FAQ
1. What is the focus of the program?
The focus is on personal expression through writing-producing-directing.
Each student writes, produces, and directs their own thesis film.
2. What kind of filmmakers does the school tend to produce?
Experimental? Independent? Studio filmmakers?
We produce all three, but with an emphasis on independent filmmakers.
3. How many candidates annually apply to the program and how many are accepted?
Over 100 candidates apply to our program every year. We interview about 30-35 students and accept 12-14 students each year.
4. What type of student are you looking for? Is filmmaking experience necessary?
The Graduate Program is looking for talented individuals who have something to say, a creative vision, stories to tell, and the desire to express them in the film or video media. We also look for qualities such as commitment, maturity, tenacity, self-awareness, and the ability to collaborate. We welcome people from other fields. Filmmaking experience is not necessary.
5. Does the program incorporate film theory or is it more geared towards production? Do students have to pick a concentration (i.e., screenwriting, directing, theory, etc.)?
The emphasis is on production, but we require courses in history and
theory. The focus is on writing, producing and directing one’s own work.
There are no concentrations, but starting in the second year students may take courses in craft areas.
7. How much access do students have to equipment? What costs are students expected to pick up themselves?
Graduate students have extensive access to equipment. The main costs for equipment used for class projects are covered by course fees, although thesis projects require a financial commitment. Some of the costs are offset by our Production Fund and other merit-based award programs available at the college. Most students now own their own computers and obtain digital editing software that is compatible with that in our labs.
8. What facilities are available?
Being the largest film school in the world (measured by number of
students), our equipment ranges from traditional film technologies to
the newest digital technologies for all phases of production, including
animation and advanced digital optical and sound effects.
Our classrooms, editing suites, and screening rooms take up almost an
entire city high rise building. Our post-production facilities include an Avid Meridian suite of workstations for Documentary classes, several Mac labs, Avid Xpress DV/Xpress Pro suites, Media Film Composer suites, Symphony, 35mm KEM, and an advanced graphics lab. Other software includes: Final Cut Pro 4, Photoshop, After Effects, Commotion, Shake. We also have a Machine Room for several formats for digitizing and duplication, a telecine, and Assistant Editor facilities. Our Sound Center Facilities include a full foley and ADR stage, 2 mixing stages (5.1 HD), Pro Tools lab with workstations, 4 edit suites, a transfer station with multiple DAT decks, and a full SFX library. We have a Documentary Center, a lighting stage, two directing stages, and a new 250-seat theater for special events and screenings.
9. Who are some famous alums and/or what are some noteworthy projects that have either come directly out of the school or that alums have produced/directed/etc.?
M.F.A. Alumni:
Navid McIlhargey started in the mailroom at United Talent Agency. He moved on to Joe Roth's Revolution Studios company in 2000, and eventually oversaw White Chicks, Peter Pan, and developed the upcoming Zoom's Academy, Black Water Transit and many others. He started with Joel Silver's Silver Pictures in 2004 and has developed many large scale sci-fi and action scripts, prepping some to go into production. Recent Silver Pictures releases include Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, V for Vendetta, and Speed Racer.
Diane Weyerman is Participant Production’s Executive VP of Documentary Production (Brett Morgen’s Chicago 10 and Errol Morris’ Standard Operating Procedure. Recent projects included Angels in the Dust, Jimmy Carter from Plains, Darfur Now and last year’s Oscar®-winning An Inconvenient Truth). She was formally Director of Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, 2001-2005.
Hank Chilton is a writer and co-producer on the television show Nip/Tuck. He is set to direct his first episode of Nip/Tuck, "Budi Sabri," in the 2009 season.
Marisol Torres’ debut feature Boricua screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, 2004 and was distributed by Universal. Marisol made a documentary in Iraq in 2005 and is currently directing episodes of Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
Damien Arakelyan is a Documentary Director/Cinematographer for the Discovery Channel.
Maura Corey is an editor working in Los Angeles on such projects as the 80th Annual Academy Awards, episodes of "10 Items or Less", "Shaq's Big Challenge", "The One: Making a Music Star". She was nominated for an Emmy for her work on a Johnny Carson tribute for the 77th Annual Academy Awards.
David McQuillen sold his thesis film, "The Materialists" for broadcast to the Sci-Fi Channel.
Steven Foley’s feature film Strange as Angels, recently released on DVD, has been in several film festivals and was Opening Night Selection at the Black International Cinema Film Festival, Berlin 2004.
Craig Amendola has worked as a second assistant director on televisions shows American Dreams, Revelations, LAX, and CSI: New York.
Matt Irvine is Director of DePaul University’s Digital Cinema Program and founder of Bluelight Productions.
