Cinema Arts Booklet

LEARN BY DOING W I T H

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D E P A R T M E N T

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CINEMATIC ARTS SCHOOL of VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY | CINEMATIC ARTS

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LIBERTY.EDU/CINEMA

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TRAI NING TH E N E X T GE N E R AT IO N O F STO RY T E L L E R S

Liberty University Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center engages students in the digital media revolution that is transforming all areas of contemporary culture.

Professors teach classes from a Christian worldview, training students to use industry-standard equipment. Students learn not only how to make a movie, but also how to make a living as filmmakers.

DIRECTING

PRODUCTION DESIGN

SCREENWRITING

Liberty’s Cinematic Arts

FILM WINS best

SCREENPLAY

“BOLD AND BRAVE IN ITS STORY AND ITS STYLE, THIS IS A FILM TO APPLAUD.” RANDALL WALLACE, WRITER, DIRECTOR, AND PRODUCER CREDITS INCLUDE “HACKSAW RIDGE,” “BRAVEHEART,” AND “PEARL HARBOR”

PRODUCING

CINEMATOGRAPHY

The department’s third feature film, “God’s Compass,” earned recognition in both mainstream and Christian circles. It was awarded Best Screenplay by the International Christian Film Festival (ICFF) and received 2016 ICFF nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Actor.

The film was made through the support of Working Title Agency (which funded and distributed the film).

“Liberty’s cinematic arts program is a leader in cinematic education by creating hands-on, real-life experiences for students. The making of this movie created a lasting return in the lives of our students before it was even released,” said Stephan Schultze, executive director of Liberty’s Cinematic Arts Department and writer/director of “God’s Compass.”

POST-PRODUCTION

SOUND DESIGN

During film production, each student worked in two different areas, rotating positions halfway through filming. Not only did students gain valuable experience, they also earned two Internet Movie Database (IMDb) credits for their résumés.

While this is just the program’s third film, its reception demonstrates that the cinematic arts department is achieving its mission of training the next generation of filmmakers to tell life-changing stories.

“The importance of Working Title Agency’s financial support holds value well beyond the investment in making a movie,” explained Schultze. “No other film school in the country has made fully funded movies with its students. Liberty’s cinema department is giving its students a tremendous gift.”

This story was originally published by Liberty University News Service. @LibertyUCinema creates hands-on, real-life experiences for students!

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HISTORY “Cinematic history was made when ‘War Room’ became the No. 1 new release at the box office nationally,” said Stephan Schultze, executive director of Liberty’s Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center. “This is the first faith-based film to reach that distinction, and I believe it marks the comingof-age of Christian cinema.”

Twelve Liberty students were among the crew of “War Room,” and Scotty Curlee, professor of cinematic arts, had a speaking role in the film. Producer Stephen Kendrick explained that he specifically sought out college students who love the Lord and are promising filmmakers from around the nation to be involved in the film.

“The LU students who showed up were more prepared — they knew the gear, they knew the position, they knew the work ethic,” he said. “They were definitely a cut above all the students from all the other universities.”

Lucas Fairchild of Lovell/Fairchild Communications, which promoted the film, said Liberty’s cinematic arts department was an ideal source of up-and-coming production talent.

“Liberty has a world-class film program, and it’s growing,” he said. “A huge purpose of the Kendrick brothers is to recruit and mentor young filmmakers and producers.”

Kristin Taylor (’14), a graduate of Liberty’s cinematic arts program who worked on the set of “War Room,” described the experience as “rewarding.”

“Just to see it on the screen, and seeing the people you worked on the film with, it’s exciting,” she said. “It’s also an encouragement to persevere in the film industry and to not give up.”

Liberty students have regularly excelled on the sets of prominent family-friendly film projects, serving in a wide range of production roles, from production design and sound to camera work, wardrobe, and assisting directors.

Hands-on, state-of-the-art training in feature production with a Christian worldview.

Professor Durrell Nelson #LearnbyDoing

Liberty’s Department of Cinematic Arts mentors students in developing their craft, not just in understanding theory.

This story was originally published by Liberty University News Service.

