college thesis film

The College

• Mission, Vision & History
• Offices and Services
• Administration
• City College and CUNY Policies
• Campus Map & Directions
• Land Acknowledgement
• CCNY in the News
• Shuttle Bus Service
• Schedule a Tour

Schools & Divisions

• The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture
• CUNY School of Medicine
• Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
• School of Education
• The Grove School of Engineering
• Division of Humanities and the Arts
• Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at Center for Worker Education (CWE)
• Division of Science

Lifetime & Experiential Learning

• Graduate Studies Overview
• Continuing & Professional Studies
• International Studies & Study Abroad

Academic Planning

• Areas of Study
• General Education Curriculum
• Academic Calendar
• Courses / Bulletins
• Academic Affairs

Information For

• Admissions Overview
• Freshman Students
• Transfer/Second Degree Students
• Graduate Students
• Returning to College
• Visiting Students/Non-Degree
• Continuing Education
• Explore CCNY
• ACE Program
• MyCity VIP Portal

Visit Our Campus

• Campus Tours
• Information Sessions

Related Links

• Financial Aid
• Tuition and Fees
• Campus Housing
• International Students
• Honors Programs
• Research Overview
• The Office of Research
• Research Compliance & Ethics
• College Research Council

Discoveries in Actions

• Centers and Institutes
• QC-ALERT Programs
• Undergraduate Research

Faculty & Staff Experts

• By Area of Expertise
• View All Faculty & Staff

Campus Life

• Student Life
• Student Housing
• Benny's Campus Store

Student Services

• Student Affairs
• Health & Wellness
• The AccessAbility Center/Student Disability Services
• Safety Services
• LGBTQ+ Student Center
• CCNY Navigate
• Immigrant Student Resource and Research Center

Support CCNY

• How to Make a Gift
• CCNY Giving: Make-A-Will
• Types of Gifts
• 2023-2024 NYS Charitable Tax Contributions Credit

CUNY Related Links

• CUNY Portal
• Loaner Devices
• Discrimination and Retaliation Reporting Portal

Faculty & Staff

• Faculty / Staff E-Mail (Legacy - Webmail)
• Faculty / Staff E-Mail (New Outlook 365)
• Password Reset
• Content Editor
• Grants Management System
• Visual Course Roster
• Work Orders
• Employee Timesheets
• Student E-Mail
• Degreeworks / FACTS
• City Central

BFA in Film & Video

Thesis films.

All students produce thesis films in their second year as their capstone project.  The first year, both doc track and fiction track students take classes together in camera, sound, editing, screenwriting, documentary production and theory, the second-year study is focused on supporting students to produce a 10-12-minute independent documentary or fiction film.

Doc track students begin production in the fall and continue that production and edit their documentary films in the spring. Fiction track students write scripts for their thesis films and take a class in directing actors first semester of their second year. They shoot and edit their fiction films the spring semester of their second year.

Select Thesis Films 

- COMING SOON -

The films are judged by award winning filmmakers. Based on their assessment awards for best documentary, best fiction, best editing documentary, best editing fiction, best cinematography documentary and best cinematography fiction are awarded. Our thesis show takes place each year at the Francesca Beale Theatre at Film at Lincoln Center. 

Media & Communication Arts Department

The MCA Department Shepard Hall, Room 472 160 Convent Avenue
 New York, NY 10031 
e:   [email protected] p: 212-650-7167

Prof. Deirdre Fishel

Program Director Shepard Hall, Room 473 160 Convent Avenue
 New York, NY 10031 
e:   [email protected] p: 212-650-8961

David Ranghelli

Assistant to the Chair & Coordinator of BFA in Film Admissions Shepard Hall, Room 472A 160 Convent Avenue
 New York, NY 10031 
e:   [email protected] p: 212-650-5726

Last Updated: 03/10/2023 17:32

• Screenwriting \e607
• Cinematography & Cameras \e605
• Directing \e606
• Editing & Post-Production \e602
• Documentary \e603
• Movies & TV \e60a
• Producing \e608
• Distribution & Marketing \e604
• Fundraising & Crowdfunding \e60f
• Festivals & Events \e611
• Sound & Music \e601
• Games & Transmedia \e60e
• Grants, Contests, & Awards \e60d
• Film School \e610
• Marketplace & Deals \e60b
• Off Topic \e609
• This Site \e600

7 Painful Lessons Learned While Making My Thesis Film

There's no better classroom than being on set..

It was my last semester in film school but our professors had been preparing us for almost a year for the biggest project we had to make so far. I had written the script for my thesis film almost a year and a half before that time. It was stored away in the depths of my desktop for a while and I pulled it out for our thesis screenwriting class. The 13-minute movie  The Funniest Person Ever  is about a struggling stand up comedian who makes a wish to be...you guessed it...the funniest person ever. Her wish is granted but she soon finds out it's not all its cracked up to be.

The thought “Damn, this is going to be hard but exciting to make“ came about in that same screenwriting class. So that’s where my first piece of advice comes in. I hope you can learn from my lessons below to make your thesis film dreams come true.

 Hearing your own script read aloud by others will shatter the tunnel vision.

1. Don't be afraid of rewrites

All screenwriters know about rewrites. Doing it is dreadful but it helped me weed out the flaws in my script. At a certain point, I was actually excited to do another rewrite in the hopes of making my script better. I never rewrote the entire script from scratch. I just pulled out scenes and replaced them with more empathetic ones. Then, one of my professors brought up table reads. The first round was with my fellow filmmakers. I received great feedback, and did yet another rewrite. Next up was another table read but with actual actors. So I brought in my comedy friends and I was in awe of how well it sounded with a few flaws here and there in the screenplay. Hearing your own script read aloud by others will shatter the tunnel vision, and open your eyes and mind to new possible directions for your script.

2. Record your table reads

My professor introduced the great idea of recording our table reads to me. The table read can come home with you for further analysis if you record it using video or a voice note feature on your smartphone. I only did this once but it did help for another round of rewriting.

3. Reverse the roles

One of my early struggles in the pre-production of my thesis film was casting. My lead role was a male comedian. My lead actor was lacking interest in the project so I reached out to another person I was acquainted with, a young and hilarious lady known on Instagram as Dee Nasty . I was able to get her phone number from my previous lead actor, so I pitched her the idea and she agreed to play the lead role. The male lead was now a female. Best decision I made simply because her skills as a comedienne and actress are amazing and, quite frankly, she made my film funnier. Little did I know that my new lead would bring me issues later in production. (Dramatic music plays)

4. How to get extras and clone them

I needed about 30 extras for my film. The comedy club scenes were going to be the hardest scenes to film. I had to make one location look like four, with a large number of actors in the room. I figured the best way to get more people was to ask people who were already interested in me or my project. I asked the extras to bring friends interested in acting. I asked friends who like acting to come be an extra themselves. I also posted an ad on casting websites. Despite all my outreach, only about 10 extras showed up, which was 20 less than my desired goal. Problematic. I resolved this by making the same person look like multiple people.  I asked my actors to bring an extra piece of clothing, hat, hoodie or jacket and I had them wear the hat or hoodie and grabbed shots from behind. They looked like a whole new group of people.

5. Adapt to the situation

The greatest tool I learned as a filmmaker is to adapt, quickly. Luckily the program director of my film school at City College had invited a filmmaker a few days before shooting who brought up that exact same piece of advice. A man who has made more than five feature films, well-funded, huge cast, big names; he told us “when you're on set and a few pieces of your puzzle are missing, you make it work no matter what, adapt.”

I had a small group of extras, I had one comedy club, and the support of my cousin and friends. I adapted and made it happen. I had promised lunch to all the actors during the comedy club scenes, but I was running out of time. So we pushed through and I gave everyone a $10 stipend. At that point, I was glad 30 people didn't show up.

 I was forced to shoot scenes weeks apart.

6. Use pictures to maintain continuity

My lead actress's career was taking off. I was forced to shoot scenes weeks apart. At one point, there was a month of inactivity during my production phase. I was running out of time and I had to make this film to graduate. I made it, but where I slacked off was on continuity. This is not recommended. Don’t laugh when I say this, but it was the hair. Dee’s hair was always straight in the movie which made it easier, but the differences were the placing of the bun and ponytail, a few strands of hair, and some jewelry. In one shot, her ponytail is higher up with no necklace; in the next it's lower and she’s wearing a necklace. Small details count. Take pictures and write down key aspects of the wardrobe and hair.

7. Use your crew

I love the process and I love the challenge of filmmaking, but I learned the hard way not to be a one-person army. I felt like the weight of world was on my shoulders. I needed an assistant director, a production assistant, and a script supervisor. My friend John and my cousin Erick took on some of these roles on set when they were available. But I learned that I needed more people on the crew side. My instinct was that, the less crew you have, the easier it is to have a grasp of everything. Erick made me aware that I can’t wear all those hats. I don’t even like hats, but you know what I mean. Build a tribe, so that you can film the movie.

What was the best lesson you learned making your thesis film? Let us know in the comments.

Follow Romel Rodriguez on  instagram   @Romelcreates

Get the Perfect Color Reference with Flander's New XMP Monitor

Flanders scientific shows off their dreamy, color first monitors at nab 2024..

Whether you're on set and need to see picture as crystal clear as possible or in your editing bay trying to color match a shot that's driving you mad, you need a good monitor for picture. Luckily Flanders Scientific is around to help.

Flanders Scientific dropped by NAB 2024 this year to show off their color critical reference monitors, specifically the XMP310 complete with true UHD and volumetric auto calibration.

Check out our video from NAB on more from Flanders Scientific.

NAB 2024: What's New at Flanders Scientific

In our interview conducted by Cinematography for Actors we get a close look at the powerful monitors Flanders Scientific is putting on the market using all the latest in color technology to get a picture perfect look for any shoot.

Check out the vid for a more in depth look at their new XMP310 monitors and let us know what you think in the comments.

What Are The Best Fantasy Movies of All Time?

What are the best adventure movies of all time, what are the best comedy movies of all time, check out this glossary of storytelling techniques, blackmagic camera app set to finally come to android, arri is bringing live broadcast features to the alexa 35, meet the new vortex lineup from creamsource at nab 2024, peek inside the inflatable airglow cover from dopchoice, amaran takes us through their new line for content creators, going the distance with first mile tech.

