FOCUS ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION “My favorite TRAIN thing is to be in an intensive dialogue with the whole class, TO GAIN LIANNE HALFON GUILLAUME about something Producing Discipline ARETOS we’ve read, Head Department Chair, where it’s part American Film Entertainment Design Institute analysis and VARIETY Art Center College of ROUNDS UP TOP Los Angeles Design Pasadena part on-the-spot ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS AND At AFI, Halfon’s focus has Aretos has helped to disovery.” been to design a program put an emphasis on the EDUCATORS AROUND THE GLOBE Lianne Halfon that teaches students the school’s much-buzzed hard skills that producers game design track. “Our By Nick Clement, Paul Gaita, need to know, from identi- students work together to Todd Gilchrist, Akiva Gottlieb fying material, to story create stories, and then and Malina Saval development, production tell them visually for ani- and post-production, with mation, live-action movies a concrete understanding or games, mimicking the of each process. “My work environment they favorite thing is to be in will encounter in the an intensive dialogue with industry,” he says. the whole class, about He’s excited about the something we’ve read, technological progression where it’s part analysis of his department. “We and part on-the-spot use VR and motion-cap- discovery,” Halfon says. ture to design and build New strategies are worlds that do not exist.” being implemented. “I Aretos carries more added the first workshop than 20 years of experi- on documentaries last ence as a concept artist, year, and we’re going to art director and produc- continue to expand our tion designer in the focus on television and film and animation new media,” she says. industries, with credits Halfon’s credits include including “Shrek” and “Juno” and “Ghost World.” “Puss in Boots.” EACH YEAR, VARIETY COMPILES A LIST of the top entertainment education programs in the United States and abroad. This year, BEIJING FILM ACADEMY BELMONT UNIVERSITY BIOLA UNIVERSITY coronavirus has beset the world, forcing the Beijing Nashville La Mirada temporary closure of colleges and universi- The sole film academy in China In Belmont’s motion pictures Biola’s School of Cinema and and the largest school of its department, students shoot Media Arts offers its graduating ties, and that includes film and digital arts kind in Asia, the Beijing Film and edit their first film immedi- students ample opportunities programs around the globe. But in the midst of Academy has trained directors ately after the semester starts. to break into the biz. With more including Zhang Yimou and The school boasts a 250-seat than $3 million in state-of-the- this ravaging crisis, centers of higher educa- Chen Kaige over the course of theater and sound-mixing art technology and equipment tion are implementing remote learning tech- its 65-year history. Students stage and it’s one of those and staffed with such industry use the academy’s four rare film school programs in professionals as screenwriter niques to keep their students on track. Now, professional film studios and which students have access Chris Masi (“Being Mary Jane,” the latest film and production to cutting-edge Dolby Atmos “Graceland”) and veteran TV more than ever, it’s a time for creativity to equipment as part of their sound-mixing equipment. writer-producer Michael War- reign supreme, a time for artistry to thrive and studies; the school also hosts Classes are offered in directing, ren, Biola offers courses in both many of Asia’s most important writing, creative producing, technical and creative aspects a time for aspiring filmmakers — screenwrit- film festivals, including the screenplay analysis, cinema- of filmmaking, with overall ers, directors, animators, everyone, really — to Intl. Student Film and Video tography, set management, concentrations in entertain- Festival. film history and genre studies, ment producing, game design harness this time of solitude and draft what among others. and interactive media and production. Students also have could become the blockbusters, TV series and 24-hour access to the universi- indie films of tomorrow. ty’s 10,000-sq.-ft. studio. Not only are these film schools and their fac- ulty prepping students for successful careers in the entertainment biz, but they are also guiding them with structure, encouragement and artistic expertise through one of the most turbulent eras in modern-day society. 