Schedule
If accepted into the program, you will be informed on the registration process for your particular program.
Spring 2013
Entertainment Marketing (January 28th - March 1st)
Everyone knows the real work begins after the film is in the can. Learn what it takes to sell a project to the public. Put together your own marketing/public relations campaign and present it to industry executives. Taught by Susan Wrenn and Cheryl Boone Isaacs. Contact Craig Sigele at csigele@colum.edu or 312.369.6843.
Journalism (January 28th - March 1st)
Advanced journalism students who want a career in covering the entertainment industries — music, movies and television — will get an immersion course in this speciality, reporting and writing for different media on tight deadlines and in-depth. The five weeks of producing increasingly sophisticated work and learning about the business, marketing, legal affairs, online challenges, key behind-the-scene players, and celebrities prepare students for top internships, creating unique resumes with experience in Chicago and Los Angeles, reporting real stories of national and international interest. Gain access to and learn from outstanding entertainment industry leaders in intimate seminar settings. Contact Nancy Day at nday@colum.edu
Drama Writing for Television (March 4th - April 5th)
Learn the format, structure, and secrets of a great script from successful writers from your favorite dramas. Complete a one hour drama script and pitch it to industry professionals. Taught by Morgan Gendel. Contact Michael Niederman at mniederman@colum.edu or 312.369.7277.
Producing (March 4th - April 5th)
Learn the ins and outs of the studio system, from optioning material to distribution, with over fifty different industry guest speakers. Track industry trends while developing your own project for a pitch meeting with industry executives. Taught by Jon Katzman. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Screenwriting (March 4th - April 5th)
Complete a feature length screenplay in five weeks. Meet with professional screenwriters, agents, and managers and get advice on how to best hone your craft. Learn to read and write coverage, a staple for entry level positions and for analyzing material in Hollywood. Pitch your finished script to agents and managers looking for the next hot writer. Taught by Marc Sedaka. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Comedy Writing for Television (April 8th - May 10th)
Learn from working writers, producers, and other speakers on every aspect of what it takes to write a funny and successful Sit-Com "Spec". Apply that knowledge immediately by writing two of your own spec scripts in a simulated professional writers' room. Taught by Bill Bickley. Contact Michael Niederman at mniederman@colum.edu or 312.369.8524.
Adaptation (April 8th - May 10th)
90% of all movies come from other sources. Find the rights to an intellectual property and then develop a project. Examine various films, from concept to book to screen, and meet the famous writers and producers who made them happen. Pitch your concept to production executives and see if you can make the deal happen. Taught by Craig Gore. Contact Gary Johnson at gjohnson@colum.edu or 312.369.7537
Summer 2013
Directing (May 28th - June 28th)
Meet big name directors in an informal setting and learn as they explain their techniques. Learn from a variety of professional directors whose box office values total in the billions, as well as low budget independent directors. Taught by Chris Leitch. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Costume Design (May 28th - June 28th)
Learn the research techniques that serve as a foundation for a presentation to industry professionals. Explore costuming employment opportunities in the various Media and Entertainment industries. Complete a professional portfolio for costume design and/or costume supervision and pitch your projects to working directors. Taught by Maria Lorenzana. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Music Composition Graduate (May 28th - June 28th)
Create your own soundtrack to a three minute cut from a recent film. Receive feedback and advice from industry musicians and composers. Then, have your score recorded by a 30 piece professional orchestra. Contact Ilya Levinson at ilevinson@colum.edu or 312.369.6188.
Producing (July 1st - August 2nd)
Learn the ins and outs of the studio system, from optioning material to distribution, with over fifty different industry guest speakers. Track industry trends while developing your own project for a pitch meeting with industry executives. Taught by Jon Katzman. Contact Semester in LA Producing at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Transmedia & Cross-Platform Development (July 1st - August 2nd)
This Semester in LA session offered by the School of Media Arts, will bring students from various disciplines together to create material designed to be produced in the film, television, and the gaming industries. Each student will develop an Intellectual Property (IP) Bible for an original concept or previously undeveloped intellectual property, with the goal to create platform appropriate materials for film, a television series, and a game. Taught by Joe Chambers and Richie Solomon. Contact Michael Niederman at mniederman@colum.edu or 312.369.7277.
Music Composition Undergraduate (August 5th - August 30th)
Create your own soundtrack to a three minute cut from a recent film. Receive feedback and advice from industry musicians and composers. Then, have your score recorded by a 30 piece professional orchestra. Taught by Craig Garfinkle and Mark Watters. Contact Ilya Levinson at ilevinson@colum.edu or 312.369.6188.
