including research, development, aesthetics, post-production workflow, and even how to find an audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students learn from outstanding professionals in the field, including Sundance Documentary Cinematography Award winner Dana Kupper, whose credits include the Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself<\/em>, and Brenda Robinson, an entertainment attorney with 19 executive producer credits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The school also brings innovative industry leaders to campus for film screenings, on-stage conversations, and professional panels, and offers a Bollywood study abroad program in Mumbai. <\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING SCREENWRITING TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emerson College<\/strong> (Boston, Massachusetts)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps the best endorsement of Emerson is that it was here that Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert \u2014 this past year\u2019s winners of the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay Oscars for Everything Everywhere All at Once<\/em> \u2014 got their start together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A less prominent but still significant cause for celebration is Emerson\u2019s two-year, full-time Writing for Film and Television MFA. It\u2019s a low-residency program, meaning mostly online coursework, with the exception of six-day residencies that kick off each semester at either the Boston or Los Angeles campuses, where students participate in workshops, screenings, lectures, and a master class with a guest lecturer of significant accomplishment in the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The school\u2019s Semel chair in screenwriting meets with students, and leads an evening screening and discussion of their work. Previous Semel chairs have included Emmy winner Joey Soloway (Transparent<\/em>), Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black (Milk<\/em>), and three-time Emmy nominee Krista Vernoff (Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/em>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to learning from exceptional industry talent, graduates join a vast alumni network with a major presence in the industry, thanks to a long-running internship program, where senior undergraduates spend one semester studying at a state-of-the-art campus on Sunset Boulevard and then their last semester interning at a company relevant to their area of focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING FILM PRODUCTION TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema<\/strong> (Brooklyn, New York)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This Brooklyn College program is young and small, with just 80 students accepted last year, but it has really hit the ground running under the guidance of two-time Oscar-nominated producer Richard Gladstein (The Hateful Eight<\/em>), who serves as executive director, using his and the faculty\u2019s other connections to bring in industry guests to speak to students about their work and journeys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s about bringing these filmmakers, music makers and media makers to just talk about their craft and de-mystify it for everyone; this is attainable, they\u2019re just like you, they\u2019re just a few years ahead,\u201d he says in a recent promotional video for the program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The cutting-edge facilities provide access to premium equipment, four soundstages, seven Avid Everywhere post-production suites, four DaVinci Resolve color grading suites, ADR studios, mixing rooms, a construction shop and a prop room. Feirstein covers the gamut for those interested in learning directing, cinematography, post-production, digital animation and VFX, producing, screenwriting, sonic arts and media scoring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a great low-tuition option for students from New York who want to live and learn in the Big Apple, a glorious nexus of cultures, people and ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s slightly different about our school is the community we serve: we\u2019re extraordinarily diverse. More than half the students are people of color,\u201d says Gladstein. Another attractive perk of the school is its location at Steiner Studios, so students are immersed in the hustle and bustle of a working production lot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING FILM PRODUCTION TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Full Sail University<\/strong> (Winter Park, Florida)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The school\u2019s 12-month Film Production Master of Fine Arts is an accelerated degree program designed to build and strengthen visual storytelling skills through developing technical skills and theory. It guides students through all stages of the process, including film festival submission and securing distribution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The trademark Project LaunchBox package equips students with the necessary gear to create their projects, with access to a Hollywood-style backlot and soundstage, as well as high-end camera and lighting packages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just last year, the school opened Studio V1: Virtual Production \u2014 one of the nation\u2019s largest and most technologically advanced virtual production studios on a college campus, bridging traditional studio filmmaking with live production and real-time 3-D creation, allowing students to create visually stunning projects on a smaller budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Though this program is short and sweet, Full Sail promises to support students throughout their entire professional