Whether you want to become a filmmaker, an actor, set designer and other related fields in film production, we got you covered with up-to-date information on california institute of the arts, los angeles film school and the best film schools in the world.

The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private university located in Valencia, California (USA), offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in visual art, music, dance, theatre and writing. It was founded in 1961 by Walt Disney who wanted to create an artistically integrated learning environment for creative minds. In the years since its opening it has produced many famous alumni including Tim Burton, John Lasseter (Pixar), James Turrell (artist), Tony Kushner (playwright), Chris Buck (Disney animator), Seth MacFarlane (voice actor), Don Bluth (animator), John Kricfalusi (animator/creator of Ren & Stimpy), Craig McCracken (storyboard artist/creator of Powerpuff Girls) and Jhonen Vasquez (creator of Johnny The Homicidal Maniac). The school offers bachelor’s degrees in Fine Art as well as BFA degrees in Animation, Character Animation & Visual Development; Computer Arts; Digital Design & Computer

About USC Film School Alumni

The USC estimated Cost of Attendance is an average figure used to determine your financial aid eligibility. It includes average amounts for standard expenses—including tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, board and other living expenses for two semesters of study.

Keep in mind that your actual costs may differ. Additionally, estimated budgets for students in some majors may be higher because of special laboratory or studio supply fees, or other additional costs incurred by all students in the program. Tuition is charged at the same rate for both in-state and out-of-state residents.

2020-2021 Estimate of Cost of Attendance

On/Off Campus With Parents or Relatives
Tuition (12-18 units for two semesters) $59,260 $59,260
Fees $1,015 $1,015
Housing $9,327 $0
Dining/meals $6,110 $1,812
Books and supplies $1,200 $1,200
Personal and miscellaneous $1,598 $1,598
Transportation $553 $1,920
Total** $79,063 $66,805
**Add $450 New Student Fee for your first semester.

You may find additional information about the Estimated Cost of Attendance and the financial aid process and opportunities on the Office of Financial Aid’s website.

Graduate Student Tuition
Tuition and Fees: 2020-2021 Academic Year

New Graduate Students
The numbers below represent an approximate cost of tuition and fees for the first year of each graduate program. Each program requires a specific unit count. Therefore, the costs between programs vary.

The 2020-2021 tuition cost for the School of Cinematic Arts is $2,122 per unit. USC’s estimated cost for mandatory fees for 2020-2021 is $2,463 for full or half-time students.

The numbers below provide a guideline for prospective students to develop their budget to cover the cost of attendance at SCA. Although we have done our best to provide the most accurate numbers possible, it is an estimated cost and may vary depending on class or university fees.

For more information visit the USC Tuition and Fees website.

Tuition and Fees
First-Year Graduate Students*
2020 – 2021 Academic Year (Fall & Spring Semesters)

Program First-Year Units First-Year Tuition and Fees
Animation & Digital Arts, MFA: 22 $49,147
Cinema & Media Studies, MA: 18 $40,659
Film & Television Production, MFA: 16 $36,415
Interactive Media, MFA 20 $44,903
Cinematic Arts (Media Arts, Games and Health), MFA: 18 $40,659
Peter Stark Producing Program, MFA: 24 $53,391
Writing for Film & Television, MFA: 22 $49,147
In addition to tuition and fees, students should plan for additional monies to cover their living expenses, i.e. room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous costs.

These numbers vary widely depending on each student’s living situation and lifestyle. The university has calculated that graduate students can spend as much as $24,460 on living expenses per year. Many SCA students spend much less than what the university budgets.

For more information about the university calculations visit the Graduate Financial Aid website.

International students will be required to provide proof of the ability to pay tuition and living expenses for the first academic year prior to admission. For more information visit the Financial Documentation website.

*Tuition costs for the first-year may vary based on elective courses taken. Tuition costs for the second and third years may vary based on the number of units the program requires and the student elects to take. To find out more to learn about program requirements for the second and third years, see the USC Catalogue.

