‘A Different Kind of Sky,’ a program of films projected onto a 360-degree viewing environment created by the CalArts Immersion Group for the 2015 School of Film/Video Showcase. | Photo: Rafael Hernandez
The Hollywood Reporter recently released its annual rankings of the “Top 25 American Film Schools,” and once again, CalArts’ School of Film/Video has snagged a place near the top of the list, ranking 5th.
To create its list, THR toured campuses, met with deans and faculty, and interviewed alumni and industry experts. Multiple factors—including “prestige, practical experience, inspirational teachers, potential career connections and access to cutting-edge equipment”—were integral to the ranking.
Of CalArts, this is what THR has to say:
You don’t have to go to USC to have James Franco as a teacher. This fall, the actor returns to CalArts’ Valencia campus for his fourth One Act to Cinematic Event, a class in which students will adapt Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie into a live multimedia performance. Of course, CalArts— founded in 1961 by Walt Disney—is most famous for producing A-list animators (John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt’s company, studied here). But even filmmakers who prefer live action can learn a lot at CalArts. “When I was there in the 1980s, it reminded me of the high school in Fame,” says Wolverine director James Mangold. “There was a kind of electric energy.”
Below is the complete list:
- University of Southern California
- New York University
- American Film Institute
- University of California, Los Angeles
- California Institute of the Arts
- Columbia University
- Chapman University
- Loyola Marymount University
- Wesleyan University
- Emerson College
- University of Texas, Austin
- Boston University
- Stanford University
- University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- Savannah College of Art and Design
- Columbia College Chicago
- Ringling College of Art and Design
- Rhode Island School of Design
- San Francisco State University
- Syracuse University
- Art Center College of Design, Pasadena
- Florida State University
- Northwestern University
- Colorado Film School
- Ithaca College