Department of Media Arts

• Master of Fine Arts

M.F.A. Thesis Films

Recent Thesis Films

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Documentary Production and Studies culminates with a the successful production of a final thesis film that demonstrates a student's professionalism and artistic creativity. Below you will find a selection of thesis documentaries produced by recent graduates of the M.F.A. program. The selection highlights the diverse interests and styles of our students.

West Dallas AR - Eboni Johnson (2021)

West Dallas AR is an interactive location-based app, using the power of multimedia and augmented reality to highlight the stories shared by West Dallas residents.

Bad Paper - Daniel Beard (2021)

Bad Paper follows the lives of former military service members, who have received an other-than-honorable discharge, but also have service-connected post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Due to the "suck it up" culture of the military, many of these veterans would not report any psychological troubles in fear of being labeled "weak" and potentially affecting their promotions. With no outlet for their PTSD, drugs and alcohol became a way of "self-medicating," which led to their dismissal from the service. A dishonorable discharge, commonly called "bad paper," from the military disqualifies veterans from receiving help from the VA. The process to overturn this status is arduous and veterans must navigate the bureaucracy of the Veterans Affairs (VA) administration as well as the individual military branches with virtually no help from either.

Quiet Flows the River - Arnila Guha Nolok (2019)

Quiet Flows the River explores the lives of the people living in the coastal area of Bangladesh. Affected by the consequences of climate change, they continue to adapt and struggle each day to survive in their homelands.

489 Days - Rania Elmalky (2019)

489 Days is an animated documentary about the harrowing experiences of Egyptian-American Mohamed Soltan, who survived 16 months of hunger strike in an Egyptian prison. Caught up in the political turmoil which followed the Arab Spring uprisings, Soltan was unjustly incarcerated between August 2013 and May 2015, when the United States government intervened to release him weeks after an Egyptian court sentenced him to life in prison. The film is also the larger story of an estimated 60,000 political detainees currently held in Egypt without due process, and in violation of local and international human rights conventions.

Lookouts - Claire Dejarnett (2019)

Lookouts follows Matt and Joann, two fire tower lookouts for the United States Forest Service, as they discuss their happiness living in seclusion as well as the decline of fire towers due to technological advances.

Bright Mosaics - Vicente Mares (2019)

Bright Mosaic is a 30-minute documentary about a comprehensive autism center for children with an organic and unconventional approach. The Bright Mosaic Autism Therapy Center's exceptional curriculum consists of a mix of Montessori practices, natural sciences, applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, play therapy, music therapy, sensory integration, daily life skills and art. Bright Mosaic mixes observational and participatory styles in an effort to portray an exceptionally skilled and passionate team who fights a tough daily battle to prepare their children for the life ahead of them.

FLAT! - Barry Thornburg (2018)

FLAT! immerses us into the life and mindset of a Flat-earther who eagerly evangelizes the discoveries he and other Flat-earthers claim to have made. With his car clad in flat-earth messages, he travels around the country provoking discussions with curious bystanders and debating scientists. While he thrives in this pursuit, it is not without its costs.

World Life - Cyuzuzo Ingabire (2018)

During this time of interest and uncertainty in immigration, a foreigner seeking an education, home, and career wonders how welcoming America really is. This documentary film focuses on how the organization known as World Life is involved in helping international students in terms of language, accommodation, and religion. It follows an organization that is willing to open up and welcome them into the community.

Her Name Was - Sergio E. Almendariz (2018)

Her Name Was is an examination of the oppression of transgender people in a society that is built on the nominalization of cisgender people, those who gender matchers their sex assigned at birth, and how this oppression lends itself to violence. In the summer of 2015, the body of Shade Schuler, an African American transgender woman, was found in a field outside of Dallas, Texas. Ms. Shade is part of an alarming epidemic of escalating levels of targeted violence against the transgender community. This documentary pulls back the curtain as it captures the feelings and struggles of the transgender community as they attempt to navigate and survive in a cis dominating society.

Thinking about UNT?

It's easy to apply online. Join us and discover why we're the choice of over 46,000 students.

Film Analysis

What this handout is about.

This handout introduces film analysis and and offers strategies and resources for approaching film analysis assignments.

Writing the film analysis essay

Writing a film analysis requires you to consider the composition of the film—the individual parts and choices made that come together to create the finished piece. Film analysis goes beyond the analysis of the film as literature to include camera angles, lighting, set design, sound elements, costume choices, editing, etc. in making an argument. The first step to analyzing the film is to watch it with a plan.

Watching the film

First it’s important to watch the film carefully with a critical eye. Consider why you’ve been assigned to watch a film and write an analysis. How does this activity fit into the course? Why have you been assigned this particular film? What are you looking for in connection to the course content? Let’s practice with this clip from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Here are some tips on how to watch the clip critically, just as you would an entire film:

• Give the clip your undivided attention at least once. Pay close attention to details and make observations that might start leading to bigger questions.
• Watch the clip a second time. For this viewing, you will want to focus specifically on those elements of film analysis that your class has focused on, so review your course notes. For example, from whose perspective is this clip shot? What choices help convey that perspective? What is the overall tone, theme, or effect of this clip?
• Take notes while you watch for the second time. Notes will help you keep track of what you noticed and when, if you include timestamps in your notes. Timestamps are vital for citing scenes from a film!

For more information on watching a film, check out the Learning Center’s handout on watching film analytically . For more resources on researching film, including glossaries of film terms, see UNC Library’s research guide on film & cinema .

Brainstorming ideas

Once you’ve watched the film twice, it’s time to brainstorm some ideas based on your notes. Brainstorming is a major step that helps develop and explore ideas. As you brainstorm, you may want to cluster your ideas around central topics or themes that emerge as you review your notes. Did you ask several questions about color? Were you curious about repeated images? Perhaps these are directions you can pursue.

If you’re writing an argumentative essay, you can use the connections that you develop while brainstorming to draft a thesis statement . Consider the assignment and prompt when formulating a thesis, as well as what kind of evidence you will present to support your claims. Your evidence could be dialogue, sound edits, cinematography decisions, etc. Much of how you make these decisions will depend on the type of film analysis you are conducting, an important decision covered in the next section.

After brainstorming, you can draft an outline of your film analysis using the same strategies that you would for other writing assignments. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind as you prepare for this stage of the assignment:

• Make sure you understand the prompt and what you are being asked to do. Remember that this is ultimately an assignment, so your thesis should answer what the prompt asks. Check with your professor if you are unsure.
• In most cases, the director’s name is used to talk about the film as a whole, for instance, “Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo .” However, some writers may want to include the names of other persons who helped to create the film, including the actors, the cinematographer, and the sound editor, among others.
• When describing a sequence in a film, use the literary present. An example could be, “In Vertigo , Hitchcock employs techniques of observation to dramatize the act of detection.”
• Finding a screenplay/script of the movie may be helpful and save you time when compiling citations. But keep in mind that there may be differences between the screenplay and the actual product (and these differences might be a topic of discussion!).
• Go beyond describing basic film elements by articulating the significance of these elements in support of your particular position. For example, you may have an interpretation of the striking color green in Vertigo , but you would only mention this if it was relevant to your argument. For more help on using evidence effectively, see the section on “using evidence” in our evidence handout .

Also be sure to avoid confusing the terms shot, scene, and sequence. Remember, a shot ends every time the camera cuts; a scene can be composed of several related shots; and a sequence is a set of related scenes.

Different types of film analysis

As you consider your notes, outline, and general thesis about a film, the majority of your assignment will depend on what type of film analysis you are conducting. This section explores some of the different types of film analyses you may have been assigned to write.

Semiotic analysis

Semiotic analysis is the interpretation of signs and symbols, typically involving metaphors and analogies to both inanimate objects and characters within a film. Because symbols have several meanings, writers often need to determine what a particular symbol means in the film and in a broader cultural or historical context.

For instance, a writer could explore the symbolism of the flowers in Vertigo by connecting the images of them falling apart to the vulnerability of the heroine.

Here are a few other questions to consider for this type of analysis:

• What objects or images are repeated throughout the film?
• How does the director associate a character with small signs, such as certain colors, clothing, food, or language use?
• How does a symbol or object relate to other symbols and objects, that is, what is the relationship between the film’s signs?

Many films are rich with symbolism, and it can be easy to get lost in the details. Remember to bring a semiotic analysis back around to answering the question “So what?” in your thesis.

Narrative analysis

Narrative analysis is an examination of the story elements, including narrative structure, character, and plot. This type of analysis considers the entirety of the film and the story it seeks to tell.

For example, you could take the same object from the previous example—the flowers—which meant one thing in a semiotic analysis, and ask instead about their narrative role. That is, you might analyze how Hitchcock introduces the flowers at the beginning of the film in order to return to them later to draw out the completion of the heroine’s character arc.

To create this type of analysis, you could consider questions like:

• How does the film correspond to the Three-Act Structure: Act One: Setup; Act Two: Confrontation; and Act Three: Resolution?
• What is the plot of the film? How does this plot differ from the narrative, that is, how the story is told? For example, are events presented out of order and to what effect?
• Does the plot revolve around one character? Does the plot revolve around multiple characters? How do these characters develop across the film?

When writing a narrative analysis, take care not to spend too time on summarizing at the expense of your argument. See our handout on summarizing for more tips on making summary serve analysis.

Cultural/historical analysis

One of the most common types of analysis is the examination of a film’s relationship to its broader cultural, historical, or theoretical contexts. Whether films intentionally comment on their context or not, they are always a product of the culture or period in which they were created. By placing the film in a particular context, this type of analysis asks how the film models, challenges, or subverts different types of relations, whether historical, social, or even theoretical.

For example, the clip from Vertigo depicts a man observing a woman without her knowing it. You could examine how this aspect of the film addresses a midcentury social concern about observation, such as the sexual policing of women, or a political one, such as Cold War-era McCarthyism.

A few of the many questions you could ask in this vein include:

• How does the film comment on, reinforce, or even critique social and political issues at the time it was released, including questions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality?
• How might a biographical understanding of the film’s creators and their historical moment affect the way you view the film?
• How might a specific film theory, such as Queer Theory, Structuralist Theory, or Marxist Film Theory, provide a language or set of terms for articulating the attributes of the film?

