In part two of our interview, Alexa Pellegrini continues the conversation with Shaun Clarke, Hanadi Elyan, James Lane, and Barabara Selmo about the nuances of Emerson College's graduate film degrees. The team touches on hands-on production and portfolio development; admissions and financial aid statistics; strategies for strengthening the graduate application; career placement services; and its widely-known alumni network.
Read part one of the interview here:
SC: Most of our students in our low-residency program are interested in being part of the industry — recognizing that, again, the industry is changing, and so making sure that they have skills that translate between different types of work, whether it's theatrical feature film screenwriting or writing for television or writing for a web series. They're working on finding their voice so that it can be applied to any of these career paths, especially the one they want to immediately pursue.
It definitely has an industry focus. During the January residency at the Emerson LA campus, our students are in the middle of all the action in Hollywood, making connections with faculty or guest speakers before they go off for the semester and do their work in classes.
JL: When we get into a classroom situation, [...] students are going to be across the table from a person who wants to write [...] the next “Nomadland.” We really think it's important that super-indie-driven types of writers can learn from bigger-budget writers, and vice versa. To be a successful professional writer means that you are able to adapt to different kinds of production situations. If nothing else, we want our students to at least appreciate that.
JL: I can definitely think of applications where someone is coming out of a very difficult family situation, where as a...
Read part one of the interview here:
How to Get Into Emerson’s School of Film, Television and Media Arts: Admissions Advice and Program Insights (Part 1)
Emerson College has expanded its Department of Visual and Media Arts into the new School of Film, Television, and Media Arts, marking an exciting new chapter in the institution’s 130-year legacy. The College has a reputation for punching above its weight, including earning more Oscar wins and...
- Alexa P.
- Category: Admissions Interviews
How does the Writing for Film and Television MFA help non-traditional students refine or launch their careers?
SC: Most of our students in our low-residency program are interested in being part of the industry — recognizing that, again, the industry is changing, and so making sure that they have skills that translate between different types of work, whether it's theatrical feature film screenwriting or writing for television or writing for a web series. They're working on finding their voice so that it can be applied to any of these career paths, especially the one they want to immediately pursue.
It definitely has an industry focus. During the January residency at the Emerson LA campus, our students are in the middle of all the action in Hollywood, making connections with faculty or guest speakers before they go off for the semester and do their work in classes.
JL: When we get into a classroom situation, [...] students are going to be across the table from a person who wants to write [...] the next “Nomadland.” We really think it's important that super-indie-driven types of writers can learn from bigger-budget writers, and vice versa. To be a successful professional writer means that you are able to adapt to different kinds of production situations. If nothing else, we want our students to at least appreciate that.
Credit: Emerson College
What makes a response to the Writing for Film and Television MFA application prompts truly exceptional?
JL: I can definitely think of applications where someone is coming out of a very difficult family situation, where as a...
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