STUDENT OP P ORTUNITIES

LIBERTY.EDU/CINEMA

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY | CINEMATIC ARTS

TOP 7 Ways to P rep a re fo r

LIBERTY’S

CINEMATIC ARTS COHORT

1. START EARLY. Students are strongly encouraged to declare cinematic arts as their major upon acceptance to Liberty.

2. COMPLETE THE PREREQUISITES.

Students are required to complete three core cinema classes — Introduction to Screenwriting, Introduction to Motion Picture Directing, and Introduction to Cinematography and Sound Design — prior to acceptance into the program.

BENEFITS

3. DEVELOP A MOVIE PITCH.

As part of the application process, students must write a 1,000-word essay pitching their idea for a film.

BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN CINEMATIC

4. STUDY.

of Earning a

Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA.

5. SAVE.

Because of the production cycle while enrolled in the cinematic arts cohort, it is difficult for students to maintain a job outside of school. Additionally, students are responsible for the costs associated with the production of their films. While the cinematic arts department does not offer program-specific scholarships, the university’s financial aid office can help students apply for scholarships, awards, and grants.

ARTS from Liberty

1. PEER CONNECTIONS

Liberty’s cohort program helps students build and maintain connections.

2. INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS

Cinematic arts professors are working professionals with active industry connections.

3. TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW

All cinematic arts staff have both professional experience and a passion to help students learn.

4. CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK

Professors and students actively engage each other in open discussions about projects and ideas. Professional feedback is an integral part of the cohort.

W HY L I BE RT Y ?

5. MENTORS

Cinematic arts professors care about their students and want to see them succeed. Professors know what industry standards are, so they set high standards, serve advisory roles, and help students meet those demands.

INSIDE

6. HISTORY AND THEORY

THE

COHORT

Students pursue the craft of filmmaking from the people who have created successful motion pictures.

7. INDUSTRY-STANDARD PRODUCTIONS

In the cinematic arts program, students create films using industry-standard equipment in a 4K theatrical work flow to help them reach their full potential in their craft.

Through the cinematic arts program, students take a movie from concept and pitch to release and distribution. They learn the process through classes such as:

• • • • •

STORY ANALYSIS PRODUCING AND DIRECTING PRODUCTION EDITING AUDIO PRODUCTION

• FEATURE PRE-PRODUCTION • BRANDING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP • MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION • PERSUASION

WH Y LIBERTY?

6. APPLY.

Applications are accepted each fall and must include unofficial transcripts, a letter of recommendation, a 1,000-word movie pitch, and a letter outlining the student’s interest in filmmaking.

7. BE READY TO LEARN.

Prior experience in film and television is not required.

Everyone comes from a different background, so the program teaches from the basics up.

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY | CINEMATIC ARTS

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COHORT offers students

BACHELOR

LEARNING by IMMERSION The Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center does not offer a traditional program — here, students learn in a Christianfocused environment. They must complete their general education courses before entering the school’s immersive cohort program in their junior and senior years, where they take a film from concept to distribution over the course of two years.

“In other film schools, students do not touch a camera, let alone a 4K Red camera, until they begin graduate work. At

One thing never changes — storytelling. A well-told story still always rises to the top of the marketplace.

FILMMAKING

ARTS

“In our program, we walk through each phase of a film from concept to distribution, giving us a real-world view of filmmaking,” said Kaitlin Keene (’15).

Courses are developed to meet the ever-changing dynamic in distribution across multiple platforms and technology advances. The internet has created an explosion of visual and audible content, allowing new voices to be heard while providing a level playing field for filmmakers to compete in distributing their films throughout the world.

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Liberty, students start using equipment within a few days of starting our program,” explained Dylan Giouanetto (’16).

During their time in the cohort, students focus exclusively on filmmaking — analyzing films, writing screenplays, and mastering all of the technical aspects of the craft. They take lessons learned in the classroom on Monday into the field for implementation on Tuesday.

Key DISCIPLINES

OF SCIENCE IN

APPLY TODAY!