50 VARIETY Day one. You’re on. ON SET. ON CAMERA. ON POINT IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY. Working with expert professors and staff in media labs, studios, and interactive classrooms, Park students hone their creative vision. They find inspiration living and learning in the #1 college town in the U.S. They make connections during immersive LA and NYC semester programs. They learn how the business of communications works, how to reach their audiences, how to tell the stories that need to be told. They don’t just learn how important and award-winning work is made—they make the work. They make an impact. They make their names known. And it all starts day one. Experience the Park diff erence. ȡ ithaca.edu/rhp Untitled-1 1 4/2/20 12:33 PM Dance Design & Production Drama Filmmaking Music — Jo Hatcher School of Filmmaking Powering Creativity Filmmaking Tell your story. Join the next generation of innovative filmmakers. UNCSA.EDU/FILM Untitled-29 1 4/8/20 4:11 PM ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION FOCUS BOSTON UNIVERSITY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE CALIFORNIA STATE CENTRO DE WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY Boston OF THE ARTS UNIVERSITY, CAPACITACIÓN Middletown, Conn. Valencia NORTHRIDGE CINEMATOGRÁFICA Students get practical The College of Film and the Northridge Mexico City, Mexico experience through media Students and alumni of CalArts' Moving Image at this liberal arts studies and skills at BU’s School of Film/Video (“CalAr- CSUN’s Dept. of Cinema Founded in 1975, the Centro de school offers an undergraduate Film & Television Program. As tians”) have been at the helm of and Television Arts recently Capacitación Cinematográfica major and minor focused on part of the school’s College 12 Academy Award winners for completed a production facility is a public federal film school both the study and practice of of Communication, they learn animated feature, including the update that will give students that takes a deliberately broad filmmaking. According to the theory and technique through past seven consecutive Oscars access to cutting-edge tech- approach to the study of the school, learning happens not small classes with media in that category, while toons nology in nearly every medium. moving image, linking it with just in the classroom, but all professionals in every field, directed by CalArts alumni The update, made possible by other disciplines and artistic over campus. A student-run and apply that knowledge grossed more than $48 billion a grant from the Hollywood practices. The school offers film series programs classic using the latest tech on faculty at the box office between 1985 Foreign Press Assn., includes a two primary programs of study: and contemporary movies productions or through BU’s and 2019. Netflix has recently state-of-the-art mixing console, one in general film studies, four nights a week, and the student-produced content tapped CalArts alumni to direct new equipment, upgraded lab the other in screenwriting. Reid Cinema Archive contains distribution network, butv10. features and series for its facilities and a motion capture The CCC’s Opera Prima project primary materials from the animation studio, including the room. The HFPA also gave a is an internal competition that careers of Frank Capra, Ingrid 2019 Oscar nominee “Klaus.” $60,000 grant for student gives young filmmakers the Bergman and others. Recent filmmakers to complete their ability to produce a profession- graduates include Benh Zeitlin, senior thesis projects. al debut feature with significant who directed “Beasts of the institutional support. Alums Southern Wild” with a crew include Oscar-nominated that included several fellow cinematographer Rodrigo Wesleyan alums. Prieto (“Brokeback Mountain,” “The Irishman”). COLORADO FILM SCHOOL Denver Providing students with hands-on experience is key to the Colorado Film School's REB approach to education. Stu- BRADDOCK dents begin utilizing equipment Dean in their first week, and have College of Motion access to professional gear Picture Arts and a virtual studio system, Florida State FS Greenlight, which teaches University budget management and Tallahassee story development. They can A main architect of the also work on documentaries college’s production for the state government or programs, Braddock has television advertisements for been with the school local businesses. Graduates since it was created have gone on to productions in 1989 when he was including “Avatar 2” and “The admitted to the very first Walking Dead.” MFA class. As dean, he also teaches one-on-one pitching and film market- ing workshops. “Our focus is on how filmmakers work together collaboratively,” says Braddock of FSU’s education model. “We take a group of diverse students, we put them together in teams and we have them do practi- cal work solving problems READY, SET, GO that come along to make Students work on their movies.” a film project at California Institute of the Arts titled “Lisa and Liza.” BRADDOCK: BRUCE W. PALMER; LISA & LIZA: RAFAEL HERNANDEZ/CALARTS RAFAEL & LIZA: LISA PALMER; BRUCE W. BRADDOCK: VARIETY 53 FOCUS ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION COLUMBIA COLLEGE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY DEPAUL UNIVERSITY CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO New York, N.Y. Chicago Orange ART, DESIGN AND Chicago TECHNOLOGY Kathryn Bigelow, James Professional-level facilities, Newly appointed Dodge Dublin Students can pursue a BA in Mangold, Lisa Cholodenko and including three soundstages, College of Film and Media dean filmmaking or a BFA in cinema Kimberly Peirce are among the motion capture stages and Stephen Galloway aims to build The only institute of its kind in art and science at the school.