Current Student at Chapman's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

<p>WarehouseAtHome: I have attached Chapman’s website of the course overview and the class requirements you must have been looking somewhere else. As for the first two courses Introduction to Visual Storytelling and Introduction to Film Aesthetics are required by every incoming freshman and transfer students. In Visual Storytelling you will make six short films which have different requirements. 1st, is lost and found, 2nd is between the screens, 3rd is pursuit, 4th is a monologue 5th and 6th is setup conflict resolution. </p>

<p>Film aesthetic is basically a crash course overview of every film position and what they do and the course also teaches you how to analyze films. All the other classes focus on the business of film and what it takes to be a producer. I’m currently in Business of Television now and we’re learning all about the different networks and how they produce a show and make money. Location Filmmaking is a cool program that occurs every interterm where 6 short films get made. This program actually begins as a competition for the whole school. Anyone who has written a script that is between 16 to 20 pages is allowed to enter their script into the competition. It gets narrowed down to 12 scripts and from there anyone in the school is allowed to form a group of key members director, producer, cinematographer, editor and production designer. From there the individual groups chosen have to pitch their story along with their group to faculty and staff and hope you get picked up. I did this last year and it was a lot fun/stressful but our group got picked to film. The only classes in the program that are bad are the Film History classes especially the class up to 1945.</p>

<p>As for people riding their bikes everyone rides bikes. There actually aren’t enough bike racks at the film school, everyone has to cram together. </p>

<p>[B.F.A&lt;/a&gt;. Creative Producing - Dodge College of Film and Media Arts](<a href=“http://ftv.chapman.edu/programs/sodaro-pankey_undergraduate_school_of_media_arts/creative_producing/]B.F.A”>http://ftv.chapman.edu/programs/sodaro-pankey_undergraduate_school_of_media_arts/creative_producing/)</p>

<p>KaliKris: I actually don’t know that much about the screenwriting program. I have taken a couple classes and I have two friends in the program and it seems like they really like it. As for Final Cut Pro/Avid, Avid is still the industry standard, if you look at the credits of films in theaters usually Avid is the editing program. Avid is available for PCs and Macs so whatever you want to use you can. </p>

<p>As for studying abroad I know a few people who did do this. However, I do think being in film school does hinder you a little bit because you have to make films and for your senior year you have to complete your thesis which is a year long program. Everyone I know who did go abroad did it in there junior year. But if you would like more information Chapman can help you out and provide you with more information.</p>

<p>If you end up coming to Chapman there’s a lot of good professors but you want to stay as far away from screenwriting professor Anna Waterhouse look her up on Rate My Professor I hated her.</p>

<p>I forgot to mention that there’s some cool stuff going on at Chapman right now. Yesterday, the Dodge College announced that they are going to start producing full length movies. Here’s the article:[Chapman</a> Entertainment: Chapman University launching for-profit film production company - latimes.com](<a href=“http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-dodge-film-20110331,0,7460657.story]Chapman”>Chapman University creates film production company)</p>

<p>Also if you are interested in watching here’s a short film that I produced last year: [YouTube</a> - The Kneaded Hero](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>

<p>@Filmexec21 Thanks, your input is really useful.</p>

<p>great advice. so, any teachers you’ve had in your entire time there that you recommend getting?</p>

<p>hahaha nice video! thanks for sharing with us/updating us.</p>

<p>wait. everyone seems to like anna waterhouse on rate my professor a lot…???</p>

<p>Hi, I have a great personal story of survival and genocide in Cambodia. I am very interested in having someone to create a film out of it. It’s a very enlightening and humbling story. I have developed a script and storyboard. Please respond to <a href="mailto:h2o_mouse123@yahoo.com">h2o_mouse123@yahoo.com</a></p>

<p>Hi - thanks for taking the time to answer questions! My son still hasn’t heard from Dodge - his admission status still says “File complete, decision pending,” and an email today from admission says its at least another week until a decision will be made and mailed. Any insight into the delay? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Dodge is his first choice so this waiting is crazy making. Some friends are saying that a rejection would have come already but I don’t want to get caught up in wishful thinking.</p>

<p>KaliKris: I don’t know what happened it seems as if there’s a new thread for her because there used to be numerous pages of people complaining about her. What I didn’t like about Waterhouse was that she always repeated herself by saying “What’s wrong with this besides structure?” and she always complained about people’s “lack of research” on their stories even though people had done hours of research. Besides those two things the most annoying part about her to me is she doesn’t encourage students but instead discourages them. Before I took her class I was thinking about getting a minor in screenwriting and after her class I said never again am I taking another screenwriting class. </p>

<p>As for other professors I’ve heard the rest are all good. I had Tony Alosi for screenwriting fundamentals and really enjoyed him. I have also heard really good things about David Ward here’s his IMDB page. [David</a> S. Ward - IMDb](<a href=“http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911486/]David”>David S. Ward - IMDb) </p>

<p>oneonta82: I’m not sure about anything in admissions. I guess if you would like to see what the holdup is you can call Dodge.</p>

