College of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts

The Film School has a strong commitment to hiring experienced, working professionals who have both teaching skills and professional goals. The Film School's full-time faculty is comprised of working filmmakers with various specializations as writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, audio designers, production designers, and editors in both the theatrical and non-theatrical film and television industries, many of whom have won national and international awards and honors for their work. Some of these also have a strong record as research scholars and as writers of fiction. The faculty also includes visiting professors from the field of motion picture law, business, distribution, exhibition and promotion.

The Film School operates extensive production facilities for its graduate and undergraduate programs in the University Center "A" Building on The Florida State University campus in Tallahassee. Considered one of the finest facilities in the world devoted exclusively to film education, it includes two sound stages, a recording stage with Foley and ADR capabilities, a 120-seat screening theatre and three smaller screening rooms, three digital audio mixing suites, a computer laboratory, a set-building shop, a 35mm archive of feature films, a 5,000 title collection of films on videotape, DVD, and laserdisc, a large production research library, and digital editing suites for picture and sound. Production facilities are available for both 16mm and 35mm production.

The program leading to a master of fine arts has the following goals: to provide the creative and technical environment for professional specialization, to ground students in the history of each medium's theory and practice, and to prepare students for careers as artists, managers, producers, and craftspersons in the professional film and video production industries. The MFA program is a full-time (fall, spring, and summer), two-year course of study in motion picture screenwriting and production. Writing students will complete sixty-one (61) semester hours, and production students will complete ninety (90) semester hours of coursework. The curriculum focuses on the art, craft, and business of storytelling. The graduate program is designed and scheduled as a conservatory. It is meant to create a practicum setting in which individuals can work with accomplished professionals to hone their talents, develop a body of work, and sharpen their capacities to work in teams.

Admission to the College of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts graduate program is of limited access, with 24 production and 6 writing students admitted each year, making admission selective and competitive. Prospective students must make application to and meet the requirements of The Florida State University Graduate Admissions Office, and also must submit supporting application materials as described online at: http://film.fsu.edu/mfa. Required supporting materials include: a 500–1000 word statement of purpose describing their artistic work, creative influences, personal objectives, relevant background, and career goals, three (3) letters of recommendation, a professional/creative resume, in addition to transcripts and GRE scores required for the University application. As an option, production applicants may submit a sample of their best work (video, photographs, creative writing sample, etc.). Writing applicants must submit three (3) samples as specified supporting materials information page at:http://film.fsu.edu.

Students seeking degrees in certain majors, including film, assume any exposure to the particular hazards associated with that major. As protection for our students, The Film School requires that majors present proof of health and accident insurance (copy of policy showing the student as covered) prior to registration in the fall semester each year. Students are expected to maintain this insurance throughout their enrollment in The Film School. Registration will be administratively canceled at the end of the second week of classes for any students failing to provide proof of insurance.

A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded by the College of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts. Highly qualified students are nominated by the Film School for University-wide fellowships and minority fellowships. For more information regarding the availability of other sources of financial aid and potential scholarships, contact the Student Aid Resource Center at (850) 644-4840, or visit their Web site at http://www.finaid.fsu.edu.