Take advantage of class resources to explore possible approaches to cultural/historical film analyses, and find out whether you will be expected to do additional research into the film’s context.

Mise-en-scène analysis

A mise-en-scène analysis attends to how the filmmakers have arranged compositional elements in a film and specifically within a scene or even a single shot. This type of analysis organizes the individual elements of a scene to explore how they come together to produce meaning. You may focus on anything that adds meaning to the formal effect produced by a given scene, including: blocking, lighting, design, color, costume, as well as how these attributes work in conjunction with decisions related to sound, cinematography, and editing. For example, in the clip from Vertigo , a mise-en-scène analysis might ask how numerous elements, from lighting to camera angles, work together to present the viewer with the perspective of Jimmy Stewart’s character.

To conduct this type of analysis, you could ask:

• What effects are created in a scene, and what is their purpose?
• How does this scene represent the theme of the movie?
• How does a scene work to express a broader point to the film’s plot?

This detailed approach to analyzing the formal elements of film can help you come up with concrete evidence for more general film analysis assignments.

Reviewing your draft

Once you have a draft, it’s helpful to get feedback on what you’ve written to see if your analysis holds together and you’ve conveyed your point. You may not necessarily need to find someone who has seen the film! Ask a writing coach, roommate, or family member to read over your draft and share key takeaways from what you have written so far.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Aumont, Jacques, and Michel Marie. 1988. L’analyse Des Films . Paris: Nathan.

Media & Design Center. n.d. “Film and Cinema Research.” UNC University Libraries. Last updated February 10, 2021. https://guides.lib.unc.edu/filmresearch .

Oxford Royale Academy. n.d. “7 Ways to Watch Film.” Oxford Royale Academy. Accessed April 2021. https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/7-ways-watch-films-critically/ .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

• Campus Life
• News & Media
• Administration
• Initiatives, Plans and Policies
• A Nationally Recognized Institution
• International Education
• Our Past, Our Future
• Offices and Services
• Consumer Information
• Academic Departments
• Majors, Minors and Concentrations
• Interdisciplinary Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Doctoral Programs
• General Education
• Honors Academy
• Special Programs
• International Programs and Study Abroad (IPSA)
• Academic Resources
• Centers and Institutes
• Academic Honor Societies
• Course Schedules and Bulletins
• Academic Calendar
• Incoming Freshmen
• Transfer Students
• Graduate Students
• International Students
• Second-Degree Students
• Other Students
• Tuition, Fees and Payments
• Financial Aid
• Request Information
• Visit Campus
• Undergraduate Admissions Events
• Graduate Admissions Events
• BC In the Media
• Brooklyn College Magazine
• Office of Communications and Marketing
• Visit us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Email us a question
• What the Campus Has to Offer
• Vice President for Student Affairs
• Division of Student Affairs
• Student Clubs
• Intramurals / Recreation
• Health and Wellness
• Orientation
• Commencement
• Veteran and Military Programs
• Living in Brooklyn
• Brooklyn College Foundation
• BC WebCentral
• We Stand Against Hate
• Career Services
• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Alumni & Friends
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Apply Online
• Transfer Evaluations Office
• Honors and Special Programs
• News and Media
• Public Safety
• Annual Security Report
• Academic Advising
• Career Development and Internships
• CUNY Blackboard
• Enrollment Services Center
• Graduate Studies
• Registration Information
• Resources for Undocumented Students and DACA
• Scholarships and Awards
• Student Handbook
• Sustainability
• BC WebCentral Login
• Forgot Your Password?
• Forgot Your WebCentral ID?
• College Directory
• Academic Affairs / Office of the Provost
• Senior VP for Finance and Administration
• Campus Directory
• Center for Teaching
• Faculty Council
• Faculty and Staff Development Opportunities (CUNY)
• Human Resources
• ITS (Information Technology Services)
• Writing Across the Curriculum
• Benefits and Services
• Brooklyn College Alumni Association
• Calendar of Events
• Chapters and Affiliates
• Get Involved and Give Back
• Office of Alumni Engagement
• Stay in Touch
• Transcripts

"BC Film is a community environment. You make lasting bonds with your classmates, and you help each other throughout your time in the program and even after graduation."—Ryan Brown '16

Collaborate on projects in a professional environment.

Still shot from the thesis film Magic Grandpa , by Daniel Finley.

Learn from industry professionals.

Still shot from the thesis film Pelo Malo , by Ivana Bernal.

Hands-on learning is central to our production curriculum.

Still shot from the thesis film Red Lips , by Clara Brotons.

Develop professional working relationships with your peers.

Still shot from the thesis film Moving Express , by Joseph M. Singletary.

• School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts
• Undergraduate Departments

Brooklyn College, a great place to study film.

The Film Department at Brooklyn College prepares students to become professionals in the motion picture industry. Our rich and diverse programs offer the invaluable experience of hands-on learning and peer collaboration, training students in all aspects of the discipline of the moving image, from the aesthetic to the technical.

We have several concentrations—film studies, film production, screenwriting, documentary, and industry studies. Our faculty—working directors, screenwriters, producers, editors, cinematographers, and scholars—will provide you with both a liberal arts grounding in the history, theory, and practice of filmmaking, and invaluable insights into the day-to-day practicalities of working in the industry. You will develop a keen understanding of the processes and principles of picture production, an awareness of the multiplicity of ways in which technology works in the creative process, and an appreciation of cinema as the product of aesthetic, cultural, national, and historical influences. You'll have the opportunity to intern across New York City and enjoy the vibrant film and cultural life of Brooklyn and New York. All this at the fraction of the price of America's other great film departments.

The recent addition of the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, offering an M.A. and several M.F.A.s, extends the department's reach to Steiner Studios, in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, offering even further opportunities for our best students, and those who join them from around the world.

We welcome you to BC Film, and invite you to join our community!

• The 40th Annual Brooklyn College Undergraduate Film Festival

BC Film Department Summer 2022

• Faculty Videos About Their Courses

Summer Session I: May 31–July 12

• FILM 1101 Language of Film
• FILM 1301 Screenwriting I
• FILM 2124 American Film Comedy
• FILM 3700 The Thesis Film: Postproduction

Registration Open Now

BC Film Infohub

Find the latest information about events, opportunities, crew calls, internships, and more.

Made in Quarantine Showcase

This collection of short films was produced and directed by students at all levels of the Undergraduate Film Program, from their homes during the March – June 2020 COVID-19 quarantine.

The Showcase highlights the resilience of Brooklyn College’s film students, their determination and the power of creativity during times of hardship. These remarkable films highlight a diverse range of narrative, documentary and experimental media.

View the Films

June 8-10, 2022 The Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts—Buchwald Theater

On June 8, we will screen past thesis films from 2020/21 ( Tickets Here ). This will be followed by a reception at 3 p.m.

June 9 and 10 we will screen current thesis narratives and documentaries ( All Tickets Here ).

• Full Schedule
• Press Release

Interactive Career Maps

What are some of the things you can do with a B.A. in film? Check out our interactive career maps.

Most Affordable Film School for 2021

Brooklyn College's Film Department ranks #1 for most affordable (30th overall) in Intelligent.com’s recent ranking of the Top 50 Film Degree Programs for 2021.

The Brooklyn College Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema

Apply to a graduate program at the only film school in the United States located on a working film lot.

Contact Information

Jump to another undergraduate department.

• Conservatory of Music
• Television, Radio & Emerging Media
• Message from the Chair
• Watch BC Films

Hidden Pages:

• The Brooklyn College Film Department
• BC Film Alumni Association

Attention All BC Film Graduates

Join the BC Film Alumni Association

Let’s Stay Connected

Our social media directory features all our accounts from across campus.

Fall 2022 COVID-19 Guidelines

Prepare for a crucial transition for the fall 2022 semester.

Outstanding Professors

Our highly trained faculty are leaders in their fields. Come learn from them.

Housing Options

Learn about housing options that are available in Brooklyn. 

• IT Remote Support
• Remote Technology Resources
• Privacy Policy
• Text Only Website

© 2024 All Rights Reserved Brooklyn College 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210 718.951.5000 -10.1.1.11

© 2022

College thesis film.

The Trail beyond Highland Road is a 2D animated dramedic short focusing on the consequences of deforestation. It follows a man and his daughter in a prosperous suburban town who notice their forest is in ruins through an endangered species of deer.

Inspired by my up-bringing in an urban town with poorly treated forests, this film was important for me in tackling heavy handed environmental issues as my senior thesis film at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Made within an 8-9 month schedule, the short went through change after change before finally being released online and through festivals.

The short is a multi award winner throughout festivals, admired for its emotional storytelling and strong morality.

Concept Art

This was used to figure out the difference in lighting within the forest. Lighting touch ups by Allison Warren.

This background was to used in the final cut until my advisors decided it wasn't needed.

Prephase sketches of the daughter before any animation was handled.

Production Storyboards

A thumbnail version of how I envisioned the ending.

End Credit Boards & Thumbnails (special thanks to Jessica Rae Lipinsky)

We had an idea to let the deer follow the father and daughter via a trail of food.

A rejected idea of the town community helping out.

Jessica's take on the daughter helping the deer out.

WELCOME TO THE 2021 FVA THESIS FILM SCREENING!

Featuring works by graduating seniors Jared Roden and J.P. Sweeney, Niko Arhontakis, Cameron Brown, Austin Quinn, Gabriel Garcia, and Austin Stipcak

The 2021 Lycoming College FVA Thesis Film Screening

THE 2021 LYCOMING COLLEGE FVA THESIS FILM SCREENING!

1. THE HOUSE THAT DAD BUILT (Narrative) Jared Roden, J.P. Sweeney 2. WHEN IN DOUBT DANCE IT OUT (Documentary, Music) Niko Arhontakis 3. MARCELINE (Experimental Narrative) Cameron Brown 4. PHOBIA (Narrative) Austin Quinn 5. MNEMONIC (Animation) Gabriel Garcia 6. HISTORY IN PLANE SIGHT (Documentary) Austin Stipcak

©2021 Lycoming College

The 40th Annual Brooklyn College Undergraduate Film Festival

June 8-10, 2022

Buchwald theater, leonard & claire tow center for the performing arts.

Press Release

Wednesday, June 8—Thesis Films 2020/2021

Noon showcase.