Each year our Summer Program welcomes students from all over the world. International students may apply for and study in courses covering multiple aspects of filmmaking and the entertainment industry from one of the most prolific film schools in the United States.

Below are a few pertinent items regarding our Summer Program International Students.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
VISA
APPLICATION
CLASSES
TUITION
FINANCIAL AID
HOUSING
HEALTH SERVICES
MEAL OPTIONS
STUDENT ORIENTATION
NON-CLASS ACTIVITIES
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SUMMER PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
A strong command of idiomatic, conversational English is essential, and thus an important factor in acceptance. Most information is provided to students via lecture.

TOEFL/IELTS SCORES
International students are required to submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) unless their first language is English or they have a degree from a college or university in an English-speaking country.

Average TOEFL Score: 95
Average IELTS Score: 7
USC’s institution code for TOEFL Registration is 4852. No Department Code.
These scores may not be more than two years old at the time of application.

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic if students are not able to take the TOEFL/IELTS in time, please contact us at summer@cinema.usc.edu for other options.

VISAS
As the entire SCA Summer Program has gone online, the visa requirements have changed.
Please look below for the specific changes.

STUDENTS LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE USA

If you are an international student who will be living outside of the USA for the duration of the SCA Summer Program, you do not have to get an F1 visa to study with us online.

STUDENTS WITH VALID VISAS LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE USA

If you are an international student who has a valid visa to study within the USA, but is not going to be in the US for the duration of the SCA Summer Program, you do not have to submit any paperwork to study with us online.

STUDENTS WITH VALID VISAS LIVING WITHIN THE USA

If you are an international student who has a valid visa to study within the USA and is going to be living in the US for the duration of the SCA Summer Program, there are specific requirements and documents that need to be turned in to our program before being allowed to study with us online.

Instructions about the requirements and documents will be given out if accepted and registered into the program.

VALID VISAS

F1
J1
O1
O2
E2
L4
Green Card/Permanent Resident Card
B1/B2, ESTA, and any other tourist visas are not accepted to study within our program.

If you have any questions about valid visas or the visa process in general, please email us at summer@cinema.usc.edu

APPLICATION
Summer Program applications opens on November 1 for the next summer. Once you select the course(s) you wish to apply for, the website will automatically move you in to the application section.

ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION

The SCA Summer Program has a rolling admission and notifications are sent out in the following manner:

If the application was submitted between November 1 and December 31, notifications will be sent out starting the second week of January once the university is back in session.
If the application was submitted January 1 and on, notifications will be sent out approximately 2 weeks after the day of submittal.
For more detailed information about the application please visit the Online Application page.

Important Date(s) for SUMMER 2021:
Application Opens: November 1
Application Deadline: June 18
Information for Minor (under 18 years old) please visit the Information for Minors page.

CLASSES
The USC School of Cinematics Summer Program offers classes in many different aspects of filmmaking, such as:

Filmmaking
Screenwriting
Computer Graphics
Animation
Gaming
Film & Television Business
All classes are:

For full college credit
2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 credit units
Graded with a Letter grade
Provided with the same facilities and equipment used during the regular school year by full time SCA students.
The majority of our classes are taught by regular faculty members from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, who are also leading industry professionals.

For more details on the classes we offer, please go to the Classes page.

USC Film School Acceptance Rate

The University determines tuition and it is based on the number of units in your desired class. Summer 2021 tuition at USC is $1,995.00 (USD) per unit. To determine your base tuition cost, multiply the collective number of units from your course(s) selection by the USC tuition value.

For example, a two-unit class would be $3,990.00 (USD) for tuition only.

2 units x $1,995.00 = $3,990.00
4 units x $1,995.00 = $7,980.00
6 units x $1,995.00 = $11,970.00
8 units x $1,995.00 = $15,960.00

• Please note that this amount does not include all mandatory/optional fees.

