Learning Filmmaking in Hollywood’s Back Yard
Filmmaking student Jerry Sun felt like a member of the Paramount Studios team.
“I had the opportunity to interact with Hollywood executives on a daily basis,” he said. “I also got a chance to read scripts that were being pitched to the studio.”
Sun was one of more than two dozen filmmaking students at Woodbury who earned credit—and invaluable real-world experience—at internships each year. And for students of filmmaking, being located within minutes of a variety of major film and television studios has its distinct advantages.
Sun, like three other Woodbury students last year, interned at Paramount Studios. In recent years, Woodbury students have done internships at Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, CBS, the DreamWorks subsidiary Awesomeness TV, Flynn Picture Company, Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla, the Pasadena International Film Festival, and beyond.
“When students study filmmaking, they receive a strong foundation in the history and academic basis of film,” said George Larkin, chair of the Filmmaking Program at Woodbury. “They also gain the practical experience that they need in order to work with filmmaking equipment and as a member of a filmmaking team.”
Filmmaking students study directing, cinematography, writing, producing, law, and editing. They study films in the screening room, shoot on the soundstage and around campus, and edit productions. Faculty nurture their creativity and help them learn how to bring their storytelling vision to life.
“But beyond these important foundational skills,” Larkin said. “Is the critical need for film students to gain real-world experience in the industry. And what better place is there to gain experience in film than in the heart of the industry in Southern California?”
Practical experience for students is something that Woodbury takes very seriously. In fact, each of Woodbury’s undergraduate programs requires that students do an internship.
For students in the Filmmaking Program, this requirement is particularly critical. Last year, 30 of Filmmaking student received credits for their work at internships.
“This kind of practical experience for our students, as well as the connections that they make in the industry as part of the process, is unmatched,” Larkin said. “It helps us turn our Filmmaking students into professionals in the industry.”