MFA Program in Film and Video Production

Goals

The MFA in Film and Video Production aims to develop informed, enlightened artists whose practical production skills match their understanding of media history and theory, and are enriched by the student's interdisciplinary interests. Our MFA is designed to develop informed, enlightened artistry--you write, shoot, edit your films--while establishing a foundation in the theory and practice of film and video production. The MFA program is built from a committed community of humanistic filmmakers.

Curriculum

The Department offers a wide-ranging curriculum that combines three principal areas: 1) the intellectual study of media history and theory, 2) the practical development of media screenwriting and production, 3) the enrichment of the student's interdisciplinary interests. The program does not impose a formal agenda on a student's creative pursuits. We encourage students to explore a range of media forms: narrative, documentary, experimental, and animation. We guide our graduate students to formulate their own plan of creative work and research, and where necessary, to seek coursework outside the department that will support this plan. A co-curricular program that includes opportunities to participate in external film and video productions, internships, and the Carolina Film and Video Festival matches the curricular offerings. The Festival is a competitive showcase for both student and professional, national and international independent films and videos.

The two-year, 48 credit hour program currently admits an incoming class every other year in the Fall of even numbered years. Admission to the MFA is competitive, and traditional measures like the GRE scores are only partial predictors for the successful filmmaker. Consequently, we place equal weight in the admissions process on a portfolio consisting of a personal statement, a resume, samples of creative video work, and face-to-face interviews with candidates. We seek students from diverse backgrounds, and actively work to admit qualified international students. The hallmark of our MFA program has been an ongoing effort to building a community of filmmakers who share in each others' talents and strengths. Beginning in 1997, the Media Studies faculty revised the MFA program to a smaller, more efficient, tightly focused program of high quality. This focused program has been very successful with a high graduation rate, creating a community of learners from a wide diversity of states and many foreign countries (including students from Germany, India, Korea, Romania, and Taiwan)

Faculty

The Department's faculty is composed of talented artists and scholars with excellent reputations as teachers. Several of our faculty are active documentary filmmakers working in a range of non-fiction genres. The faculty has consistently published award-winning and nationally recognized books and peer-reviewed articles appearing in leading media and legal studies journals. Specific awards won by faculty members in the past five years include: a Guggenheim Fellowship for film making; Outstanding Book in Political Communication; thirty film festival awards; eight screenplay awards; and five top papers from professional academic organizations. American Cinematographer has rated UNCG's program among the top 10 film schools in the United States, along with programs such as The American Film Institute, University of Southern California, NYU and University of California at Los Angeles.

After Graduation

There is ample evidence that graduates from the MFA in Film and Video are sought after by employers. Traditionally, MFA students have found employment as both professional practitioners and as educators. All twelve of the class of 2008 found meaningful employment:
Seven students were hired at the university level, six as tenure track Assistant Professors and one as an instructor. The graduates teach video production at Texas A&M, University of North Alabama, St. Augustine's College, Bowling Green State University, and Elon University.
Two students are employed by broadcasters, a PBS station in New York state, and a local Chinese TV station in Los Angeles (IAVC).
Three students currently employed as in multimedia instructional design, free lance videography and editing. In addtion, an MFA student won a Javits Fellowship in 2007 that covered tuition plus $14,000 in living expenses. MFA graduates from previous classes have continued to be productive with awards this past year of a $10,000 NC Artist Fellowship 2010, and a feature film that was shown at South by Southwest and gained national theatrical distribution.

Past students are working in the following positions

Director of Photography for the Jimmy Kimmel Show (http://www.berndreinhardt.com/)
Director of Photography based in Charlotte, NC ( http://www.burningeyefilms.com/)
Director of Photography based in Los Angeles (http://www.jklcinematography.com/)
Documentary director in Portland, OR (www.hoodtocoastmovie.com/tickets.html)
Freelance lighting director in New York City
Investigative Editor at KNXV-TV
Television producer at Arkansas Educational Television (AETN)
Senior Director of Video at the Humane Society of the United States
Video grapher in a university media center
Streaming media specialist in a university IT center
Production manager in New York on films such as http://opusjazz.com/
Producer for an independent media production house http://debrasea.com/films/

Creative Activity for the Class of 2011

The primary venue for MFA creative work is film festival distribution. Not counting their thesis films completed April, 2011, students from the class of 2011 have already won numerous awards in festivals and competitions, including a finalist for the 2010 Student Academy Awards (ahttp://www.uncg.edu/ure/news/stories/2010/may/adacemyaward051010.htm), Best Experimental Film and a Director's Prize at Black Maria Film Festival, Best Student Film at Indie Grits Film Festival, Best Feature Comedy, DIY Film Festival (Hollywood, CA), Honorable Mention at the Columbus International Film Festival, Finalist Selection for Screenplay Competition at The Ivy Film Festival, and screenings at Ann Arbor Film Festival, South Dakota Film Festival, Reynolda Film Festival, RiverRun, Athens International Film Festival, Cucalorus Film Festival, Asheville Film Festival, Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival, OUTrageous Santa Barbara, LGBTQ Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, at Big Muddy Film Festival, Boston Underground Film Festival, Anchorage Film Festival, and the Cincinnati Film Festival. In Spring, 2011 one of our MFA students won a coveted Carole Fielding Production grant for her thesis film from the University Film and Video Association, a leading academic association in the field.

