The Hollywood Reporter (THR) recently released its 2020 list of Top 25 American Film Schools, which features CalArts’ School of Film/Video ranking eighth.
The annual list typically comes as a result of facility evaluations and interviews with deans and faculty from campuses across the nation, as well as with alumni and industry experts. Schools are assessed by multiple factors, including practical program experience, alumni achievements, prestige, and access to cutting-edge equipment. The 2020 ranking takes on a new dimension of COVID-19, which has significantly impacted both the education and entertainment industry.
This year’s top 25 schools are lauded for their flexibility in the face of coronavirus (notably for the transition to remote instruction), and their “commit[ment] to ensuring their graduates will be ready” for their film careers.
Watch the video below to see an example of the Institute’s dedication to creating a full educational experience through remote learning this semester. Created as part of the fall 2020 new student orientation (Sept. 1-13), the video introduces film students to the Film/Video Cage and how to access equipment.
THR also highlighted CalArts as one of the schools offering more courses in Black film theory.
Here’s what THR had to say about the School of Film/Video:
As expected with a school that was founded by Walt Disney, CalArts leads in animation education. Since the creation of the best animated feature Oscar category in 2001, 12 of the 19 winning films were directed by CalArts alums. Grad Bruce Wayne Smith co-directed the recent Oscar-winning short Hair Love; the school is now investing in new classes about animation and identity like Afro-Centric Character Design in its Character Animation Program. Looking outside the scope of traditional animation, CalArts has also brought on Pulitzer winner and alum Ann Telnaes to teach Commentary Through Cartoons.
See the full 2020 ranking here.