DIRECTING

Courses teach the director’s role and the ways a director guides a film from pre-production to release. Students learn the artistic and technical underpinnings of the position through studies on storytelling, constructing scenes, casting, and performance adjustment techniques.

GRADUATES Leave With:

PRODUCING

Students learn the producer’s role from concept development through production and distribution. Studies include budgeting, film financing, branding, marketing, distributing the picture, and developing relationships with all of the departments working on the film.

A SHORT FILM THEY WROTE AND DIRECTED

SCREENWRITING

The script is the core of a film, and the screenwriter is responsible for crafting a script with fascinating characters and a riveting plot. Screenwriting classes prepare students to write and rewrite scripts, develop characters, and pitch their ideas.

A POLISHED FEATURE-LENGTH SCREENPLAY A BUSINESS PLAN FOR PRODUCING AND MARKETING THEIR FILM A PROFESSIONAL, WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE CRAFTS OF FILMMAKING.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

In cinematography classes, students learn to transform written scripts into visual storytelling by working with digital cameras, lenses, and lighting packages. Classes focus on topics such as composition, color, exposure, visual language, movement, and director collaboration.

A DEMO REEL

SOUND DESIGN

In sound design classes, students learn how to listen to a movie. In the script and post-production process, students use sound design to create content that uses sound to interact with the listener and tell a better story.

We don’t just talk — we produce @LibertyUCinema!

Professor Michael Torres PRODUCTION DESIGN

In production design classes, students become responsible for the visual concept of a film. They learn to identify a design style for sets, locations, graphics, and props, while working closely with the director and producer.

POST-PRODUCTION

In post-production courses, the movie takes form through picture editing, visual effects, and sound design/mixing.

PROG RAMS

P ROGRAMS

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY | CINEMATIC ARTS

GIBSON SCREENS FILM

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Liberty’s THX DUBBING STAGE

Exceptional, professionally focused film school with best equipment on the East Coast. #THXcertified Professor Durrell Nelson

After participating in Liberty’s 2016 Commencement, celebrities Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn, along with screenwriter and Lynchburg native Randall Wallace, held a private screening of their movie, “Hacksaw Ridge” (nominated for multiple Academy Awards), in the Cinematic Arts THX surround sound theater.

The THX-certified dubbing theater not only provides superior sound quality for viewing films but also gives students the ability to bring soundtracks to life and graduate with Pro Tools certification.

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CAMERAS

LIGHTS

EDITING

Liberty students use RED Dragon, Epic, Scarlet, and Prime cameras. RED cameras were used in filming the 2017 release “Transformers: The Last Knight,” starring Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, and Josh Duhamel.

At Liberty, students work with full tungsten and HMI (Halogen Metal Incandescence) lighting and cabling. The same HMI lights are used on large film and commercial sets to create dramatic effects.

Liberty students edit their films using Avid Artist. The same software was used by Editor Mark Sanger, who won an Oscar for his work on the film, “Gravity.”

D

SOUND Students recreate everyday sounds using the school’s wet and dry foley stages. Sounds are created using a variety of techniques. To create the sound of snow crunching, for example, they might use corn starch in a leather pouch.

Students learn to mix sound and can graduate with certification in Pro Tools.

E QU I PME NT/ FAC I L I T I E S

Red 4K and 6K Cameras Jimmy Jab Extreme Crane Chapman Dollies THX-certified Mix Stage

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The 2016 cohort learned by doing on this inspirational, real-life story about a Liberty professor who has run four and a half times around the globe.

THE POTENTIAL INSIDE

This Sony Studios worldwide release engaged more than 60 students from the 2015 cinematic arts cohort.

jonathan

This film was produced with students in the 2012 cinematic arts cohort.

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the fragile witness

“EXTRAORDINARY”

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The Gathering Danny Carrales

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The Lesser Evil S t e p h a n S c h u lt z e

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“77 CHANCES”

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like a country song

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THE OMEGA MAN

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Other Liberty graduates are gaining experience on local productions. Seth Houser, operations assistant for the department, was a member of the program’s first graduating class. He has worked on eight feature films.

