For three years I have had the pleasure of serving as chair of CCA's Film Program. Brook Hinton recently joined me as assistant chair.

Together we have enjoyed building upon CCA’s strong foundation in media arts to build a unique Film Program that equips students to face the changing media landscape and create the cinema of the 21st century.

FILMMAKING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Today the term “film” encompasses many forms and mediums. Filmmaking, as a discipline, is no longer limited to the one specific material. Digital tools and the explosive influence of the Internet have dramatically expanded the scope of filmmaking practice. The means of production has been democratized, and that is a good thing.

Yet the art of filmmaking and innovative media art is far more complex than merely picking up a camera. Creating work that is truly artful involves conceptual development, a deep understanding of the language and aesthetics of the medium, a highly developed observational eye, historical and theoretical knowledge, and true mastery of craft. Such are the essentials of CCA’s Film Program.

STUDENT Work

CCA students are exposed to a full range of the possibilities of filmmaking and media-arts practices in a required core sequence, with an emphases on narrative and new media in both traditional and nontraditional contexts.

Our definition of “narrative” is multiform and expansive. We consider the dynamics of narrative as a force embedded in all aspects of film/media arts. Some students may choose a path that leads to the creation of work that is driven by stories, with characters an audience may come to know and care about; others may choose to pursue ideas that explore purely visual qualities and sound textures.

As they move through the curriculum, students create and analyze work in a variety of forms and genres. Students produce personal documentaries, short narrative works, lyrical experimental pieces, and multichannel installations. Work can be destined for the big screen, computer screen, installation spaces, or other contexts not yet imagined.

Our students’ work shows at international and domestic film festivals, in galleries, and as site-specific installation pieces.

WHY CCA'S FILM PROGRAM

At CCA we see it as our mission to teach, inspire, and nurture future generations of independent-thinking filmmakers, artists, and innovators.

The Film faculty is committed to helping students develop strong conceptual and craft skills. The high level of knowledge and hands-on experiences our faculty members bring to the classroom not only influences students' work but also inspires their future vocations.

CCA’s Film Program aims to foster in students an appreciation for the possibilities a career as a professional filmmaker, or artist, or innovator holds. Our goal is to equip students to work not only in the film/media industry and contemporary art world but also to forge new paths for working and creating with moving images.

Our program is aimed for the filmmakers of the future, those with the ability to be adaptable, versatile, and ready to pave these new roads.

A History of Filmmaking

I have been working as a filmmaker for over 30 years, traversing between both feature documentary and scripted narrative forms, both as an independent and in the mainstream film industry. I have produced, written, and directed, feature documentaries, television programs, and narrative feature films that have played in just about every kind of venue.

What drives my work is an attention to storytelling, theme, and craft. And these are subject areas I most enjoy teaching. As an instructor I offer students the benefits of my professional filmmaking career, yet the relationship with students is reciprocal; CCA students often surprise me with their burgeoning knowledge and talent, and this is the privilege of being an educator at CCA.

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