University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) - Creative Producing MFA Reviews & Admissions Statistics

Business and creativity combine in the role of creative producer, where entrepreneurial skills and storytelling expertise are a must. Creative Producers generate and cultivate projects from the initial idea phase to its completion, with an intense focus on the story but also an understanding of commercial viability. The balance can sometimes be a difficult one to strike, but in the UNCSA Creative Producing program it will become second nature.

First Year

In your first year of the graduate creative producing program, you will be required to take a variety of courses to improve your understanding of the storytelling side of filmmaking as well as the entrepreneurial components. You will take part in a series of screenings, workshops and seminars with prominent guest artists to discuss the film and television industry and its ever-changing landscape, with ample opportunity to ask questions and share your own ideas. In Fundamentals of Cinematic Storytelling, you will learn about the broad spectrum of the story-development process, from initial concept to your final draft,. Two Cinema Studies courses will be offered to cover the styles and evolution of both international and American films, and the logistic side of filmmaking will be emphasized in The Business of Production class, covering topics such as distribution, budgeting and scheduling. You will also work one-on-one with your faculty mentor to develop material for your eventual thesis project.

Second Year

Your second year will focus entirely on the processes of developing a slate of film projects of your choosing, from full-length features, to television series, webisodes and documentaries. Courses will cover topics like copyright law with a focus on protecting intellectual property, acquiring rights to material, and the ways to independently finance your projects. Marketing and distribution components will be emphasized, and you will be expected to apply this knowledge in the creation of a marketing and advertising plan for your own developed material. Your marketing materials will range from full-length trailers to posters. The series of screenings, workshops and seminars with guest artists will also be available in your second year, as will various cinema studies electives from which to choose. For your thesis project, you will work with your faculty mentor through all stages of development and pre-production, creating the necessary business plan to aid in the fundraising of your projects.

Careers

Graduates of our producing program have roles such as producer, co-producer, production manager, and creative executive. They have contributed to television series like “The Closer” and movies like “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Argo,” “Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl,” “It Follows”, “I’ll See You In My Dreams”, “Manglehorn” and “Compliance”.