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Graduates of the program have served in many capacities for Sony and Universal Studios, Motive Entertainment, Working Title Agency, and countless independent films.

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LIBERTY ALUMNI GARNER ATTENTION

Fellow graduate Sarah Gabert said her experience on the film (as a production sound mixer and in behind-thescenes audio) has already led to job offers on film sets.

“I learned so much about production audio and how the

TV MOVIE | FACULTY

Tremors

CREDITS

Stephan Schultze, executive director of the Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center continues to work as writer, director, and producer. His experience includes every aspect of the film industry, having worked on projects directed by James Cameron and Ron Underwood. Faculty members have decades of experience, including work as directors of photography, lighting designers, directors, actors, stuntmen, stunt coordinators, screenwriters, and producers.

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“I learned a vast amount about how the industry works while on set — the way teamwork plays a huge role in achieving the art, and how hard work will allow you to succeed,” he said. “I was afforded the opportunity to grow in a learning environment; it was the best type of classroom for what I want to do.”

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EARNING

Alumni Marvin Diaz and Sarah Gabert both worked on “God’s Compass.” Diaz, who served as a grip and production assistant, said the experience will positively impact his career.

Faculty and staff in Liberty’s Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center do not just teach film. Everyone, from the executive director to the department’s executive assistant, has worked in television and/or film.

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Both ALUMNI and FACULTY

FACULTY AND STAFF BRING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE TO THE CLASSROOM

AN AMERICAN CAROL urell nelson

“I LEARNED A VAST AMOUNT ABOUT HOW THE INDUSTRY WORKS WHILE ON SET — THE WAY TEAMWORK PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN ACHIEVING THE ART, AND HOW HARD WORK WILL ALLOW YOU TO SUCCEED.” MARVIN DIAZ ’16

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sound department works,” she said. “I didn’t know that audio was something I was good at and something I actually enjoyed (until I worked on the set).”

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NETWORKING AROUND CAMPUS and ACROSS THE COUNTRY SCREENWRITER SHARES WISDOM WITH CINEMATIC ARTS STUDENTS The cinematic arts department has hosted a number of guest speakers, including accomplished screenwriter Sterling Anderson, who shared tips on writing and working in the television and film industry.

Anderson’s credits include network television shows such as “The Unit” (CBS) and feature films, including “The Gabby Douglas Story.”

“There’s just a thirst for knowledge,” he said. “Liberty students don’t have an attitude; they are generous in spirit … The kids here as a whole have brighter faces and are more optimistic. I don’t see attitude. I don’t see negativity.”

Anderson advised students not only how to sharpen their writing skills but also what to expect when meeting with producers.

“HEARING SOMEONE WHO IS DOING IT AND GIVING US TIPS ON WHAT WE SHOULD DO TO MAKE OURSELVES SEEN IN THAT WORLD, IT JUST GIVES YOU THE IDEA THAT ‘I CAN DO THIS.’” SENIOR THOMAS ANTONUCCI

In addition to bringing accomplished speakers to campus, Liberty’s industry connections and partnerships give students a platform to take their messages worldwide by working on full-length feature films. The department’s network includes Sony Affirm, Sony Provident, Mission Pictures, Motive Entertainment, Christian Cinema, Propeller Marketing, WTA Group, Cantinas Entertainment, the Kendrick Brothers, and the Erwin Brothers.

INTERSECTING INTERESTS

Students with eclectic interests or whose chosen career “Hearing someone who is doing it and giving us tips paths require a varied range of skills will find that an on what we should do to make ourselves seen in that education at Liberty University can provide them with world — it just gives you the idea that ‘I can do this,’” the specialized training they need. said senior Thomas Antonucci.

COLLABORATION

Cinematic arts works with the Department of History and the Schools of Business, Education, Music, and Government. Providing cross-disciplinary experiences in the classroom through audio-visual content creation allows students from a variety of disciplines to interact with and learn from one another.

Additionally, theatre students have the opportunity to act in cinema shorts or feature length films. Studio and graphic design students assist with developing movie posters to promote pictures.

Make the connections to land a career in film with @LibertyUCinema

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