Capilano University

Kathy Current Student, 30-Apr-2007
A fantastic program to learn each aspect of the industry. Plus the teachers are amazing and always want feedback and support you. The classes are fun, and its a lot of work but its generally really worth it. I totally recommend this school!

Tom Lawson Former Student, 02-Feb-2005
This school has it all. There is a full-time film studies track, as well as specific tracks, such as: set dresser, lighting tech, grip, cinematography, and even script supervisor. For the full-time track, they have conveniently broken the stages of development into four years of school. The citations are as follows: Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Degree. Year one covers everything in small doses. It's not about what you produce, but how (and if) you manage to get something done. Year two starts getting into the "above the line" jobs, i.e., writing, producing, directing. Years three and four just bring the first two years together and that is where "calling cards" will start to appear. (Let's just say that you won't be taking your work from the first two years to Sundance). I attended for one year and now I am working as a production assistant in Vancouver's busy film industry. The school provides a lot of volunteer opportunities when you graduate, and those opportunities lead to paying jobs. Anyone can be a production assistant, though, and you don't need film school to be one, but Capilano has successfully created a replica of how real movie crews work. I was definitely prepared for what was ahead. I knew what everyone's job was because I may have done their job during school! At one point we even had a budget and shot on location! ($500 was the budget and most of it went to food.) Anytime I'm working on a set I always compare it to my film school experience, and time and again I can't see much difference. After all, everyone in film school wants to be the director and that doesn't change when they all get on real sets. Cap has a great program for the tuition, required orientation courses for the unions and guilds, and a variety of extension courses in their Continuing Education section. Check the website!