U.S. Southeast
Outstanding Animation Training: Florida State University
Outstanding Editing Training: Louisiana State University
Outstanding Directing Training: Ringling College of Art and Design
The film program at Ringling is turning 10 this year, and in that short period the Sarasota school has become known for its industry-driven teaching style. Its Studio Lab brings accomplished directors and actors—including Kevin Smith (who returned this summer to shoot anthology project Killroy Was Here with the school), Werner Herzog and Spike Lee—to classrooms for sessions that often result in jobs on professional productions. For example, Ringling undergrads had crew positions on Tim Sutton’s Dark Night, and a web series created by Justin Long and his brother Christian.
Top-Notch Equipment and Facilities: Savannah College of Art and Design
SCAD film majors shoot the student-produced sitcom series The Buzz live before a studio audience. Courtesy of SCAD Photography
Georgia’s ascent as a production epicenter is reflected in the quality of its higher education, and there is no better example than SCAD. The university owns and operates the Savannah Film Studios, a facility available for commercial and independent productions that want to take advantage of not only the state’s tax credits, but the school’s three state-of-the-art sound stages, post-production suites, screening room, recording studio and lighting grids. Not enough? The school’s Atlanta campus is home to SCAD Digital Media Center, a production and post hub. SCAD also places a unique focus on virtual reality in its curriculum, providing students access to the latest VR tools.
Accomplished Faculty: University of Central Florida
Accelerated Industry Access: University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Directing majors in their final year at UNCSA take a “Transition to the Profession” class that prepares them for life after college as they search for jobs in the real world. Seniors screen their works for industry professionals and accomplished alumni in L.A. (That alumni roster includes Danny McBride, Jeff Nichols, Chad Hartigan and Craig Zobel.) A bonus: UNCSA is an official partner of the Sundance Institute. Alumni pop up every year at the film festival, while school staff participate in panels.
Outstanding Cinematography Training: VCUarts Cinema
Images are paramount at Virginia Commonwealth University, one of the only schools in the world where undergrads shoot projects on 35mm film. Tuition covers all shooting expenses, so that students can concentrate on their craft. Visual storytelling is at the heart of every course, and the list of equipment on hand (including three Arri cameras and two AJA Cion 4K cameras) would make a professional cinematographer swoon.
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