If accepted into the program, a full tuition calculation worksheet will be sent.

At the beginning of each online detailed class description you will find the number of units for each class as well as the dates, days and times it meets.

FINANCIAL AID
The SCA Summer Program does not offer financial aid to non-USC students. However, outside loans, scholarships, and other institution’s financial aid may be applied towards the program.

HOUSING
Housing is unavailable this summer due to safety concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.

HEALTH SERVICES
The USC Engemann Student Health Center services are unavailable this summer due to safety concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.

MEAL OPTIONS
Meal plans are not available this summer.

STUDENT ORIENTATION
Orientation is mandatory for all accepted students. Orientation usually lasts about 2 hours and is only for Summer Program students.

Date: Sunday, June 27, 2021
Time: 2:00 pm.
*Dates and times are subject to change.

NON-CLASS ACTIVITES
ACTIVITIES AND SPECIAL SEMINARS

Special events with industry guests via Zoom
Special workshops and seminars via Zoom
Please visit the School of Cinematic Art Events website at https://cinema.usc.edu/events/index.cfm for more details.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SCA COMMUNITY
Upon acceptance into the Summer Program, more detailed information will be given with directions on how to set up the student’s SCA Community intranet. SCA Community is an online student resource that contains detailed information about the Summer Program policies, rules, documents, and other valuable resources.

SUMMER PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION
For more information please email the office at summer@cinema.usc.edu

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in the summer!

Production students at the top cinema arts institution in the U.S. face a dilemma: take a leave of absence for the fall or dive into the limited virtual offerings while paying full freight, $59,260.
On July 1, as COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles began to surge to their highest numbers since the city issued stay-at-home orders in March, the University of Southern California (USC) alerted its students that all fall undergraduate classes would move online. Days later, on July 6, the administration at the university’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) echoed the order, informing its physical production students that fall production classes, save for one graduate level course, would move online.

While the moves weren’t unexpected given the pandemic, production students at SCA now face a dilemma: take a leave of absence for the semester and hope for a future semester’s return to the school’s “hands-on” approach, or dive into the what students describe as an unclear and limited virtual curriculum that could put less wealthy students at a disadvantage. All the while paying full freight in tuition — $59,260 for an undergraduate academic year. Classes begin Aug. 17.

“We are essentially being asked to pay full tuition to make a home movie,” says a junior at SCA, when describing a class overview for the fall that asks students to use their own equipment to make a project remotely. (If students don’t own a camera, faculty suggestions include using smartphone cameras.)

The Hollywood Reporter spoke to over two dozen currently enrolled SCA students, both undergraduate and graduate, that are now grappling with how to resume their education. Some upper-level graduate students have the flexibility to only take electives in the fall, avoiding production all together. Other undergrad and graduate students are contemplating taking a leave of absence, despite the administration’s advice to continue and the difficult reentry in to the school’s production track. As one graduate student surmises, “students feel held hostage by the prestige of the school.”

SCA, ranked No. 1 on THR’s list of Top American Film Schools in 2019, sits at the cross-section of two of the industries upended by the novel coronavirus pandemic: higher education and entertainment. Students normally would have access to a resources that include 10 working soundstages, industry-standard postproduction editing lab, sound mixing stages, a color correction suite, as well as a small armada of cameras, lighting and sound equipment that is used to outfit each student production. “Part of the film school and the SCA experience is that you’re promised that when you enter the school you’re going to graduate with tangible films that you can send to potential employers,” says senior Cameron Kostopoulos.

Upper-level undergraduate and graduate production courses, the ones that yield finished short films, come after curriculum in film theory and individual crafts, like cinematography and editing. While the majority of these student films end up being only an educational exercise — the first time many of the students have been running something resembling a working set — there is often a hope that the short films could act as a springboard for playing in film festivals, acting as a proof of concept for a feature or, in some cases, earning the talent behind them representation. (2020 graduate of the film program, Felipe Vargas, directed a horror-tinged thesis film, Milk Teeth, which caught the attention of CAA, where he is now a client.)