Suree Towfighnia and Courtney Hermann's "Standing Silent Nation" won Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at the 2008 Sedona International Film Festival, was a nominee in the 23rd International Documentary Association's Distinguished Documentary Achievements Awards Competition, and found nationwide release in the 20th anniversary season of the award-winning PBS Documentary series POV/American Documentary.
Alum Maria Gigante's thesis film "Girls Room" was in Berlin International Film Festival, L.A. Shorts Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, and was runner up in MTV's Best Film on Campus 2007.
Jeff Smith's thesis film "The Miracle" has screened across the globe, winning several awards including People's Choice at the European International Film Festival in Paris and Audience Award at the Cinema City International Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Sean Jourdan's An Open Door (Directing III) and The Beekeeper (Thesis), will be distributed by Shorts International, the largest short film distributor in the world and one of the very few with an exclusive agreement with iTunes. They also have a cable channel (Shorts TV) that will show both films in the UK, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. An Open Door was one the top 5 finalists of Best Filmmaker on Campus Competition (MTVu) and received the CINE, Award of Excellence.
Alumni of the undergraduate film program include academy-award winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, A.I., Minority Report, The Terminal, War of the Worlds), director-producers George Tillman and Bob Teitel (Soul Food, Men of Honor, Barbershop, Barbershop 2, Roll Bounce) and cinematographers Jeff Jur (Dirty Dancing, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, HBO series Carnivale,) Maro Fiore (Get Carter, Training Day,) Declan Quinn (Vanity Fair, Cold Creek Manor, In America, Monsoon Wedding.)
10. What is the program cost?
Graduate tuition and fees are approximately $15,000 yearly.
Estimated living expenses (includes tuition and fees) are $28,000 yearly.
For more information on financial matters, please contact Student Financial Services on our Web site www.colum.edu/sfs or email sfs@colum.edu or phone 312-369-7140.
11. If students produce work while enrolled, who retains the copyright?
Students retain the copyright to their work. The College retains limited rights to use and show student work.
12. Does everyone get to do a thesis project, or must students compete against one another to get their projects approved? What are the length requirements for thesis films?
Each student makes his or her own film. The recommended length is 20 minutes and under.
13. How many years is the program supposed to last? How long does it take most students to complete their degree?
Ours is a 60 credit hour program, which turns out to be about three years of course work. Then there is the thesis process, which can add a year or two. The college limit for finishing an advanced degree is seven years. Most of our students now finish in four-five years. The length is due to the nature of the independent filmmaking process. Post-production sometimes takes longer than students anticipate, but that time—and the time for the process in general—is shortening due to digital technology.
14. What does the school do to help the students in their careers?
We have screenings in L.A., internships all across the country, and most uniquely, a Semester in L.A. program. The program is located in Bungalow 25 on the CBS Studio Lot in Studio City. This location provides invaluable real-world experience. Students are given lot ID badges and enter the gates of the lot everyday just like working producers, directors, stars and craft personnel. The webpage is <http://filmatcolumbia.com/LA.html>
The department has an Internship and Industry Relations Coordinator who works closely with the Chicago Film Office to find internships on feature length film productions. The Coordinator has created long-standing relationships with local production and post production facilities looking to hire Columbia College Chicago students. We also have a full-time Alumni Director in L.A. who provides students and alums with industry contacts, settlement help, and coordinates west-coast internships.
For students who wish to combine teaching and filmmaking, we offer specialized Teacher Training courses and the opportunity to gain experience by teaching in our undergraduate program.
15. How difficult is it to acquire crew for filmmaking?
We have an undergraduate student body of over 2000 students, where graduate students can recruit crew, particularly in the specialized positions. The undergraduate class concentrate on craft specialities, such as Producing, Cinematography, Location Sound, Editing, Post Production Audio, Animation, and others.
16. Have your students been successful in the film festival circuit?
Our graduate students and alums are screening work as official selections in prominent festivals such as Berlin International Film Festival, Cannes Short Film Corner, Tribeca International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Montreal World Festival, L.A. Shorts Festival, Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, Milan International Film Festival, Taos Mountain Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, DC Shorts, Avignon Film Festival, and Big Bear Lake International Film Festival. One of our student’s thesis film was runner up in MTV’s Best Film on Campus Competition, which had over 400 entries.
17. What sets your program apart from others?
• all students make their own thesis films
• diversity of stylistic approach and subject matter, with an emphasis on storytelling
• supportive, cooperative creative environment
• big city resources, including one of the most vibrant theater communities in the country from which to draw actors
• one of the most livable and affordable big cities in the country with excellent public transportation
• a richly diverse student population, both outside and within the program
• a private college administration that emphasizes and strongly supports the arts