The MFA is also an academic credential so the program is grounded in theory, history, and criticism as a basis for developing production skills. We normally admit fifteen to twenty students every other year in the Fall of even numbered years. Here's what our students say about the MFA program:

"My primary goal is to make films. It's a true passion--I've wanted to do this my whole life. I like the all encompassing curriculum here, and I liked North Carolina, and it looked like a creative atmosphere. . .The faculty are active filmmakers."

"I wondered how I could take my passion for film and apply it to a career path? I felt like the program was more like art school, teaching us how to be authors of our own personal films. As opposed to being molded into work horse, technical experts whose goal is to work in the industry."

"The cost of the program is hands down better that anywhere else in the country. I also felt like people here wanted me to come, as opposesd to some schools that accepted me, then asked for a tuition deposit."

"They told me up front that this is not USC, but that they build a small community of filmmakers with each entering class."

"Most places I have tried to learn film making were limited both in mentors and in equipment. Here, I have access to both, and the standards are high."

Why Study Filmmaking at UNCG?

Small program with quality teaching
Emphasis in documentary filmmaking
Competitive teaching assistantships
Shoot film, HD, and DV
A community of artists in a livable city

We develop the well rounded film artist: you learn writing, producing, shooting, editing, lighting, and sound. Films produced by MFA students at UNCG have won the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences College Awards, the CINE Golden Eagle, and the Dore Schary Award and numerous regional, national, and international film festivals awards.

The program requires the completion of forty eight hours, usually completed within four semesters (two years). Applicants submit GRE scores, undergraduate transcripts, a goals statement, and a sample reel of 5-10 minutes for review for admission to the program. Students from any discipline with a strong academic record and evidence of a good visual sense can be admitted with the understanding that they will take such prerequisite work as is deemed necessary. For a complete outline of admission criteria, degree requirements, and curriculum, please see our MFA Degree page.

How to Contact Us

For application materials:

The Graduate School - http://www.uncg.edu/grs/

Program Specific Questions:

Dr. Michael Frierson frierson@uncg.edu (336)-334-5360
Department of Media Studies
205 Brown Building
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do you admit students every Fall?

We only admit students ever other year in the Fall of even numbered years. Review of the applications for the class entering in the Fall of even numbered years begins on January 15th of that year and continues until the class is filled.
Is there a minimum GRE score for admission?

We do not have a fixed minimum score for the GRE--we look at your total package: your GRE scores, your undergraduate GPA, your reel. But in general, the verbal GRE score is the most important element we look at from the GRE. We do not currently have a minimum GRE or TOEFL score for admission.
When do I take the GRE?

The sooner, the better. We need your scores no later than January 15.
What's the deadline for completing my application to the MFA in Film and Video Production?

The Department's deadline for complete applications is mid January of the even numbered years that we admit students.
Do I need an undergraduate major in the field of film or video?

Often students admitted to the MFA have an undergraduate major in mass media, media studies, media arts or a related discipline. Often students come in with practical experience in the field. Students without appropriate undergraduate or experiential preparation, but who show strong academic and creative promise can apply for admission to the program. Such applicants are frequently admitted but are expected to satisfactorily complete prerequisites in order provide the foundation for their graduate study.
How many students are admitted?

We are a small program. We ordinarily admit fifteen to twenty students every even numbered year.
How do I apply for a scholarship or fellowship?

Every applicant is automatically considered for the available scholarships and fellowships.

Program Specific Admission Materials:

For the MFA in Film and Video, you need to upload additional materials with the electronic application and send a reel directly to the Department of Media Studies:

Personal Statement.(Upload with electronic application.)

In this essay you are asked to engage in a self assessment of your creative abilities. The document--no more than two typed pages--should discuss the general artistic skills that you feel you possess and do not possess. The personal statement should refer to the examples included in your reel that demonstrate specific strengths and weaknesses. You should also cover a brief history of your background experience and a statement of how graduate school fits into your long term professional goals.
Resume (Upload with electronic application.)
Reel (Send to the departmental address below.)

A single film, or a selection of scenes from work that you played a major creative role in: writer, director, producer, camera, editor. The film(s) can be in any genre: documentary, drama, animation, experimental. Please indicate your role using titles or on an enclosed memo. DVD, VHS or DV format.

Send your reel under a separate cover to:

Dr. Michael Frierson
201 Brown Building, UNCG
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
Office: 336-334-3768
Departmental Office: 336-334-5360
Fax: 336-334-5039