• The Rules of Survival —JNK Enzo
• we only dreamt we would wake up sooner —Morgan Grimm
• The Man of the House —Joao Cueto
• The Hospitality —Erald Kraja
• Teacher of The Year— Jose Gonzalez Lopez
• Professor M —Ian Bridgman
• Ketchup —Haley Miller
• Hovering— Gregory Compere
• Girl’s Mirage —Telisha Petteway
• God is the DJ: The Musical —Joy T Walsh
• 808s & Roommates —Christopher Omar

3 p.m. Reception

• Buchwald Theater, Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts

Thursday, June 9—Thesis Films 2022

• A Role —Christopher Hickey
• Isolated —Ruby Bonilla
• Overcoming Compassion —Eugene Frazier
• Catch Me If You Can —Sabrina Novacov
• Hidden Details —Michael Kaplan
• Thesis Film —Søren Saunders
• Memories —Steve Cosquillo
• Finding Time —Tealese John
• FOREVER – Eli Mandel
• SONYA – Pablo Florencio

2:30 p.m. Showcase

• See You in Hell —Anny Liang
• Blastoff —Onyx Wright
• BoxHead —Tristan LaVasseur
• Friday Night —Luis Paleta
• Mad Panic! —Sherwin Alvarez
• Financial Assistance —Dexcee Lowe
• Phileo —Falon Veccia
• The Closet —Marvin Zorrilla
• The Interviewee —Dante Fuller

5 p.m. Showcase

• Perfect Tone —Wei Ye Ng
• Stop and Smell the Roses —Eric Dimarco
• Prescription —Jo Retalis
• The Last Scene —Sarwar Habib
• Bee —Qianlin Yan
• The Absence —Eric Smith
• Hang Up —Danielle Griffith
• J O Y —Dorian Zaremba

Friday, June 10—Thesis Films 2022 (Continued)

2 p.m. showcase.

• Broken Promises —David Anthony Baez
• Implosions —Lisa Sherman
• Watering Down the Truth —Victor Emilio Posa
• Jenny and Her Lost Package —Rachel Chow
• Reach for the Skye (The Story of Gabriel Skye) —Abdullah Malik
• The Beach —Huixiang Ruan
• The Hand That Reaches Out —Casey Carbone
• OFF THE PATH —Inna Ivanovskaya
• Let Me Go —Eddie A. Castro, Jr.

4:30 p.m. Showcase

• Choose Your Price —Mustafa Ali
• Tracy’s Mom —Ingvar Denis
• Paper Home —Shucong Huang
• Shamash —Chayale Akselrod
• Money Up Front —Patrick O’Brien
• Poems of Great Importance —Derek Myers
• If a Tree Falls —Marcos Suarez
• OPEN—Luke Petronella
• Sunday With Monica —Roxy Moskowitz
• Why We Work —Cesar Javier Monroy Jimenez
• Tricycle —Kwang Min Lee

Awards Ceremony

• After the 4:30 p.m. Showcase

Brooklyn. All in.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Film Writing: Sample Analysis

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Introductory Note

The analysis below discusses the opening moments of the science fiction movie  Ex Machina  in order to make an argument about the film's underlying purpose. The text of the analysis is formatted normally. Editor's commentary, which will occasionally interrupt the piece to discuss the author's rhetorical strategies, is written in brackets in an italic font with a bold "Ed.:" identifier. See the examples below:

The text of the analysis looks like this.

[ Ed.:  The editor's commentary looks like this. ]

Frustrated Communication in Ex Machina ’s Opening Sequence

Alex Garland’s 2015 science fiction film Ex Machina follows a young programmer’s attempts to determine whether or not an android possesses a consciousness complicated enough to pass as human. The film is celebrated for its thought-provoking depiction of the anxiety over whether a nonhuman entity could mimic or exceed human abilities, but analyzing the early sections of the film, before artificial intelligence is even introduced, reveals a compelling examination of humans’ inability to articulate their thoughts and feelings. In its opening sequence, Ex Machina establishes that it’s not only about the difficulty of creating a machine that can effectively talk to humans, but about human beings who struggle to find ways to communicate with each other in an increasingly digital world.

[ Ed.:  The piece's opening introduces the film with a plot summary that doesn't give away too much and a brief summary of the critical conversation that has centered around the film. Then, however, it deviates from this conversation by suggesting that Ex Machina has things to say about humanity before non-human characters even appear. Off to a great start. ]

The film’s first establishing shots set the action in a busy modern office. A woman sits at a computer, absorbed in her screen. The camera looks at her through a glass wall, one of many in the shot. The reflections of passersby reflected in the glass and the workspace’s dim blue light make it difficult to determine how many rooms are depicted. The camera cuts to a few different young men typing on their phones, their bodies partially concealed both by people walking between them and the camera and by the stylized modern furniture that surrounds them. The fourth shot peeks over a computer monitor at a blonde man working with headphones in. A slight zoom toward his face suggests that this is an important character, and the cut to a point-of-view shot looking at his computer screen confirms this. We later learn that this is Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a young programmer whose perspective the film follows.

The rest of the sequence cuts between shots from Caleb’s P.O.V. and reaction shots of his face, as he receives and processes the news that he has won first prize in a staff competition. Shocked, Caleb dives for his cellphone and texts several people the news. Several people immediately respond with congratulatory messages, and after a moment the woman from the opening shot runs in to give him a hug. At this point, the other people in the room look up, smile, and start clapping, while Caleb smiles disbelievingly—perhaps even anxiously—and the camera subtly zooms in a bit closer. Throughout the entire sequence, there is no sound other than ambient electronic music that gets slightly louder and more textured as the sequence progresses. A jump cut to an aerial view of a glacial landscape ends the sequence and indicates that Caleb is very quickly transported into a very unfamiliar setting, implying that he will have difficulty adjusting to this sudden change in circumstances.

[ Ed.:  These paragraphs are mostly descriptive. They give readers the information they will need to understand the argument the piece is about to offer. While passages like this can risk becoming boring if they dwell on unimportant details, the author wisely limits herself to two paragraphs and maintains a driving pace through her prose style choices (like an almost exclusive reliance on active verbs). ]

Without any audible dialogue or traditional expository setup of the main characters, this opening sequence sets viewers up to make sense of Ex Machina ’s visual style and its exploration of the ways that technology can both enhance and limit human communication. The choice to make the dialogue inaudible suggests that in-person conversations have no significance. Human-to-human conversations are most productive in this sequence when they are mediated by technology. Caleb’s first response when he hears his good news is to text his friends rather than tell the people sitting around him, and he makes no move to take his headphones out when the in-person celebration finally breaks out. Everyone in the building is on their phones, looking at screens, or has headphones in, and the camera is looking at screens through Caleb’s viewpoint for at least half of the sequence.  

Rather than simply muting the specific conversations that Caleb has with his coworkers, the ambient soundtrack replaces all the noise that a crowded building in the middle of a workday would ordinarily have. This silence sets the uneasy tone that characterizes the rest of the film, which is as much a horror-thriller as a piece of science fiction. Viewers get the sense that all the sounds that humans make as they walk around and talk to each other are being intentionally filtered out by some presence, replaced with a quiet electronic beat that marks the pacing of the sequence, slowly building to a faster tempo. Perhaps the sound of people is irrelevant: only the visual data matters here. Silence is frequently used in the rest of the film as a source of tension, with viewers acutely aware that it could be broken at any moment. Part of the horror of the research bunker, which will soon become the film’s primary setting, is its silence, particularly during sequences of Caleb sneaking into restricted areas and being startled by a sudden noise.

The visual style of this opening sequence reinforces the eeriness of the muted humans and electronic soundtrack. Prominent use of shallow focus to depict a workspace that is constructed out of glass doors and walls makes it difficult to discern how large the space really is. The viewer is thus spatially disoriented in each new setting. This layering of glass and mirrors, doubling some images and obscuring others, is used later in the film when Caleb meets the artificial being Ava (Alicia Vikander), who is not allowed to leave her glass-walled living quarters in the research bunker. The similarity of these spaces visually reinforces the film’s late revelation that Caleb has been manipulated by Nathan Bates (Oscar Isaac), the troubled genius who creates Ava.

[ Ed.:  In these paragraphs, the author cites the information about the scene she's provided to make her argument. Because she's already teased the argument in the introduction and provided an account of her evidence, it doesn't strike us as unreasonable or far-fetched here. Instead, it appears that we've naturally arrived at the same incisive, fascinating points that she has. ]

A few other shots in the opening sequence more explicitly hint that Caleb is already under Nathan’s control before he ever arrives at the bunker. Shortly after the P.O.V shot of Caleb reading the email notification that he won the prize, we cut to a few other P.O.V. shots, this time from the perspective of cameras in Caleb’s phone and desktop computer. These cameras are not just looking at Caleb, but appear to be scanning him, as the screen flashes in different color lenses and small points appear around Caleb’s mouth, eyes, and nostrils, tracking the smallest expressions that cross his face. These small details indicate that Caleb is more a part of this digital space than he realizes, and also foreshadow the later revelation that Nathan is actively using data collected by computers and webcams to manipulate Caleb and others. The shots from the cameras’ perspectives also make use of a subtle fisheye lens, suggesting both the wide scope of Nathan’s surveillance capacities and the slightly distorted worldview that motivates this unethical activity.

[ Ed.: This paragraph uses additional details to reinforce the piece's main argument. While this move may not be as essential as the one in the preceding paragraphs, it does help create the impression that the author is noticing deliberate patterns in the film's cinematography, rather than picking out isolated coincidences to make her points. ]

Taken together, the details of Ex Machina ’s stylized opening sequence lay the groundwork for the film’s long exploration of the relationship between human communication and technology. The sequence, and the film, ultimately suggests that we need to develop and use new technologies thoughtfully, or else the thing that makes us most human—our ability to connect through language—might be destroyed by our innovations. All of the aural and visual cues in the opening sequence establish a world in which humans are utterly reliant on technology and yet totally unaware of the nefarious uses to which a brilliant but unethical person could put it.

Author's Note:  Thanks to my literature students whose in-class contributions sharpened my thinking on this scene .