When the pandemic hit the U.S., students recognized early on that their education could be impacted beyond the spring semester. On April 21, a Change.org petition was being circulated asking to put a pause on the school’s production track. The petition argued that the best way to preserve students’ educational experience at SCA would be to place production classes entirely on hold. “It is a disservice to our family of student filmmakers to charge them tuition and other added fees when so much of the education [at] SCA is hands-on,” reads the petition, started by soon-to-be senior Gerardo Garcia, who then met with the then SCA Film and TV production chair Mike Fink to discuss why a pause was not possible.

On June 22, an email was sent to all disciplines in SCA from Dean Elizabeth M. Daley and the chairs of each department outlining what the largely online upcoming semester would look like. For production students, the email explained, the “preproduction phase will be largely online, then students will move to in-person instruction for working with actors and crew, and principal photography.”

Then came the July 6 email, signed by Daley and Barnet Kellman, the interim chair, SCA Film & Television Production. “Given the current increasing trajectory of the virus, we have come to realize that we cannot guarantee in-person experiences, however much we wish to do so,” wrote administrators. As for pausing production classes, the email argued, that “is not possible.” It also warned students who choose take a leave of absence that they “cannot be guaranteed placement in these courses in future semesters,” despite these courses being necessary to graduate from SCA.

Students felt they were now left with a choice between graduating on time or graduating with the professional portfolio pieces that are the program’s main draw. On July 9, all production students received an email from Kellman saying that two graduate-level film production courses and two senior thesis production courses, would be “hybrid offerings.” Kellman wrote, “These courses will offer in-person production experiences, in accordance with the state of California’s regulations covering academic institutions.”

Students were able to voice their concerns directly to the administration in an open forum on July 14, during a video conference call with Dean Daley, Kellman and assistant chair of the production division Cedric Berry. According to students in attendance, the majority of the two-hour meeting was focused on contextualizing and explaining why several decisions had been made, so students could understand the limits of SCA administration’s power, both within the larger school and in terms of state and federal laws and regulations. “We’re working as fast as we can during a crisis,” Kellman told the students at the start of the meeting, later addressing the rigidity of the program by saying “COVID-19 is not us being inflexible.”

Yet, in the students’ view, some of the explanations the administration provided seemed to contradict what they had been told before the pandemic hit. “They’ve always told us how important these films are and how we need these reels to enter the industry,” says Lana Nguyen, a senior who was set to direct a 480 thesis film in the fall. When a question about graduating with a lack of materials for their professional reels was posed to the administration, Dean Daley is said to have offered: “Why you get hired is because of who taught you.”

Elizabeth M. Daley USC – H – 2020
Getty
USC School of Cinematic Arts Dean Elizabeth M. Daley, pictured in 2011, says of the limitations of returning to classes virtually in the fall: “The danger is — and we all do it — is we spend the time thinking about what we don’t have and what we can’t get.”
Speaking with THR, Dean Daley explains, “What we did not want to do was give them definitive answers that we couldn’t guarantee were true.” The dean notes that behind the scenes, administration and faculty has spent months drafting numerous outlines for a variety of fall curricula — whether they be in-person, hybrid or completely virtual — all the while consulting with the school’s board, health officials and industry professionals. At the time of publishing, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released a draft of guidelines for the reopening local colleges and universities, but they are contingent on California Department of Public Health guidances for reopening academic institutions, which have yet to be issued. Under the current state guidelines, which were issued in March, institutions of higher education in the state are not yet permitted to open. Despite efforts to be classified otherwise, SCA— like other LA-based film programs— is considered an academic institution.

