MFA Creative Producing

In the Classroom

Your first class will be Columbia College Chicago’s cinema “boot camp” class, Introduction to Creative Producing. You’ll learn foundational principles and technical skills through lectures and hands-on demonstrations in this immersive three-week workshop.

In the first year, Creative Producing students and Cinema Directing students make several films together, some based on a director’s concept and some based on a producer’s concept. You’ll have creative control and gain work-for-hire experience. In addition, you’ll deepen your understanding of film history and the film industry through graduate seminars and a film screening series. At the end of the fall and spring semesters, graduate faculty members will critique your work.

For your final courses, you’ll head to Los Angeles, where you’ll work on a studio lot with executives and craftspeople in the Hollywood industry. Coursework will cover everything from acquisitions to legal to distribution, preparing you for your entry into the industry.

Thesis film and long-form narrative

You’ll complete two substantial projects for your degree requirements: a long-form narrative package and a thesis film.

In Long-Form Narrative Development, you’ll make a list of potential ideas for a long-form narrative (either a feature-length film or TV series). After choosing an idea, you’ll find, develop, and acquire the rights to material and work with a screenwriter to produce a first draft. In Long-Form Narrative Package, you’ll create a production package with the material conceptualized in Long-Form Narrative Development. You’ll end Long-Form Narrative Package with a final pitch and oral presentation backed by professional research and financing tactics.

Outside the Classroom

You’ll join Columbia College Chicago’s passionate film community. Here are a few examples of exciting events that take place outside the classroom:

• Doc Your World: a student-curated festival showcasing documentaries.
• Cinema Slapdown: Watch a screening of a well-known, polarizing film or television show, followed by a moderated debate between someone who loves it and someone who hates it.
• FrameWork: a series of student-produced video interviews that allow seniors and graduate students to talk about their filmmaking processes.
• University Film and Video Association (UFVA): Students interested in teaching present their creative projects each year at this international conference.
• Film Festivals: Chicago hosts several renowned film festivals. Some festivals, like the Chicago Feminist Film Festival, are hosted on campus and organized by our students and faculty members. We encourage students to submit their films and volunteer.

Creative Spaces and Facilities

We offer a number of audio and post-production facilities, equipment rental centers, professional sound stages, and TV studios equipped with industry-standard software and technology.