[ Ed.: The piece concludes by tying the main themes of the opening sequence to those of the entire film. In doing this, the conclusion makes an argument for the essay's own relevance: we need to pay attention to the essay's points so that we can achieve a rich understanding of the movie. The piece's final sentence makes a chilling final impression by alluding to the danger that might loom if we do not understand the movie. This is the only the place in the piece where the author explicitly references how badly we might be hurt by ignorance, and it's all the more powerful for this solitary quality. A pithy, charming note follows, acknowledging that the author's work was informed by others' input (as most good writing is). Beautifully done. ]

• Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

Senior and Graduate Thesis Screenings All screenings will be be postponed to a future date

March 12, 2020

In order to keep students up-to-date in this rapidly changing environment, a Dodge College-specific  Coronavirus Update page   has been created in the  student portal . Please check this page for the most updated information regarding impacts to Dodge College resources. To access this page, please click the link below and use your Chapman login.

Due to the rapidly changing situation with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and the impact on production, all screenings (including live-streams) will be postponed to a future date. Once campus reopens, we will reschedule thesis screenings in the Folino theater.

2020 Senior and Graduate Thesis Screenings

Senior Thesis Cycles 1 & 2

Graduate Thesis Cycles Cycles 0, 1 & 2

Senior Thesis Cycle 3

Graduate Thesis Cycles 3 & 4

Senior Thesis Cycle 4

Senior Thesis Cycle 5

Graduate Thesis Cycles 5 & 6

Senior Documentary I

Senior Thesis Cycle 6

Senior Documentary II

Senior Thesis Cycle 7

Senior Television Pilots

Graduate Television Pilots

Graduate Documentary

Animation and Visual Effects

Senior Thesis Cycle 8

Television Writing and Production Short Form

Graduate Thesis Cycles 7 & 8

We would like to thank all of our students, staff, faculty, parents, friends and community for your cooperation and understanding during this unprecedented time.

More Stories

Meet the Masters! Don't miss our stellar line-up of entertainment industry professionals coming to Dodge College during fall semester.

October 3, 2023 by Diana Kalaji | Events

LAWRENCE SHER Oct. 9 | 7 p.m. | DMAC Screening Room A-list cinematographer Sher (Joker, The Hangover) is the force behind ShotDeck. The Oscar nominee is now working on Joker: Folie à Deux. NATASHA LYONNE Oct. 10-11 | Distinguished Visiting Artist The star of such acclaimed shows as Orange Is the New Black, Russian Doll and Poker Face will spend two

Hi, Barbie!: America Ferrera visits Dodge for Master Class

February 28, 2024 by Molly Rose Freeman | Master Class

America Ferrera has been ready for her Oscar since she was five years old.  The actress and activist has been making headlines as a key part of Greta Gerwig’s smash hit “Barbie” — nominated for eight Academy Awards, including a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Ferrera. Her career has spanned over two decades, and it

Working with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad

March 7, 2024 by Ruthie Weeks | Events

Nadia Murad is many things. A Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. The founder of Nadia’s Initiative. The author of her memoir, “The Last Girl” and one of Time magazine’s 2024 Women of the Year just to name a few). Murad’s incredible accomplishments are plentiful and admirable, though they barely scratch the surface of the strong woman I was privileged

• Panther Mail
• Staff & Faculty Email
• Campus Life
• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Parents & Families
• Degrees & Programs
• Argyros School of Business & Economics
• Attallah College of Educational Studies
• College of Performing Arts
• Crean College of Health & Behavioral Sciences
• Dodge College of Film & Media Arts
• Fowler School of Engineering
• Fowler School of Law
• Schmid College of Science & Technology
• School of Communication
• School of Pharmacy
• Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
• News and Stories
• Chapman Alumni
• Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences
• Schmid College of Science and Technology
• Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
• View More Blogs
• Inside Chapman

Students Take Issue With Fees; Film Department Works to Make Due

October 28, 2020 Ryan Schwach News 0

 With everyone getting hit financially in one way or another by the pandemic, students at BC have taken issue with fees included in classes that they have not been fully able to receive the benefits of. 

   Equipment fees often accompany film and art classes that utilize gear like cameras, dark rooms, and various other hands on equipment, and totals vary. With online learning, students this semester are not able to reap all the benefits that they would usually be paying for, and would like to see some support from the college. 

   “We’re not in school, obviously, but we are still getting charged all this money for things we are not getting access to and I think that’s just wrong,” said Sarah Feltman, a senior film production major. “I don’t get anything from that, like literally nothing,” she said, specifically referring to a $70 equipment fee in an art department photo class that has not given her any resources. Generally, students would be lent cameras, film, and use of the department’s dark room to process and develop the photographs, none of which were provided this semester. 

   “My professor was upset we had to pay that fee,” she said, adding that the professor had brought the student complaint up the grapevine at the beginning of the semester, and was told by higher ups that they would look into it. “That was in like the second week of classes,” said Feltman. 

   “The equipment fees, like all those things, really should be given back, at least part of it,” said Destiny Blackwell, also a senior film major. “It’s just a lack of support from the school,” she said. 

   Blackwell, who is struggling to complete her thesis film, the culmination of her four years in the program, says the college has not done all it can to help students during this stressful time. “They should be more flexible…We’re in a pandemic,” she said. In her thesis film, there is a scene that requires a large auditorium, and amid other options falling through, she hoped she could use the college, but was denied access. “They asked me if I had thought of other options, this is the other option,” she told the Vanguard. 

   Both Feltman and Blackwell argue that thesis students specifically are not getting what would normally be provided. and that the college or university should move to alleviate the financial burden on students. Both, like many students, have lost jobs due to the pandemic and are paying out of pocket. 

   “I personally think they should be waived. We are just paying these fees and getting absolutely nothing from it, said Feltman.  

   Blackwell agrees, but at the very least would like more transparency. “At least tell people where their money is going, that at least would give people some peace of mind,” she said. 

   The film department, which generally handles a large amount of film equipment and other resources like computers, says it is doing the best it can to provide for students under the circumstances. 

   “This pandemic was not something the department had any way to pre-plan for and yet I think we’ve managed to do a lot with what we do have,” said Annette Danto, chair of the film department. “We are one of the only undergraduate film programs doing any equipment distribution during this awful, and serious pandemic. NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ undergraduate Film Program, where students pay 60K per year in tuition, hasn’t had any equipment going out since March 2020,” she said. 

   BC’s film department has outfitted students in beginner and intermediate classes with specialized smartphone accessory kits to better the film making quality. As for screening fees, some classes have utilized a shared folder of film files, which are paid for through the student’s screening fee. 

   “We can’t pretend that life is normal,” said department head Annette Danto. “It isn’t and our expectations regarding our classes, equipment access, all have needed to be adjusted a bit. It hasn’t been easy, but we all understand that people’s lives are at risk. The fact that we’ve been able to manage any equipment distribution at all during this public health crisis is almost a miracle,” she said. 

Copyright © 2024 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes

Forms and Policies

Major declaration form.

As an interdisciplinary template major, Film Studies does not use the standard major declaration form available through the registrar’s office. Click here for a copy of the Film Studies Major Declaration Form.  Please fill out the form and email it to the Director of Film Studies prior to your meeting to declare the major.

Film Studies Senior Production Thesis Guidelines

The Senior Production Thesis Guidelines have been developed with the goal of insuring that the focus of the thesis is on the process of filmmaking, both as an educational experience and as a means of demonstrating the creative and technical skills of the student producing the work. Click here for a copy of the guidelines.

Film Studies Equipment Policies

The guidelines for the use of Film Studies equipment are designed to permit the equipment to be safely maintained and managed so that it is available and accessible to students in a fair and equitable fashion for use in Film Studies projects and course work. Click here for a copy of the Film Studies Equipment Policies

University of the Philippines Diliman

Calendar of events, upfi best thesis film.

• Date: 17 Apr 2023 | 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Catch the screening of the UP Diliman Film Institute’s (UPFI) best thesis films on Monday, April 17, 2 p.m., at the UPFI Film Center.

Register at the cinema entrance an hour before screen time.

See photo for more details.

For more information and updates, visit the UPFI Film Center Facebook page .

Some of the content on this website requires JavaScript to be enabled in your web browser to function as intended. This includes, but is not limited to: navigation, video, image galleries, etc. While the website is still usable without JavaScript, it should be enabled to enjoy the full interactive experience.

• About Dodge
• Academic Programs
• Visit Dodge College
• Industry Programs
• Student Life
• Student Work Showcase
• Alumni Life
• Support Dodge

» Watch live video from Dodge College

Here at Dodge College, we make an effort to live stream many of our events, screenings and awards shows for students, the community, and families not able to make the event in person.

Event coverage available through our livestream includes our thesis premiere screenings, both grad and undergrad, and our Community Voices and Project W Documentary screenings, among others.

• Clubs and Organizations
• Film Festival Office
• Social Media
• Live Event Streaming
• Awards and Grants
• Career Center
• Dodge College Events Calendar
• Dodge College Blog

30 Best Colleges for Film – 2024

April 17, 2024

Spielberg, Tarantino, and Wes Anderson all had to start somewhere. That somewhere is an undergraduate film program where you will hone your skills as a future writer, director, producer, editor, cameraman, and lighting technician. Yet it is important to note that film schools vary greatly in the quality of instructors, possession of high-end equipment, and connections to the industry that can be essential when graduates begin networking in order to land their first jobs. The usual suspects (or Usual Suspects since we’re talking about film), like USC and NYU grace our list of the Best Colleges for Film, but so do many schools far from the entertainment hubs of New York and L.A. All of these institutions produce graduates that are prepared to chase their filmmaking dreams.

Methodology 

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for Film.

Salary Information

Want to know how much money graduates of the best environmental engineering colleges make when they begin their careers? For each college listed (and hundreds of additional schools), you can view the  starting salaries for film majors .

Best Colleges for Film Design

Here’s a quick preview of the first ten film institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) New York University

2) University of Southern California

3) Yale University

4) Wesleyan University

5) Emerson College

6) Chapman University

7) University of California-Los Angeles

8) University of North Carolina School of the Arts

9) University of California-Santa Barbara

10) Loyola Marymount University

All of the schools profiled below have superb reputations in the area of film and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the best colleges for film, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—each school’s:

• Cost of Attendance
• Acceptance Rate
• Median  SAT
• Median  ACT
• Retention Rate
• Graduation Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

• Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
• Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.