Fall 2013
Producing (September 3rd - October 4th)
Learn the ins and outs of the studio system, from optioning material to distribution, with over fifty different industry guest speakers. Track industry trends while developing your own project for a pitch meeting with industry executives. Taught by Jon Katzman. Contact Semester in LA Producing at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Screenwriting (September 3rd - October 4th)
Complete a feature length screenplay in five weeks. Meet with professional screenwriters, agents, and managers and get advice on how to best hone your craft. Learn to read and write coverage, a staple for entry level positions and for analyzing material in Hollywood. Pitch your finished script to agents and managers looking for the next hot writer. Taught by Marc Sedaka. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
J Term 2014
Animation (January 19th - January 24th)
A five day intensive J-Term course in which every day, students visit a different animation studio and learn how each different company approaches the production of animation, from story to delivery. Students have a chance to show their animation work to professional animators and potential employers. Contact Ron Fletcher at rfleischer@colum.edu
Acting (January 15th - January 24th)
This course is designed to give students a practical and applicable experience toward pursuing a career as a film or television actor in Los Angeles. Classes will consist of lectures, demonstrations, off campus field trips, and performance with some of the best agents, managers, and casting directors in the business. Contact Jason Buyer at mtaemail@gmail.com
Spring 2014
Journalism (January 27th - March 7th)
Advanced journalism students who want a career in covering the entertainment industries — music, movies and television — will get an immersion course in this speciality, reporting and writing for different media on tight deadlines and in-depth. The five weeks of producing increasingly sophisticated work and learning about the business, marketing, legal affairs, online challenges, key behind-the-scene players, and celebrities prepare students for top internships, creating unique resumes with experience in Chicago and Los Angeles, reporting real stories of national and international interest. Gain access to and learn from outstanding entertainment industry leaders in intimate seminar settings. Contact Nancy Day at nday@colum.edu
Screenwriting (January 27th - February 28th)
Complete a feature length screenplay in five weeks. Meet with professional screenwriters, agents, and managers and get advice on how to best hone your craft. Learn to read and write coverage, a staple for entry level positions and for analyzing material in Hollywood. Pitch your finished script to agents and managers looking for the next hot writer. Taught by Marc Sedaka. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Producing (January 27th - February 28th)
Learn the ins and outs of the studio system, from optioning material to distribution, with over fifty different industry guest speakers. Track industry trends while developing your own project for a pitch meeting with industry executives. Taught by Jon Katzman. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Entertainment Marketing (March 3rd - April 4th)
Everyone knows the real work begins after the film is in the can. Learn what it takes to sell a project to the public. Put together your own marketing/public relations campaign and present it to industry executives. Taught by Susan Wrenn and Cheryl Boone Isaacs. Contact Craig Sigele at csigele@colum.edu or 312.369.6843.
Drama Writing for Television (March 3rd - April 4th)
Learn the format, structure, and secrets of a great script from successful writers from your favorite dramas. Complete a one hour drama script and pitch it to industry professionals. Taught by Morgan Gendel. Contact Michael Niederman at mniederman@colum.edu or 312.369.7277.
Graduate Producing (March 24th - May 15th)
Learn the ins and outs of the studio system, from developing, to financing, to production, to distribution. Learn from a multitude of industry professionals, while preparing your own material. Contact Jon Katzman at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Adaptation (April 7th - May 9th)
90% of all movies come from other sources. Find the rights to an intellectual property and then develop a project. Examine various films, from concept to book to screen, and meet the famous writers and producers who made them happen. Pitch your concept to production executives and see if you can make the deal happen. Taught by Craig Gore. Contact Gary Johnson at gjohnson@colum.edu or 312.369.7537
Comedy Writing for Television (April 7th - May 9th)
Learn from working writers, producers, and other speakers on every aspect of what it takes to write a funny and successful Sit-Com "Spec". Apply that knowledge immediately by writing two of your own spec scripts in a simulated professional writers' room. Taught by Bill Bickley. Contact Michael Niederman at mniederman@colum.edu or 312.369.8524.
Summer 2014
Directing (May 27th - June 27th)
Meet big name directors in an informal setting and learn as they explain their techniques. Learn from a variety of professional directors whose box office values total in the billions, as well as low budget independent directors. Taught by Chris Leitch. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Costume Design (May 27th - June 27th)
Learn the research techniques that serve as a foundation for a presentation to industry professionals. Explore costuming employment opportunities in the various Media and Entertainment industries. Complete a professional portfolio for costume design and/or costume supervision and pitch your projects to working directors. Taught by Maria Lorenzana. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Music Composition Graduate (May 27th - June 27th)
Create your own soundtrack to a three minute cut from a recent film. Receive feedback and advice from industry musicians and composers. Then, have your score recorded by a 30 piece professional orchestra. Contact Ilya Levinson at ilevinson@colum.edu or 312.369.6188.
Producing (June 30th - August 1st)
Learn the ins and outs of the studio system, from optioning material to distribution, with over fifty different industry guest speakers. Track industry trends while developing your own project for a pitch meeting with industry executives. Taught by Jon Katzman. Contact Semester in LA Producing at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Transmedia & Cross-Platform Development (June 30th - August 1st)
This Semester in LA session offered by the School of Media Arts, will bring students from various disciplines together to create material designed to be produced in the film, television, and the gaming industries. Each student will develop an Intellectual Property (IP) Bible for an original concept or previously undeveloped intellectual property, with the goal to create platform appropriate materials for film, a television series, and a game. Taught by Joe Chambers and Richie Solomon. Contact Michael Niederman at mniederman@colum.edu or 312.369.7277.
Music Composition Undergraduate (July 14th - August 15th)
Create your own soundtrack to a three minute cut from a recent film. Receive feedback and advice from industry musicians and composers. Then, have your score recorded by a 30 piece professional orchestra. Taught by Craig Garfinkle and Mark Watters. Contact Ilya Levinson at ilevinson@colum.edu or 312.369.6188.
Fall 2014
Producing (September 1st - October 3rd)
Learn the ins and outs of the studio system, from optioning material to distribution, with over fifty different industry guest speakers. Track industry trends while developing your own project for a pitch meeting with industry executives. Taught by Jon Katzman. Contact Semester in LA Producing at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.
Screenwriting (September 1st - October 3rd)
Complete a feature length screenplay in five weeks. Meet with professional screenwriters, agents, and managers and get advice on how to best hone your craft. Learn to read and write coverage, a staple for entry level positions and for analyzing material in Hollywood. Pitch your finished script to agents and managers looking for the next hot writer. Taught by Marc Sedaka. Contact Semester in LA at semesterinla@colum.edu or 323.960.8020.