Why Dodge College? Location, Firsthand experience, Digital access, Great resources, Producing faculty, Endless opportunities, A collaborative atmosphere, Room for creativity, Travel opportunities, Active networking, An invigorating environment, A complete curriculum.

Location

Where better to take the first steps into the amazing world of film and television than 30 miles from Hollywood? Chapman University, one of the top film schools in California, offers you a personalized experience in a hands-on production environment that is closely connected to the heart of the industry in Hollywood.

Firsthand experience

We believe students who truly love film want to explore every facet of the film industry. If you know you want to be a screenwriter or a director, great! At Chapman you can begin to put your ideas onto film from your very first semester. Torn between cinematography and editing? That’s OK—you’ll get the chance to try it all as you work on a wide variety of projects of your own and with friends and faculty through classes, internships, and independent projects.

Digital access

Chapman University has moved into the digital age even faster than many of those within the industry. Cutting edge technology today means non-linear editing. At Chapman you will have immediate access to over forty AVID workstations. What you learn here will position you to move right into the industry when you graduate.

Great resources

Chapman’s vast film, video, DVD, and laser disk library offers you the opportunity to study film in its many styles and endless variations over the years. And, you get the chance to interact with working artists through our Marion Knott Filmmaker-in-Residence program and our Entertainment Arts Forum, which bring industry professionals to campus to screen and talk about their work.

Producing faculty

The faculty at Chapman are working professionals as well as professors. They work on features, documentaries, news programs, and corporate videos. They publish articles and books and produce original scholarship. They write, direct, and produce. They’ve won Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes. They’ve been recognized at festivals from Sundance to Berlin. They have worked for the major Hollywood studios, networks and agencies, including Sony, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, NBC, ABC, CBS, CAA, and more. They know how to get things done from personal experience. And they’re ready and eager to share their experience with you, inside the classroom and out.

Endless opportunities

Chapman students are active producers. They take their cameras through Las Vegas casinos. They descend into caves in the wine country. They create futuristic worlds (inside our campus studios). They produce during the January Interterm session, over the summer, late at night, Saturdays and Sundays, you name it. So can you. All it takes is drive and imagination. Yours.

A collaborative atmosphere

Film school doesn’t have to be a cut-throat experience. It’s true. In some places, the competitive spirit gets out of hand, especially when there isn’t enough production space or equipment to go around or access to them is restricted. Our program is small enough and yet well-equipped enough that our students thrive in a friendly, collaborative atmosphere. When you hear the applause at the awards banquet screenings at the end of each year, you’ll know that Chapman students pull for each other to succeed—that’s a fact.

Room for creativity

From your very first class, you’ll be encouraged to experiment in film or to investigate new areas of film study. Faculty are committed to helping students explore their stories and their ideas while learning the fundamentals of film grammar and the language of film aesthetics. We want you to find your own voice as you develop your technical and critical confidence. Faculty and students develop close personal relationships. Faculty offer students their home phone numbers. Students often assist faculty on their professional projects.

Travel opportunities

Chapman’s emphasis on preparing students to be global citizens is reflected in our emphasis on teaching you about the worldwide filmmaking industry. Study abroad through Chapman’s unique program in Cannes. Work the Newport Beach International Film Festival. Visit Sundance over interterm. We’ll help you get to where things are happening.

Active networking

Chapman students are very much aware of the value of networking, through internships and among themselves as students and alumni. They share their resources and go out of their way to facilitate networking opportunities.

An invigorating environment

Located on a tranquil campus in the historic district of the city of Orange, Chapman University is a comprehensive, liberal arts-based university that is home to 3,400 students. Campus life offers a wide range of activities and social and cultural opportunities, which can enrich your filmmaking as well as give you plenty of other things to do when you need a change of pace.

A complete curriculum

Look over our requirements. See for yourself that our curriculum offers you the range as well as the depth you’ll need to succeed in this highly competitive industry. Because we believe storytelling is at the heart of our profession, screenwriting is the backbone of our program. But there are lots of opportunities for you to spread your technical wings too, and to try out computer animation, web publishing, and more.