journey, offering a robust Career Development department with an advisory team made up of degree-specific industry professionals. They assist graduates with personal brand development, while also hosting recruitment events, alumni events and guest speaker engagements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nashville Film Institute<\/strong> (Nashville, Tennessee)<\/p>\n\n\n\n NFI is a vocational oriented program, offering a nine-month hands-on diploma in film production, or a two-year Occupational Associate\u2019s Degree \u2014 a 60-credit program that also dives into psychology and cultural anthropology to create well-rounded filmmakers who understand how to depict the depth and nuances of the human condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The accelerated program teaches what students will need to know to work on set, and the location in America\u2019s beloved Music City offers no shortage of artists to work with on music videos, while production companies, like Tim McGraw\u2019s shingle Down Home, are also starting to plant their flags in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Justin Vesci, the vice president of development and production at global film and television production label PZAJ, tells MovieMaker<\/em> that Nashville isn\u2019t an epicenter for the industry yet \u2014 but he adds that it\u2019s growing bigger and bigger every day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCurrently, if you are open to all aspects of filmed content, you could find a job in some fashion as a PA, director of photography, lighting, sound, set decorator, et cetera,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are plenty of opportunities for commercials and music videos.\u201d Vesci relocated to Nashville from Los Angeles in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING DIRECTING TRAINING <\/p>\n\n\n\n New York Film Academy <\/strong>(New York City, New York and Los Angeles, California)<\/p>\n\n\n\n NYFA\u2019s locations in two of the largest filmmaking markets in the world provide students with lots of options: Those interested in independent film, for example, can choose to earn a BFA in filmmaking in New York, the indie filmmaker capital of the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students study directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, and producing through hands-on exercises and coursework, with the goal of graduating with a great reel and lots practical experience. \u201cThe only way you\u2019re going to learn how to direct films is by directing films, and there is no way around that,\u201d says NYFA filmmaking chair Andrea Swift in a Q&A on the program\u2019s website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe networks people create at school are some of the most important things they come out with. Additionally, don\u2019t wait for someone else to give you permission to start making films. Just start.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s that kind of mindset that thrives at NYFA, pushing students to make the most of their time at the school, which also emphasizes the art of pinching a penny. \u201cI love to teach filmmakers how to make films with no budget so our students can make films without spending a lot of money,\u201d Swift adds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Expect additional coursework in liberal arts, cinema studies, arts and humanities, and science that strongly relates to filmmaking, as well as the opportunity to listen to leading directors, actors, producers, cinematographers and distinguished NYFA alumni who drop by for speaking engagements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING DIRECTING TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n New York University<\/strong> (New York City, New York)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re exploring film school options, then NYU\u2019s Tisch School of the Arts is probably already on your radar, because it\u2019s one of the world\u2019s preeminent centers for the study of the performing, cinematic and emerging media arts, with more than 45,000 alumni working out in the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They include directors M. Night Shyamalan, Joel Coen and Spike Lee, who is a professor of film and artistic director. More than 5,000 films a year are made here by both students and faculty, who provide outstanding undergraduate and graduate education in the study of film and media arts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur students are part of a community of young, passionate artists who grow together, support each other and succeed together,\u201d says Undergraduate Film & Television chair Ezra Sacks. \u201cOur credo is learning by doing. Students are actively creating work and encouraged to take risks as they discover their own individual voices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students leave the program having developed an excellence in their craft and a strong conviction in the unique stories they have to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING DIGITAL CINEMA PRODUCTION TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oklahoma City Community College<\/strong> (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This affordable, two-year program is now called the Gray Frederickson Digital Cinema Department, in honor of the Oscar and Emmy Award-winning producer of the Godfather<\/em> trilogy and Apocalypse Now<\/em>, who passed on last year. He created a curriculum that mixes theoretical foundation and practical application, as well as state-of-the-art technology and professional faculty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n OCCC says it draws people from all over the world in part because it\u2019s a people\u2019s film school: If you apply, you\u2019re in. Professors Greg Mellott and Sean Lynch, who coordinate the program, tell MovieMaker<\/em> that \u201cthe program gives students greater access to a much higher level of equipment and technology and facilities than most schools at a fraction of the cost-\u2014 and lets them be taught by Oscar and Emmy Award winning faculty.