Median Starting Salaries (by Institution): Finance

New York University

• New York, NY

Academic Highlights: NYU is divided into a number of smaller (but still quite large) colleges organized by discipline; in sum, there are 230 areas of undergraduate study across nine schools and colleges. For its size, a commendable 58% of classes have an enrollment under 20 students. While all schools within NYU have solid reputations, Stern holds the distinction as one of the top undergraduate business programs in the country. For those entering film, dance, drama, or other performing arts, Tisch is as prestigious a place as you can find to study.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of exiting, 94% of Class of 2022 grads had landed at their next destination, with 78% employed and 21% in graduate school. The top industries for employment were healthcare (11%), internet and software (9%), finance (8%), and entertainment (8%). Large numbers of alumni can be found at Google, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Citi, and Amazon. The mean starting salary is $75,336. In 2022, business, arts and sciences, and law school were the most popular grad school destinations.

• Enrollment: 29,401 (undergraduate); 29,711 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $90,222-$96,172
• Median SAT: 1520
• Median ACT: 34
• Acceptance Rate: 12%
• Retention Rate: 95%
• Graduation Rate: 87%

University of Southern California

• Los Angeles, CA

Academic Highlights : There are 140 undergraduate majors and minors within the Dornsife College of Arts & Sciences alone, the university’s oldest and largest school. The Marshall School of Business, Viterbi School of Engineering, and programs in communication, the cinematic arts, and the performing arts are highly acclaimed. Popular areas of study are business (22%), social sciences (11%), visual and performing arts (11%), communications/journalism (9%), and engineering (8%). Most courses enroll 10-19 students, and USC does an excellent job facilitating undergraduate research opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of undergrads experience positive postgraduation outcomes within six months of earning their degree. The top five industries entered were finance, consulting, advertising, software development, and engineering; the median salary across all majors is an astounding $79k. Presently, between 300 and 1,500 alumni are employed at each of Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, and Meta. Graduate/professional schools enrolling the greatest number of 2022 USC grads include NYU, Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, Pepperdine, and UCLA.

• Enrollment: 20,699 (undergraduate); 28,246 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $90,921
• Median SAT: 1510
• Retention Rate: 97%
• Graduation Rate: 93%

Yale University

• New Haven, CT

Academic Highlights: Yale offers 80 majors, most of which require a one- to two-semester senior capstone experience. Undergraduate research is a staple, and over 70% of classes—of which there are over 2,000 to choose from—have an enrollment of fewer than 20 students, making Yale a perfect environment for teaching and learning. Among the top departments are biology, economics, global affairs, engineering, history, and computer science. The social sciences (26%), biology (11%), mathematics (8%), and computer science (8%) are the most popular areas of concentration.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduating, 73% of the Yale Class of 2022 had entered the world of employment and 18% matriculated into graduate programs. Hundreds of Yale alums can be found at each of the world’s top companies including Google, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, and Microsoft. The most common industries entered by the newly hired were finance (20%), research/education (16%), technology (14%), and consulting (12%). The mean starting salary for last year’s grads was $81,769 ($120k for CS majors). Nearly one-fifth of students immediately pursue graduate school.

• Enrollment: 6,590 (undergraduate); 5,344 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $87,705
• Median SAT: 1540
• Median ACT: 35
• Acceptance Rate: 5%
• Retention Rate: 98%
• Graduation Rate: 98%

Wesleyan University

• Middletown, CT

Academic Highlights: With 45 majors and 32 minors, Wes truly has something for everyone. The academic requirements are relatively minimal, giving undergrads a high degree of intellectual freedom. Under 75% of class sections have fewer than twenty students; students rave about the accessible faculty. Research opportunities with professors are plentiful. Offerings in economics, English, film studies, and neuroscience typically receive the most praise from employers/grad schools; accordingly, the social sciences (24%), psychology (17%), and the visual and performing arts (12%) are the most popular.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 66% of 2022 grads had entered employment, with tech/engineering/sciences, education, and arts/entertainment being the three top sectors. The companies employing the highest numbers of recent Wesleyan grads included Google, Epic, Analysis Group, Boston Medical Center, Booz Allen Hamilton, Accenture, and Apple. Graduate school was the next stop for 18% of new alums; enrolling institutions included MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Yale, Harvard, Temple, and UMass.

• Enrollment: 3,069 (undergraduate); 184 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $89,094
• Median SAT: 1430
• Median ACT: 32
• Acceptance Rate: 14%

Emerson College

Academic Highlights: All 26 majors offered by the school have some element of performance or artistry and include highly unique academic concentrations such as comedic arts, sports communication, and musical theater. Emerson has a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 69% of courses seat fewer than 20 students. The Journalism and Communications Studies programs rank among the top in the country. By sheer popularity, the top majors are film/video production, journalism, marketing, theater arts, and creative writing.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of leaving Emerson, 61% of recent grads were employed, 4% were enrolled in graduate school, and 35% were still seeking their next landing spot. Top employers include the Walt Disney Company, Warner Media, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and CNN. The average full-time salary for employed grads is $40,255. Of those entering a master’s program, the bulk stay put, pursuing a master’s at Emerson in an area like writing for film and television, creative writing, or journalism.

• Enrollment: 4,149
• Cost of Attendance: $73,000
• Median SAT: 1360
• Median ACT: 31
• Acceptance Rate: 43%
• Retention Rate: 86%
• Graduation Rate: 77%

Chapman University

Academic Highlights:  Chapman offers 50 majors in STEM, humanities, communication, the arts, and business. Overall, 46% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1. One-third of all degrees earned are in the area of business; the next most pursued are the visual and performing arts (21%), journalism (9%), and psychology (6%). In addition to the famed film program, the school gets acclaim for its innovation and the quality of undergraduate teaching.

Professional Outcomes: The Walt Disney Company, Amazon, Deloitte, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Google, and NBCUniversal are the most common employers of Chapman graduates. Students in the Argyros College of Business and Economics earned an average starting salary of $77,164 in 2023. 62% of that cohort had already secured employment by graduation day. Most graduates remain in the state of California, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Irvine attracting particularly high numbers of alumni.

• Enrollment: 7,869
• Cost of Attendance: $90,370
• Median SAT: 1300
• Median ACT: 29
• Acceptance Rate: 73%
• Retention Rate: 91%
• Graduation Rate: 84%

University of California, Los Angeles

Academic Highlights: UCLA offers 125 majors in 100+ academic departments, and more than 60 majors require a capstone experience that results in the creation of a tangible product under the mentorship of faculty members. The most commonly conferred degrees are in the social sciences (25%), biology (16%), psychology (11%), mathematics (8%), and engineering (7%). Departmental rankings are high across the board, especially in computer science, engineering, film, fine and performing arts, mathematics, and political science.

Professional Outcomes: UCLA grads flow most heavily into the research, finance, computer science, and engineering sectors. High numbers of recent grads can be found at Disney, Google, EY, Teach for America, Amazon, and Oracle. Hundreds also can be found at Bloomberg, Deloitte, Mattel, Oracle, and SpaceX. The average starting salary exceeds $55,000. 16% of recent grads enrolled directly in a graduate/professional school, with other CA-based institutions like Stanford, Pepperdine, USC, Berkeley, and Loyola Marymount being the most popular.

• Enrollment: 33,040 (undergraduate); 15,010 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $38,517 (in-state); $71,091 (out-of-state)
• Median SAT: Test Blind
• Median ACT: Test Blind
• Acceptance Rate: 9%

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

• Winston-Salem, NC

Academic Highlights: Undergrads in the Design and Production, Dance, Film, and Drama schools complete BFA degrees; musicians earn a Bachelor of Music degree. All students also take a core of liberal arts courses. The largest number of students elect to major in Cinematography and film/video production, followed by theatre/theatre design and technology, dance, drama, and musical performance.

Professional Outcomes:  Limited professional outcomes data is made available by UNCSA. However, we do know that many graduates are self-employed while others work for the likes of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, the Actors’ Equity Association, Google, and the Western Piedmont Symphony. Many stay in North Carolina, but pockets of alumni can be found in New York City, Los Angeles, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C.

• Enrollment: 938
• Cost of Attendance: $22,290 (In-State); $39,524
• Median SAT: N/A
• Median ACT: N/A
• Acceptance Rate: 30%
• Retention Rate: 93%
• Graduation Rate: 82%

University of California, Santa Barbara

• Santa Barbara, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 90 undergraduate majors across three schools: the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, and the College of Creative Studies. The social sciences are the most popular area of study, accounting for 27% of the total degrees conferred. Biology (10%), math (9%), and psychology (9%) are next in popularity. The school has highly regarded programs in communication, computer science, engineering, physics, environmental science, and the performing arts. More than half of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 72% enroll 29 or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of earning their diplomas, 84% of grads had found employment. The most popular industries were science/research (16%), engineering/computer programming (14%), business (13%), finance/accounting (11%), and sales (10%). Top employers of recent grads include Google, EY, KPMG, Oracle, Amazon, IBM, and Adobe. Many alumni also can be found at Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Salesforce. Two years after graduating, UCSB alumni make an average salary of $55k; more than half make $100k by mid-career.

• Enrollment: 23,460 (undergraduate); 2,961 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $41,289 (in-state); $73,863 (out-of-state)
• Acceptance Rate: 28%
• Retention Rate: 92%
• Graduation Rate: 86%

Loyola Marymount University

Academic Highlights: LMU’s 55 majors and 58 minors are taught by faculty heralded for their warmth and accessibility, a sentiment backed by an 11:1 faculty-to-student ratio. Fifty-seven percent of courses enroll 19 or fewer students, and 99% enroll fewer than 39 individuals. The greatest number of degrees conferred in 2022 were in the area of business/marketing (25%), followed by the visual and performing arts (15%), the social sciences (14%), journalism (9%), and psychology (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Just 2% of LMU graduates in 2022 were still looking for work six months after completing their degrees. Seventy-four percent had procured employment, 23% were in graduate school, and 2% were engaged in some type of service program. Companies employing graduates include Northrop Grumman, Google, Netflix, Amazon, NBCUniversal Media, Apple, PwC, Sony Pictures Entertainment, EY, and Salesforce. Recent alumni have gone on to further their education in a range of disciplines at Brown University, Stanford University, NYU, and Georgetown University.

