The main goal of the Film and Video Department is to teach students both the thematic and technical language of filmmaking. Students develop their own cinematic ideas through film productions, criticism and the active viewing and studying of films. Our aim is to create a student who embraces the aesthetic, technical and artistic qualities of the discipline. Students can start their artistic journey in filmmaking in middle school with classes highlighting critical studies and technical production. A favorite project in the Introduction to Filmmaking class is the green screen project where students magically insert themselves into popular films. Upper School offers the student a full panoply of classes and experiences, ranging from productions of music videos, machinima, avant garde, documentary and narratives. The analytical concepts of mise en scene are studied in World Cinema. The Film program culminates in Filmmaking IV with the creation of a 10-15 minute original, short feature. This project premieres in the spring in the Carlson Family Theater and then will be entered into the festival circuit.

Click here to view a sample of student films.