When USC announced a complete move online, they had to adjust again according to the larger university’s orders. Curricula that usually take years to solidify had to be constructed in weeks by faculty working during summer break, which is traditionally spent on personal projects. “We have done absolutely nothing but pivot and make contingency plans since March.”

Both graduate and undergraduate students who spoke with THR say that a misconception the administration seems to have is that students have a desire to be on set. “It really seems like faculty and administration think that the students want to have productions in the fall,” says Garcia. “That isn’t the case at all. We actually would prefer not to have any productions in the fall because it just isn’t safe.”

Still, faculty and administration are monitoring state and local department of public health guidelines in the event that SCA could possibly resume some form of in-person shooting on student films. “If we could get to come back anytime in late September or October, we could still do some in-person production,” Daley says, noting that this would likely only pertain to graduate-level thesis courses. SCA has acquired “many, many” masks, says the dean, that would be used by students, and has hired a “COVID monitor” for student productions. The masks are currently sitting in storage and, Daley notes, the COVID monitor may not be used, but “we’ve got to have one.”

The day after the July 14 meeting, the junior students in course 310 met with their faculty members and were sent a class overview, the first concrete production course outline. Undergraduates look forward to these 310 films, where they are placed in trios and rotate between roles like director, producer and cinematographer, ending the semester having worked on three completed short films. This fall, all junior thesis films will be made virtually, with the trios serving their functions over Zoom or FaceTime. During the meeting, faculty also conveyed that SCA will not provide equipment to 310 students. Second-semester graduate class 508 will operate under similar guidelines, as students learned from faculty on July 16.

As outlined in an emailed document sent to students on July 29, the 480 class, SCA’s senior thesis film course, will allow the four thesis groups to decide whether they want to produce their scripts — which were selected in the spring semester — virtually from start to finish, or only focus on preproduction for the entire semester, leaving the course with an animatic of their would-be short films.

“The most valuable part of 480,” adds recent graduate, and director of The Order, Ryan Zheng, who is preparing to make a festival run with his 480 film, “is the faculty does an incredible job crafting a simulation of the film industry and preparing us to thrive.”

USC Film Undergraduate

USC and its School of Cinematic Arts, ranked No. 1 on THR’s list of Top American Film Schools in 2019, sits at the cross-section of two industries upended by the novel coronavirus pandemic: higher education and entertainment.
On top of the struggles involved with moving a hands-on, in-person production experience online, some students are affected disproportionately by virtual learning, like international students and those with disabilities. International students, who make up 15 percent of SCA and have cleared extra hurdles to be part of the program, are now facing a number of unique difficulties with no clear solutions in sight. “As an international student, studying at SCA is a big commitment,” says second-semester graduate student Hsiao Shih-Chun. “The all-online, remote control production 508 definitely teaches students something, but it’s not even close to what I want.”

Many international students who returned to their home countries in the spring spent their semester attending class at 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. For the fall, SCA faculty has been instructed to record all classes to give students the option to participate asynchronously, but for many production classes they are encouraged to join live in order to engage in discussions and critiques.

Time zones affect more than just the international student population, highlighting how the experience of virtual learning varies from person to person, and therefore presents unique challenges that don’t always have solutions. “Now that I’m having to work and operate as though everything is three hours later, my sleeping pattern has been completely obliterated,” says second-semester graduate student Julia Elizabeth Evans, who is one of a number of SCA students with disabilities. “This has been taxing on my immunity, my health and my ability to focus and do work because my narcolepsy/cataplexy is dependent on when I go to bed. I’ve been able to be a successful filmmaker with a normal sleeping pattern.”

Another large concern for production students across all levels has been tuition. Undergraduate tuition at USC for the 2020-21 academic year will be $59,260, a 3.5 percent, or $2,004, increase from the previous year. Graduate tuition is lower, at around $39,000, but more students are paying their own way. Tuition is determined by USC, not the film school, and approved by the board of trustees.