• Enrollment: 7,299
• Cost of Attendance: $84,208
• Median SAT: 1350
• Median ACT: 30
• Acceptance Rate: 41%
• Retention Rate: 88%

The University of Texas at Austin

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 150 majors, including those at the Cockrell School of Engineering, one of the most heralded undergraduate engineering schools around, and The McCombs School of Business, which dominates in the specialty areas of accounting and marketing. The computer science department is also top-ranked. In terms of degrees conferred, engineering is tied with biology (12%) followed by communication (11%), business (11%), and the social sciences (8%). The elite Plan II Honors Program is one of the best in the country.

Professional Outcomes: Within the College of Liberal Arts, six months after graduating, 68% of Longhorns are employed and 24% have entered graduate school. The for-profit sector attracts 65% of those employed while 19% enter public sector employment and 16% pursue jobs at a nonprofit. Major corporations that employ more than 500 UT Austin grads include Google, Meta, Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. Engineering majors took home a median income of $79k and business majors took home $70k.

• Enrollment: 41,309 (undergraduate); 11,075 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $30,752-$34,174 (in-state); $61,180-$69,310 (out-of-state)
• Acceptance Rate: 31%
• Graduation Rate: 88%

University of Colorado Boulder

• Boulder, CO

Academic Highlights: CU Boulder offers 90 bachelor’s degree programs across seven different schools and colleges; the College of Engineering & Applied Science and the Leeds School of Business both possess excellent national reputations. Business/marketing is the discipline where the greatest number of degrees (15%) were conferred in 2022. Engineering (13%), biology (12%), social sciences (12%), and journalism (10%) are next in popularity. 41% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and only 19% of courses enroll 50 or more students.

Professional Outcomes : Within six months of leaving CU Boulder, 91% of recent grads were working or in graduate school. Those employed earned an estimated median salary of $54k, with the greatest number working at Lockheed Martin, Ball Aerospace, Deloitte, Qualcomm, Northrop Grumman, KPMG, Charles Schwab, and Boeing. More than 100 alumni can also be found at Google, Oracle, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. 20% of new grads immediately jumped into an advanced degree program, and 80% were accepted into their first-choice school.

• Enrollment: 31,103 (undergraduate); 7,110 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $31,744 (in-state); $60,118 (out-of-state)
• Median SAT: 1280
• Acceptance Rate: 79%
• Graduation Rate: 75%

DePaul University

• Chicago, IL

Academic Highlights:  There are more than 300 undergraduate majors and graduate programs at the nation’s largest Catholic research university. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1 and 42% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students. A hefty 32% of all degrees awarded in 2022 were in the discipline of business/marketing. The next most popular areas of study were the visual and performing arts (13%), journalism (11%), and computer science (10%). The University rates well in the areas of overall value and facilitating social mobility.

Professional Outcomes:  92% of 2022 graduates found their next positive step in life within six months of being awarded their diploma. 81% were employed earning a modest median salary of $45,000. Sample employers included Epic. Xerox Business Solutions, UBS, KPMG, and a number of nonprofit entities. Less than 10% of DePaul graduates directly enter graduate or professional school right after completing their undergraduate education.

• Enrollment: 14,134
• Cost of Attendance: $66,798
• Median SAT: 1190
• Median ACT: 27
• Acceptance Rate: 70%
• Retention Rate: 84%
• Graduation Rate: 69%

Emory University

• Atlanta, GA

Academic Highlights: This midsize university offers a diverse array of majors (80+) and minors (60+), and 30% of Emory students pursue more than one area of study. Over half of Emory’s student body works directly with a faculty member on academic research and 58% of courses have class sizes of under twenty students. Ultimately, the greatest number of students go on to earn degrees in the social sciences (15%), biology (14%), business (14%), health professions (12%), and mathematics (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduation, 66% of 2022 grads were already employed, and 96% had arrived at their next destination. The top employers of recent Emory grads include Deloitte, Epic, ScribeAmerica, Meta, Morgan Stanley, and Cloudmed. Graduates of the Goizueta Business School found strong starting salaries with an average of $81k.  In the last few years, multiple Emory grads/alums received acceptance letters from the following top law schools like Columbia, Berkeley, and Georgetown. Med school acceptances included Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.

• Enrollment: 7,101
• Cost of Attendance: $83,702
• Median SAT: 1500
• Median ACT: 33
• Acceptance Rate: 11%
• Graduation Rate: 90%

Syracuse University

• Syracuse, NY

Academic Highlights: In total, 200+ majors and 100+ minors are spread across ten undergraduate schools/colleges. The School of Architecture, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the Newhouse School of Public Communication are all revered names that carry a good deal of weight in their respective fields. The most popular majors include communication/journalism (15%), the social sciences (14%), and business (12%). Despite Syracuse’s size, class sizes are kept reasonably low; 63% contain 20 students or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after exiting the Carrier Dome for the final time in 2022, 59% of Orangemen and women found employment (92% related to their career goals) and 21% continued to graduate school. The companies employing the most ‘Cuse grads include major media/entertainment management companies like Conde Nast, Bloomberg, and Creative Artists Agency as well as big-name corporations like GE, KPMG, EY, Lockheed Martin, and Morgan Stanley. The average starting salary for 2022 grads was a solid $63k.

• Enrollment: 15,739 (undergraduate); 7,209 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $85,214
• Median SAT: 1340
• Graduation Rate: 81%

Columbia University

Academic Highlights: Columbia offers 100+ unique areas of undergraduate study as well as a number of pre-professional and accelerated graduate programs.  Class sizes at Columbia are reasonably small and the student-to-faculty ratio is favorable; however, in 2022, it was revealed that the university had been submitting faulty data in this area. It is presently believed that 58% of undergraduate courses enroll 19 or fewer students. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (22%), computer science (15%), engineering (14%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Examining the most recent graduates from Columbia College and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science, 73% had found employment within six months, and 20% had entered graduate school. The median starting salary for graduates of Columbia College/Columbia Engineering is above $80,000. Many graduates get hired by the likes of Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Google, Citi, McKinsey, and Microsoft.

• Enrollment: 8,832
• Cost of Attendance: $89,587
• Acceptance Rate: 4%
• Graduation Rate: 95%

Ithaca College

Academic Highlights: Ithaca has five schools that specialize in business, communications, humanities and sciences, health sciences and human performance, and music. You won’t find yourself in many classes with more than 29 of your fellow undergraduates as 82% of sections fall below that marker. Ithaca students frequently earn degrees in the disciplines of communication/journalism (24%), the visual and performing arts (18%), health professions and related programs (15%), business/marketing (11%), and the social sciences (5%).

Professional Outcomes: Within nine months of graduating, 52% of one recent graduating cohort had already found their first post-college job and 22% were still seeking employment. Media companies like ESPN and NBCUniversal Media are among the largest employers of Ithaca alumni along with corporations like IBM, Morgan Stanley, Google, Salesforce, and Amazon. More than five recent grads enrolled at nearby Cornell University and multiple grads traveled to Columbia University, Syracuse University, Boston University, and Northwestern University.

• Enrollment: 4,619
• Cost of Attendance: $75,013
• Acceptance Rate: 75%
• Retention Rate: 83%
• Graduation Rate: 74%

University of Arizona

Academic Highlights: UArizona undergrads can choose from over 150 majors, and business/marketing (15%) is the most popular choice with more degrees conferred than any other discipline. Other common pursuits include biology (9%), health professions (9%), and engineering (7%). Majors within business, engineering, and the geosciences all have excellent national reputations. A 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to a mix of class sizes with 33% of classes having an enrollment of under 20 and only 15% possessing 50 or more students.

Professional Outcomes: In recent years, some of the top employers hiring Arizona grads have been Raytheon, Vanguard, PepsiCo, Amazon, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, Intel, Lockheed Martin, Nordstrom, and Texas Instruments, and an astonishing 92% of employers rate Wildcats as coming to their first job with the skills needed to succeed. Recent College of Management grads enjoy a starting salary in excess of $60k, while College of Engineering grads have an average starting salary of $74,000. Many who go on to pursue advanced degrees ultimately do so at UArizona itself.

• Enrollment: 40,407 (undergraduate); 10,727 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $35,496 (in-state); $62,896 (out-of-state)
• Median SAT: 1240
• Median ACT: 25
• Acceptance Rate: 87%
• Graduation Rate: 68%

Florida State University

• Tallahassee, FL

Academic Highlights: A wide range of baccalaureate degrees—103 to be precise—are available at FSU. The student-to-faculty is a 17:1, which translates into somewhat larger class sizes. Ten percent of sections contain more than fifty students, and 4% have more than 100. However, that is balanced by the 66% of sections that contain fewer than twenty students. Twenty-three percent of degrees conferred fall under the business umbrella. The social sciences (15%), psychology (8%), biology (8%), and homeland security (6%) are next in popularity.

Professional Outcomes: Eighty-three percent of job-seeking Seminole grads receive at least one offer of employment within three months of graduation. The top five sectors employing 2022 grads are (in order) finance, technology, marketing, health, and engineering. Roughly one-third of 2022 Florida State grads elected to immediately pursue admission into an advanced degree program; 75% of those who apply receive at least one acceptance. A typical graduating class sees over 100 students accepted into medical schools and over 200 accepted into law schools.

• Enrollment: 32,936
• Cost of Attendance: $25,762 (In-State); $39,692 (Out-of-State)
• Acceptance Rate: 25%
• Retention Rate: 94%
• Graduation Rate: 85%

University of North Carolina Wilmington

• Wilmington, NC

Academic Highlights: Nearly 90 undergraduate programs are available across five different colleges: the Cameron School of Business, the College of Health and Human Services, the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts, the College of Science and Engineering, and the Watson College of Education. Nursing is the most popular major, accounting for 20% of degrees conferred, followed by business (18%), speech communication and rhetoric (6%), and psychology (6%). The average class size is 22, and 40% of classes enroll under 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Nursing grads—UNCW’s most popular major—make an average starting salary of $67k. Business majors—the second-most popular discipline—have a post-grad employment rate of 45%. 15% of newly minted business alums immediately pursue a graduate or professional program. During their undergrad years, 58% of business students ultimately complete an internship, and they enjoy an average starting salary of $55k.

