Hi, I’m a junior in high school planning to apply to USC’s School of Cinematic Arts this fall. I am trying to choose between the Cinema and Media Studies program or the Film and Television Production program, and had a few questions about the school and its programs.
I've heard that the Cinema Studies is less emphasized, and sometimes even seen as just for people who didn't get into the Production program. Is this true? How much can you actually get out of the Cinema Studies program?
Almost everything I've seen online says the video option is better for the visual sample, but I'd seen one interview with a SCA admissions person who said he actually prefers the photo option. Is this preference rare for admissions officers, and am I definitely better off with the video option?
Are there any people who have disability accommodations who might be willing to share about their experience in SCA and how accommodating the school was/wasn't?
There are also a # of overview videos about SCA on YouTube.
The Cinema and Media Studies program is clearly more broadly scoped and features critical studies & scholarly analysis to a greater degree. But it does still offer the flexibility to take production coursework to supplement your education. The Film and Television Production program is by its design a very regimented BFA program with specific production coursework designed for greater specialization on a pre-professional track of your choosing. Many choose Cinema and Media Studies as their first choice and many also view it as a fall-back. They do accept many more into CMS vs Production. All SCA programs are highly competitive… with admit rates in the range of 2-11% or so, depending on the program.
While clearly some get in using the photo option, most submit videos as I understand it. I would recommend leaning toward whichever you may excel at or feel more comfortable with. All of the supplements are likely important, including your writing samples. What they are really looking for is creative expression and an unique voice or point of view.
I recommend reading through this thread to gain greater insights…
Current Cinema and Media Studies major here (though I’m one of those people who still calls it Critical Studies)! I actually never even applied to Production and was never interested, but there are definitely many people who are only in it so they can transfer into production. Honestly, though, it’s kind of frowned upon, so I wouldn’t advertise it if you were going to do that.
Production is great if you want to do technical stuff, like become an editor, a grip, an AD or even a production designer (though they only have one production design class). However, it’s very structured, and there’s a bunch of production classes that you need to take, in a specific order (285, 290, 294/295, 310, 385(??), 480). This makes your schedule pretty fixed. Thesis classes (310 and 480), in which you work in groups to create a thesis film, or in the case of 310, three films also pretty much take up your entire semester. You can then supplement these classes with practicums in sound, editing, producing, PD, cinematography, TV production etc. So like I said, it’s super technical, but if you’re into that, go for it. They accept 54 freshmen each year, and then later accept up to 54 spring admits and transfers combined, so that they’ll get another full cohort by junior year (they need a full cohort for 310, since there’s three sections and people work in trios).
Crit Studies is a lot more flexible, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy/useless major. Tbh, I’m lowkey offended when people assume I’m just a Production reject, or when they ask if I want to transfer to Production. I LOVE my major, I’ve learned SO MUCH about cinema (both theory and the industry), and I could specialize my upper division electives to focus on the area of film I’m interested in researching. Also, since my major is 48 units, I had space to fit in two minors, including Screenwriting, which is the field I want to go into. So essentially, I could take all the relevant screenwriting classes through my minor, and still learn all about film and what makes it great, and research as well. So I feel like by being a Crit Studies major, I can focus more on what I want to do than I could in Production.
Go with what you feel comfortable with. A lot more people did the photo option than you think, it’s just that those are harder to post/find online, so you don’t see them around. I know someone who got one of the big merit scholarships, and she did the photo option as well. You really wouldn’t be at a disadvantage with either.
I don’t have a personal experience, but have a look at the DSP website. I believe DSP oversees all of USC and there’s nothing specific to SCA in it. I do know that a lot of SCA classes, especially lectures, send out note-taker requests when there’s someone with disability accommodations in the class, and I know that if you need longer time to take an exam, TAs will arrange that if you let them know in advance (they will make an announcement).
Thank you both so much for your replies. It’s really helpful to hear more information from knowledgeable people about the SCA programs and applications.
Regarding the disability accommodations, I’ve looked at the DSP website some, but I’ve always found it helpful to hear from people with experience dealing with these schools about their personal experiences, so if anyone has any more info or personal experience with the issue, at USC in general but also in SCA, that would be great
@drumminggeek87 , the DSP is just okay, to be honest. They are well-meaning, but it’s up to the student to self-advocate, fill out forms and submit them to all your professors, and arrange for extended time exams, if that’s an accommodation you require. In theory, each of your classes should have a note-taker (if that’s one of your accommodations), but that can be great or not-so-great depending on each particular volunteer student and how dependably they post their notes. Profs for GE reqs tend to be more up-do-date on these issues vs. SCA profs, but everyone is on your side so it’s just a matter of being on top of it all yourself. For example, your testing needs to be very current, your application for DSP needs to include several documents, and you will be fine if you stay ahead of the reqs. OTOH, if one of your disabilities is poor executive functioning, this sort of organization and pre-planning may be a bit challenging.
@madbean , thanks for the reply and your honest assessment of the situation at USC. It’s unfortunate that the DSP isn’t great, but it’s good to know that the professors are mostly good and on your side.
@LayraSparks hi! i recently saw that you’re a critical studies major at usc, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. could you please send me a dm? thanks so much!
@drumminggeek87 Unless you are referring to the overall USC merit scholarships, which will be announced next week, the SCA specific scholarships will like be late March to early April.
Also, in terms of CAMS vs. Critical Studies – there are some people (current seniors) who do call it critical studies, especially because we could decide which name to put on our diplomas. I chose to stick with Critical Studies, so technically I AM still a Critical Studies major. If I really have to, I’ll call it Cinema Studies, but I’m not a fan of the “Media” part haha.