Dean Daley is steadfast in her belief that students will receive an equitable education for the fall semester when compared with a normal in-person curriculum. “They are going to go out ‘COVID ready’ as we call them — we used to say ‘set ready’ and now we say ‘COVID ready,’” she says, adding that the students are receiving more one-on-one time with faculty, as well as virtual learning sessions with notable industry professionals and alumni, including Judd Apatow and Melissa Rosenberg.

Dean Daley has said that the SCA administration is heavily focused on fundraising, but this has not calmed the student fears around financial aid. “We’re doing the best we can. It’s the only thing right now that we’re trying to raise money for,” said the dean during the July 14 video call. Dean Daley tells THR that a student emergency fund has been set up by the school with donations from alumni. Students can apply for aid (up to $1,500) through SCA, with aid meant to go toward rent, food and utilities, among other concerns.

“I was seriously considering a leave of absence due to financial pressures caused by COVID-19,” says a junior. “Now I feel like I am cornered because my financial situation is the same and will not change before tuition is due.”

Administration will waive students’ equipment insurance and labs fees. For graduate students this will total $750 and for undergrads $250. Students would normally have access to postproduction software in the school’s expansive subterranean labs, but for the fall semester will install editing and sound software AVID and ProTools on their personal computers, at discounted rates.

Under normal circumstances, SCA requires that only the school’s equipment is used to produce projects in order to ensure that students, who come from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, are given the same resources. “Being in a school like SCA is, in a sense, an equalizer,” says Kostopoulos, who was set to direct a senior thesis project in the fall semester. “We all have the same resources and a support system, and when you lose that, you lose the whole reason you go to film school.”

Daley tells THR that faculty would likely advise students to shoot on their cellphones in order to create a level playing field. “Whether you are talking about Kathy Kennedy or whoever,” she says, addressing the equipment concern, “they are all saying, ‘Just tell them to do stories. We don’t care what they were shot on.

For undergraduate and first-year graduate students, because the production track is sequential, returning at a later date is only possible if there is space in a future class due to another student dropping out or taking their own leaves of absence. “Where it becomes complicated in the production program is that, because you move from one course to the other, we cannot guarantee you that you’re going to be able to get into that course the semester you return,” Daley says. For junior students entering into 310 in fall 2020, if they take a leave of absence, spring 2022 was given as the next available semester where a seat could be guaranteed to them.

For other students, taking a leave of absence is not an option due to financial aid and scholarship that necessitate continuous enrollment. “I’m stuck in a new apartment lease,” says Nguyen. “I have financial aid and scholarship that are time sensitive for four years and they don’t extend beyond that. With my situation, I don’t think I could take a leave of absence.” On July 15, USC announced it will award up to $8,000 in scholarships ($4,000 per semester) to students who would normally receive financial aid for housing but decide to stay home this school year.

Still, some students have already decided not to return in the fall, citing issues that lie far outside of SCAs purview like the since-rescinded July ICE announcement barring student visas if individuals are taking online-only classes. “It’s just not safe,” says another international student who has decided to take a leave of absence. “My home country is handling COVID much better and film productions are starting up again, so I can hopefully continue working on my reel [here].”

Every student THR spoke with says they understand the difficult position the pandemic has put SCA in but also expressed the desire for more transparency. “There isn’t one person to point a finger at, and it is clear that the administration is working hard to make something out of this bad situation, but communication could have been handled better,” says Riley Street, who was set to direct one of the 480 films.

“What I would love most is if the students could embrace what is possible,” says Dean Daley, who has also been tasked with running USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. “The danger is — and we all do it— we spend the time thinking about what we don’t have and what we can’t get. And that doesn’t necessarily take us further to where we need to go.”

It’s been three months since Garcia posted his petition and two weeks until classes begin. He says his desire remains the same: “At the end of the day we just want the best education for what we’re spending.”

Aug 5, 1:00 p.m.: Updated with the current status of LA County and California Department of health guidelines for reopening the country and state’s colleges and universities.