• Enrollment: 14,294 (undergraduate); 3,549 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $27,030 (in-state); $42,603 (out-of-state)
• Median ACT: 26
• Acceptance Rate: 69%

Vassar College

• Poughkeepsie, NY

Academic Highlights: Vassar students have the choice of 50 majors and only three foundational curricular mandates, which means that there is plenty of room to explore electives and intellectual passions. A 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 17 students, and 23% of all sections have an enrollment of nine or fewer. Professors are extremely available outside the classroom. The most popular majors are in the social sciences, biology, the visual and performing arts, foreign languages, and psychology.

Professional Outcomes: 93% of alums enjoy positive outcomes within six months of graduation, with 20% enrolling directly in a graduate or professional degree program. A solid number land at competitive companies like Google, Meta, EY, Deloitte, Microsoft, Citi, and Amazon. Elite universities such as Harvard, Penn, NYU, and Columbia are also among the top employers of former students, many of whom earn advanced degrees and enter academia. The school is one of the top 15 PhD producers.

• Enrollment: 2,459
• Cost of Attendance: $85,220
• Median SAT: 1480
• Acceptance Rate: 19%
• Graduation Rate: 92%

Boston University

Academic Highlights: In total, the university offers more than 300 programs of study, 100+ of which are distinct undergraduate degrees spread across ten schools/colleges. Many classes at BU are reasonably small—60% contain fewer than twenty students; only 19% contain more than forty. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in social sciences (16%), business/marketing (15%), communications and journalism (15%), biology (11%), engineering (9%), and health professions/related sciences (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 90% of BU grads have found their way into the world of employment or full-time graduate study. Across all graduating years, companies employing more than 350 BU alums include Google, Oracle, Accenture, IBM, and Amazon Web Services. Of the one-quarter of grads who move directly into graduate school, many are welcomed onto the campuses of elite graduate programs. For example, engineering students found new academic homes at MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia.

• Enrollment: 18,459
• Cost of Attendance: $86,363
• Graduation Rate: 89%

University of Michigan

• Ann Arbor, MI

Academic Highlights: There are 280+ undergraduate degree programs across fourteen schools and colleges, and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) enrolls the majority of students. The Ross School of Business offers highly rated programs in entrepreneurship, management, accounting, and finance. The College of Engineering is also one of the best in the country. By degrees conferred, engineering (15%), computer science (14%), and the social sciences (11%) are most popular. A solid 56% of classes have fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school, with healthcare, education, law, banking, research, nonprofit work, and consulting being the most popular sectors. Within three months, 99% of Ross grads are employed with a median salary of $90k. Top employers include Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, EY, Morgan Stanley, PwC, Deloitte, and Amazon.  Within six months, 96% of engineering grads are employed (average salary of $84k) or in grad school. General Motors, Ford, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta employ the greatest number of alumni.

• Enrollment: 32,695 (undergraduate); 18,530 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $35,450 (in-state); $76,294 (out-of-state)
• Median SAT: 1470
• Acceptance Rate: 18%

Rochester Institute of Technology

• Rochester, NY

Academic Highlights: There are nine undergraduate colleges at RIT, including the top-ranked Gleason College of Engineering and the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. The co-op program is the fourth oldest in the country; most students complete a one- or two-semester paid learning experience. The most popular majors are engineering & engineering technologies (34%), computer and information sciences (20%), visual and performing arts (10%), and business (9%). RIT’s game design program is the best on the East Coast, and programs in film, art, and design are also quite strong.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 95% of recent grads had found employment or a full-time graduate program. Major companies presently employing more than 500 RIT alums include Xerox and Paychex, both with offices in Rochester. Between 200 and 450 employees of IBM, Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Amazon, Google, and Cisco were educated at RIT. Starting salary figures vary greatly by major with College of Business grads landing a median starting salary of $63k and computer science majors of $102k right out of school.

• Enrollment: 13,940 (undergraduate); 2,675 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $75,390
• Acceptance Rate: 67%
• Retention Rate: 85%

University of Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia, PA

Academic Highlights : 90 distinct degrees are available across four schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Applied Science and Engineering, the College of Nursing, and the world-renowned Wharton School. The greatest number of students pursue degrees in business (19%), social sciences (14%), biology (11%), health sciences (9%), engineering (9%), and computer science (9%). The university boasts an exceptional 26% of courses with an enrollment under ten and 59% with an enrollment under twenty as well as multiple ways for undergrads to conduct research.

Professional Outcomes: 75% of Class of 2022 grads were employed within six months of graduating, and 18% were in graduate school. Finance attracted the highest percentage of grads (30%) followed by consulting (20%), technology (15%), and healthcare (10%). Employers hiring the greatest number of 2022 grads included JPMorgan, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey, Bain & Company, Meta, and Goldman Sachs. The median starting salary for all graduates is $80,000. For those continuing their educational journeys, the most popular move is to remain at Penn, followed by Columbia and Harvard.

• Enrollment: 9,760 (undergraduate); 13,614 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $89,028
• Acceptance Rate: 7%
• Graduation Rate: 96%

Hofstra University

• Hempstead, NY

Academic Highlights: There are 165 programs for undergraduates spread across the various colleges housing liberal arts, engineering, business, communications, and nursing/health professions. The average undergraduate class size is 21, and the student-faculty ratio is a favorable 13-to-1. The great bulk of courses enroll between 10 and 29 students; 12% are single-digit enrollment courses, and only 2% of sections contain more than 50 students. 14% of the total degrees conferred are in communication/journalism. Health professions (13%), social sciences (9%), and engineering (8%) are next.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of exiting with their diplomas, 92% of recent grads had found employment or a graduate school destination; 80% were employed. companies employing more than one hundred alums include JPMorgan Chase, Citi, PwC, Morgan Stanley, EY, Deloitte, and NBC Universal. The median starting salary was $62,000. Recent grads have matriculated into a wide array of graduate and professional schools including every SUNY/CUNY institution as well as many elite universities like Columbia, Yale, NYU, Berkeley, and Brown.

• Enrollment: 6,110
• Cost of Attendance: $73,202
• Median ACT: 28

University of Miami

• Coral Gables, FL

Academic Highlights : Over 100 undergrad programs are offered across nine schools, with the greatest number of degrees conferred in business/marketing (21%), health professions (13%), biology (11%), the social sciences (9%), communication (9%), and engineering (8%). The Miami Business School and the College of Engineering enjoy solid national reputations, and programs in music, marine science, communications, and architecture are also highly ranked. 52% of all course sections contain fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 98% of the Class of 2022 had positive outcomes, with 64% employed full-time and 34% in graduate school. Companies employing 2022 grads included Deloitte, Citrix, NBCUniversal, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citi, and Morgan Stanley. Across all majors, the median starting salary was an impressive $63k. 100+ Canes also can be found in the offices of Google, IBM, PwC, Apple, and Microsoft. The most frequently attended graduate school is typically Miami itself.

• Enrollment: 12,883 (undergraduate); 6,710 (graduate)
• Cost of Attendance: $93,146
• Median SAT: 1410

American University

• Washington, D.C.

Academic Highlights: There are 60+ undergraduate degrees for students to choose from at AU across six colleges. A low 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows 58% of offered courses to be capped at nineteen students; the average undergraduate class size is 23. American’s School of International Service (SIS) is one of the top-ranked programs in the country—its Public Affairs program also receives universally high marks. In terms of sheer popularity, the most commonly conferred degrees are in the social sciences (35%), 17% (business), and journalism (11%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 90% of AU grads have found employment, are enrolled in grad school, or both. Across all graduating years, more than 100 alumni presently work for the US House of Representatives, the US Department of State, Booz Allen Hamilton, Google, EY, IBM, PwC, and Accenture.  Many of the most popular grad school destinations are only a Metro stop away. George Washington, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and American itself head the list.

• Enrollment: 7,917
• Cost of Attendance: $76,176
• Retention Rate: 87%
• Graduation Rate: 79%

Occidental College

Academic Highlights: 45 majors, minors, and programs are on tap, but all students must first make their way through the Oxy Core Program. 95% of classes enroll fewer than thirty, and the average class size is 16. The most popular degree programs, all of which carry strong reputations with employers and graduate schools, are economics, biology, sociology, psychology, diplomacy and world affairs, mathematics, and urban and environmental policy. Over 30% of all degrees conferred are in the social sciences, 11% are in biology, and 10% are in the visual and performing arts.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduation, 95% of Occidental alumni are employed, pursuing graduate studies, or engaged in both simultaneously. The largest numbers of grads enter community service/education (25%), STEM (23%), and business (20%). Among the largest employers are the Los Angeles Unified School District, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Google, Morgan Stanley, and Amazon. Starting salaries for recent grads were $52k. Close to 75% of Oxy alumni eventually earn one or more advanced degrees.

• Enrollment: 1,942
• Cost of Attendance: $81,730
• Median SAT: 1440
• Acceptance Rate: 39%
• Retention Rate: 89%
• Graduation Rate: 83%

Fordham University

Academic Highlights: The university offers more than seventy majors, minors, and pre-professional programs. Fordham’s 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 23 students. Some classes will be on the smaller side as 52% of sections contain nineteen or fewer students. Gabelli is a top-rated business program with standout programs in international business and finance and serves as a pipeline to many large firms. Other popular areas of study include communications (10%), visual and performing arts (7%), psychology (6%), and biology (5%).

Professional Outcomes: Class of 2022 graduates found employment, graduate school, or other meaningful activities at a 96% clip within six months of receiving their degrees. Nearly two-thirds of this group landed employment and enjoyed an average salary of $70,000. Significant numbers of 2022 grads found homes at major companies including PwC (36), Ernst & Young (29), KMPG (24), Morgan Stanley (22), and Deloitte (21). The greatest number of recent graduates pursuing an advanced degree landed at Fordham, NYU, and Columbia.

• Enrollment: 10,098
• Cost of Attendance: $85,067
• Median SAT: 1400
• Acceptance Rate: 54%

We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Film to be useful and informative as you continue your college search process. We also invite you to check out some of our other resources and tools including:

• AP Score Calculators 
• SAT Score Calculator 
• ACT Score Calculator
• Best Summer Programs 
• College List Building Tool
• Best Colleges by Major

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

• 2-Year Colleges
• Application Strategies
• Best Colleges by State
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Essay
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Graduate School Admissions
• High School Success
• High Schools
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Private High School Spotlight
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

College Planning in Your Inbox

Join our information-packed monthly newsletter.