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of OCCC\u2019s facilities is a 6,000-square-foot studio from which Francis Ford Coppola streamed the first-ever Live Cinema production, earning students priceless experience and an impressive IMDb credit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With major film and TV productions coming to Oklahoma, like Martin Scorsese\u2019s Killers of the Flower Moon <\/em>and the FX series Reservation Dogs<\/em>, OCCC\u2019s program is customized to funnel students and alumni into the state\u2019s industry. \u201cMaking moviemakers is Gray\u2019s legacy to our school and our state, now and forever,\u201d add Mellott and Lynch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING BRANDED-CONTENT TRAINING <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ringling College of Art and Design <\/strong>(Sarasota, Florida)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ringling\u2019s four-year BFA in branded content gives students the chance to specialize in making dynamic video content that cuts through the clutter, taps into consumers\u2019 passion points and engages them through entertainment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Its narrative film concentration, meanwhile, immerses students in all aspects of the process, including cinematography, production design, editing, sound design, screenwriting, post-production, directing, and producing \u2014 all on an 8,400 square foot soundstage, using state-of-the-art gear and editing suites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During a recent visit by MovieMaker<\/em>, we watched hypnotic clips of Ringling student Ben Sutherland\u2019s \u201cBlinds Wide Shut\u201d under the oversight of sound faculty advisor Nick Palladino in the school\u2019s impressive Dolby Atmos Theater. The film was shot almost entirely on Ringling soundstages. The school also owns an entire home available for film shoots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s been said that Ringling College is Hollywood\u2019s best-kept secret,\u201d a Ringling representative says. \u201cIn addition to our top-ranked academics and the 17 Student Academy Awards won by our animation department, our production-intensive program that our live-action undergraduates enjoy puts our students ahead and industry-ready upon graduation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY TRAINING<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rutgers Filmmaking Center<\/strong> (New Brunswick, New Jersey)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Situated between two major filmmaking markets, New York City and Philadelphia, students in this four-year undergraduate program are close to plenty of internship and production gig opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of the curriculum, roughly 80 percent practical and 20 percent theory, is to teach skills that can be applied to both narrative and non-narrative modes of filmmaking, but those particularly interested in the latter can take advantage of in-house production unit, the Documentary Film Lab \u2014 considered one of the university\u2019s biggest draws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It gives students the opportunity to create feature docs ready for the festival circuit or to show prospective employers. And with Netflix building the Fort Monmouth Studio in the Garden State, as well as Lionsgate developing a $125 million Newark studio complex, New Jersey is becoming an increasingly attractive filmmaking hub. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Faculty at Rutgers\u2019 Mason Gross School of the Arts include Academy Award winners, Documentary Film Lab director Thomas Lennon (Sacred<\/em>, Knife Skills<\/em>) and Guggenheim Fellows. Regardless of concentration, students can expect to have a camera in their hands during their first week and access to top-notch gear and technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Antioch-1180x885.jpg\")
(L-R) Angela Carlyle, Ty Halton, Emily Hagopian take part in a screenwriting workshop at Antioch, one of our Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. Photo by Colette Freedman, courtesy of Antioch.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
OUTSTANDING FILM PRODUCTION TRAINING <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/COLUMBIA-UNIVERSITY-1180x787.jpeg\")
Behind the scenes of \u201cApHasiA: Describe the city you live in,\u201d written and directed by film student Shan Jiang and produced by film alum Joyce Yueyi Xing, class of ’21 at Columbia University, one of our Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. Courtesy of Shan Jiang.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/COLUMBIACOLLEG-1180x787.jpg\")
Students at Columbia College Chicago get hands-on experience behind the camera. Photo courtesy of Columbia College Chicago, one of our Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/OCCC-1180x662.jpg\")
Austin Taylor, an Emmy-award-winning filmmaker and member of OCCC\u2019s advisory board, looks into a camera alongside OCCC students Mathew Parmer (L) and Brent Billingsley. Photo courtesy of OCCC, one of our Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/RINGLING-1180x885.jpg\")
1st AD CJ Callins, actor Jordan Woods-Robinson and cinematographer Jeno Broschofsky on the student film \u201cBlinds Wide Shut\u201d by Ben Sutherland at Ringling, one of our Best Films in the U.S. and Canada. Courtesy of Ben Sutherland.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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