<p>@Filmexec21 Hmm that’s strange. But anyway, wow, that’s a huge turn-off. I wouldn’t want to have a teacher that spends more time discouraging students than encouraging them. thanks for all the advice!!</p>

<p>hi, so i’m going to apply for Dodge’s Film Production class. I have a pretty good chance getting into Chapman itself stats-wise, but I was wondering exactly how competitive is the Production program? Is it only competitive creatively? For example, will my stats get me in the door for Chapman, but not play a huge role in admission to the film school?</p>

<p>Also, i was wondering about the likelihood of scholarships. Does Chapman offer substantial amounts? How difficult is it to get merit aid? o__O Thanks in advance. (:</p>

<p>indigoxox: I do not know that much about the admissions process but I would say its a mixture of both. I for one had a low SAT score but my letters of recommendation and my creative portfolio made up for it.</p>

<p>As for financial aide I believe 85% somehow get compensation.</p>

<p>thanks! (:</p>

<p>hi I was accepted into chapman as undeclared and was wondering how difficult you think it would be to eventually make my major film productions at dodge? Do I have a better chance sense I am already accepted into the university? Do you know of anyone that has started chapman under another major and then changed it to film? If so did they get in the first time they applied or did they apply multiple times before getting in?
Thanks for the help</p>

<p>No, you would not have a better chance if you were already accepted to Chapman. In fact, it could be harder. When I went to an Dodge information session on Discover Chapman Day last year they said that anyone who enters Chapman undeclared would have a very difficult time getting in to Dodge, especially under film production, since they don’t want people doing that and highly discourage it. Anyone trying to do so would be held to the highest criteria and would have to be the best of the best among all applicants. That said, they didn’t say absolutely not to the idea…</p>

<p>kylwilson92: I’m not really sure if it would be easier or harder because I don’t know anyone who has gone that route. If you are undecided you can take some film classes but I’m not sure how many. I do have a friend who was a business major who transferred into the creative producing program though and he just tried once.</p>

<p>Hey, I’ve been accepted to Chapman for Film Production and reading all of this has made me very sure that this school was the right choice.</p>

<p>I do, though, have a few questions about how I can take classes.</p>

<p>First, as a Production major, is 18 Credits at once too much. 3 of those would be an Honors course, as I am in the Honors program. Do the standard “film” classes (editing I, screen writing fundamentals, intro to film aesthetics, etc.) have a lot of “studying?” Do you leave class and have to read and stuff, or, since they seem to be lab based classes, would taking that 18 credits not jam too much study time into my schedule? – Could you also take into account doing out-of-class film projects?</p>

<p>Also, I read on the undergraduate catalogs that acting classes are accessible only to Theatre Majors. Obviously Screen Acting Majors would be an exception, but could a production student take those classes?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Oh, also, are all the in-class student films that you make written by students? (I assume so.) If that is the case, do screen writing majors write them or can production majors write them then have a production role on top of that?</p>

<p>I’m in production but will have a side emphasis in writing and am very eager to do a lot of writing.</p>

<p>Hey Filmexec21, </p>

<p>i’m planning on applying to Chapman as a transfer for the advertising and P.R. major in Dodge college. My true passion is film, and I’m doing advertising because I need a “marketable” major for job security after graduation. I have been told you can’t double major in film production and advertising at the same time. Is this true?</p>

<p>Also, if you know something about the ad major, how is it? Is it interesting and worthwhile?</p>

<p>The students are preparing to take their finals, so for those of you who are waiting for the OP to reply may have to wait a bit. Based on what I know of the reason why they don’t allow you to double major within Dodge is because many of the courses are similar in nature. However, you can take certain subjects as a minor. Here is their link for their minor programs. [Minors</a> - Dodge College of Film and Media Arts](<a href=“http://ftv.chapman.edu/programs/sodaro-pankey_undergraduate_school_of_media_arts/minors/]Minors”>http://ftv.chapman.edu/programs/sodaro-pankey_undergraduate_school_of_media_arts/minors/)</p>

<p>manguy400: 18 credits is quite a lot plus doing your film projects. I’d recommended starting with 4 or 5 classes and add from there after your first semester. As for Film Aesthetics, screenwriting fundamentals and editing 1 it kind of depends. If you have been raised or submerged in film then you won’t have to read very much in film aesthetics, but there will be a midterm and a final and you will have to write papers. As for editing 1 that class is more project based and might have a few quizzes here and there and paper. As for screenwriting that class is 100% on your work.</p>

<p>As for courses in acting I’m not about that but Chapman does have a class in the film school called Acting for Non-Actors you might want to check that out.</p>

<p>As for writing that also depends some directors write their own material and some don’t. In Advanced Production which is for directors they are required to shoot a film that is written by someone else. There’s a script database that writers upload scripts that everyone can see.</p>

<p>that1guyy: I knew a couple people in the PR and AD major and from what I’ve heard everyone liked it. I really don’t know if they don’t allow you to double major in film and PR/AD I have a friend who was in Production major but dropped to screenwriting because he also was majoring Psychology and the school made him do that.</p>