Video Production Schools: Where to Study?

A thriving film business producing titles for major movie studios and independent producers continues to inspire young video enthusiasts to enroll in video production schools. The skills acquired while studying to work in the feature film market are also applicable to other smaller projects as well.

In major production centers like New York, there are several choices. The College of Westchester has an enrollment of about 1,000 students and is located in the suburb of White Plains which is about 45 minutes north of New York City. It offers courses in multimedia training, management and technology.

At the Katharine Gibbs School in Melville, New York, classes are limited in size which encourages one-on-one interaction with instructors. Students learn with state-of-the-art equipment, graduating from programs of visual communications, graphic design and digital film to name just a few.

The New York Film Academy is notable among video production schools as it presents workshops in a wide selection of areas including filmmaking, digital filmmaking, acting, producing, editing, music video, screenwriting, 3D animation, and movie camps. It also offers Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking. The institution has locations in Hollywood, Orlando, Miami, Cambridge and New York.

The Los Angeles Film School combines hands-on filmmaking with a state-of-the-art curriculum. The professional film makers teaching there have combined credits from movies such as Spider-Man, The Matrix, Blade Runner and Fight Club.

When considering various video production schools, students will be impressed by The Art Institutes’ 38 locations in 22 U.S states and 3 facilities in British Columbia, Canada. This organization is a leading educator in media, offering programs which vary by location including audio production, broadcasting, commercial photography, digital arts, digital film and video production, digital media production, digital photography and film.

Other schools offering cinematography and film/video production courses include Florida State University, California State University at Long Beach, Columbia College in Hollywood, Eastern New Mexico University, Eastern Washington University, the Massachusetts College of Art and Montana State University, among many others. With all these facilities to choose from, a student wishing to remain in a general geographical location has a chance to do so, providing acceptance in any chosen school.

Students considering video production schools may very well wonder about the work opportunities that such a completed course will present.

Someone specializing in video may still find work on a movie set that is shooting film stock. On many larger budget movie shoots, a video technician is employed to record and play back takes for the director, producers and cast to evaluate the performance and the captured take itself. Many graduates of these courses will seek employment in the movie production industry, while others will apply their craft to smaller markets. Areas that don’t have an established feature film or TV production community may still have companies producing corporate videos or shooting video of weddings or other social events. Completed courses at video production schools will support application for jobs with these organizations, too.

With the ongoing development of animation and film production techniques both in front of the camera and in the post production facilities, it is truly an exciting time to prepare for a rewarding career in video production.