The 40 Week Total Immersion Filmmaking Program is the destination for students who are ready to turn their aspirations into reality. The program provides a comprehensive foundation in all aspects of filmmaking. For ten intense months, students live, eat, and breathe filmmaking-in class and on the set. The hallmarks of the Total Immersion Program are intimate class size, personal attention, and a hands-on teaching approach. On completion, an internship is made available to students as the first step in their careers. At graduation, students have transformed their dreams and passion into a practical start to their career-an internship, a job in film or video, or a gig directing their first independent film. Film Institutes of America offers the 40 Week Total Immersion Filmmaking Program at the Carolina Film Institute and at  the Seattle Film Institute (founded 1994). If you have additional questions or would like a more detailed description of the curriculum, please contact the Carolina Film Institute at (800) 940-3546 or email us at: info@carolinafilminstitute.com

The Best Way to Learn Filmmaking is to Make Films

A film student peers through the Arriflex 16 mm camera.There's no better way to become a filmmaker than to make films. By the second week of the 40 Week Total Immersion Filmmaking program, students are shooting their first Super-8 film. To refine and develop their personal vision and filmmaking skills, each student completes seven individual projects-three on Super-8 film, four on HD video, and three group projects-one digital video, one on 16mm, and one on Super 16mm. With the group projects, crews rotate so each student has a different position and works with a different combination of people on every new project.

In this program students live, eat, and breathe filmmaking. You'll learn the creative & technical aspects of filmmaking, develop the skills to be an independent filmmaker, and gain the hands-on experience shooting real film and HD to work in the film industry. Once done, students can participate in our industry internship program. The 40 Week Full-time Filmmaking Program provides a comprehensive and integrated hands-on overview of the filmmaking process. Students are in class and hands-on labs for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week for 10 months. Each of the program's 4 classes - Elements of Filmmaking, Tools of Production, Film History, and Screenwriting - meets once every week. In addition, students also participate in Production Labs throughout the program.

Highlights

At the Carolina Film Institute, we emphasize both the technical and the creative aspects of the filmmaking craft.

Here are some features of the program:

• 16mm & Super-16mm Film Projects
• Digital Video Projects
• Scriptwriting
• Directing
• Casting and Working with Actors
• Cinematography
• Lighting
• Production Management
• Editing with Final Cut Pro
• Internships with Industry Professionals
• Portfolio Reel DVD
• Crew Specific Resume