Film Program at University of Michigan

The film program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is one which places a significant emphasis upon the theoretical aspects of the craft of film making. This approach is generally seen in national film programs at other universities, but it tends to wane as students progress in their studies. At the University of Michigan, this approach is maintained during a student’s full four years at the school.

For their introductory courses, students have a choice between the Art of Film and the Introduction to the Moving Image. Both classes will teach students to appreciate the aesthetics and theoretical concerns of historic film makers. Students will also gain an appreciation for the modern storytelling.

After this broad introduction, students will continue to study critically acclaimed films in courses which cover both American and International films. The final class in this cycle of criticism is Film Theory and Criticism. This class analyzes film criticism and the various approaches predecessors have taken towards this medium.

The hands-on portion of the curriculum begins with the Introduction to Film, Video, and Television. In this class, students gain experience with every level of production. Students are expected to utilize their critical studies background during this experience. Their critical background will help them to identify artistic methods and innovative expressions to make their films exciting.

Students who are enrolled in the program have access to resources which will help them along their journey to producing high quality 16mm films. At the Frieze Building, students can use the 30 X 45 sound stage, film editing suites, and audio production and mixing studio to complete the post-production on their films. These editing suites house multiple Avid machines.

To ensure that students have some grasp of the film world that is awaiting them, the University of Michigan initiated the James Gindin Visiting Artist Series. This program brings industry professionals to the campus to lecture students on their climb to the top of their field. With this series, these professionals will also work closely with students to give them feedback and pointers which the students can later use during the making of their films.

During the final weeks of the school year, there is a screening of the best student work produced that year. This screening is a major campus event which draws a diverse audience. Here, students are allowed to view and digest their peers opinions of their creative output.

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NYU Film School

The film program at the famed Tisch school at New York University (NYU) is one of the most competitive programs of its kind in the nation. It is competitive for good reason. Their film-making facility is counted amongst the largest on the East coast. Running this enormous facility requires 11 staff members and over 50 assistants. With a film-making facility of that magnitude, it is only reasonable to assume that the film program in the Tisch school would be equally impressive when compared to other film schools.

The Todman Center for Film and Television houses a 2500 square foot film and television sound stage where students can rehearse and shoot their films and/or television programs. Rehearsal space at the Todman center is used well over 1000 times per year for student casting sessions. In separate facilities, you will find two teaching sound stages where students are trained to professionally film their scenes.

The Production Center might resemble heaven to those interested in editing. The main goal is for students to achieve a professional-looking film utilizing industry-standard equipment. This post-production area houses Steenbeck flat bed editing machines, Beta-cam SP, Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro, and Avid Media Composer, XPress, Xpress DV, and Symphony. The post production area is open for long hours from day to night, but the service hours stretch to 24-hours during especially hectic times of the school year.

The Tisch school also incorporates many editing classes into their curriculum. There is a post- production colloquium which focuses mainly upon the objectives of the editors. Students will learn about the editing process during class sessions in which they will deconstruct film clips with their peers. They will also learn to approach a the editing of a film from an aesthetic as well as a cost-effective point of view. This class is enhanced with guest speakers who will communicate their own challenges and successes in the editing room.

The first full-semester class which focuses on the art of editing is “Film Aesthetics: Editing”. In this class, students will explore the theoretical and aesthetic processes of film editing in classic and modern films. The course will also contrast common methods of editing used in narrative, experimental, and documentary films. This analyzation will help students to readily identify the ways in which editing can highlight or influence the viewer’s perspective on the subject matter. This class can be followed by more advanced classes in editing.

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Reviewing American University Film School

Those searching for a university with a strong film department might want to check out American University. While their film department is not quite as old, their communications department has existed for over 40 years. Additionally, their film department boasts one of the most active and most expansive production markets for film as well as television.

The School of Communications at American University has a well-trained faculty who have experience in their field. Many of the professors have an Oscar, Sundance, or Emmy win to their credit. Those credentials can inspire the film students of the university as well as prepare them for the actual market with anecdotal information via their professor’s first-hand experience. On the academic side, roughly 96% of the faculty holds the highest degree possible in their respective fields.

The academic requirements to remain in good standing at American University tends to run along the average lines for any university. The film school demands an average grade point average (GPA) of a C or better from their students. Since these demands are not terribly strenuous, the communications program is not an incredibly competitive department. Other requirements for film students is that in addition to the number of classes they must take within the School of Communication, they must also take American History and Economics to broaden their education.

A unique requirement of this film school is that the communications degree demands that students take 3 credit hours of independent study or internship. This facet of the degree program sets them apart from other schools since most do not provide their students with ‘real world’ internships. The hands-on experience that students can glean from this process is invaluable.

However, there are drawbacks to this school for a student interested in film editing. Unlike a number of other schools, American University does not offer specializations within their film department. Thus the number of opportunities to improve upon this particular skill can be limiting. They do offer an introductory practicum in nonlinear editing; this particular course lasts about a week and covers nonlinear editing skills upon a Media 100 platform. They also have a class devoted to the use of Final Cut Pro systems.

Amongst their unique classes, they offer "Classroom in the wild: Florida". In this class, students will explore and film wildlife in its natural setting. This could mean snorkeling with manatees or filming alligators in the swamps of Florida. This one-of-a-kind workshop lasts one week.

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