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What is Cinematography and Film?
Cinematography and film is the area of study and industry related to the creation of movies. Cinematography is the process by which such movies are made, the various lenses, film types, cameras and other factors that got into designing and filming a shot. Film also includes the study of film and the various genres, techniques milieus and other ideas that have gone into the production and creation of film. The field is defined by the variety of methods, techniques and ideas used to construct an individual film.
Career Summary
MEDIAN SALARY
PERCENT ABOVE NATIONAL
INCOME AVERAGE
TOTAL SECTOR EMPLOYMENT
122,600Degree Median Salary vs Adjacent Degree Types
Source: BLS, US Census, and IPEDS
2025 Best Cinematography And Film Schools
The Department of Art & Art History is an interdisciplinary department of Stanford University offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history, art practice, documentary filmmaking and field studies. The Scholarly and artistic work produced by the faculty of this department includes publications, artworks in many media, design projects, documentary films and exhibitions. Students that will take Art History will have a discipline that strives to understand the original context of Art’s making and reception. They will come to know the subsequent circulation, collection and display of an art.
Acceptance Rate
4.34
Student to Faculty Ratio
5:1
Colombia University School of the Arts is a thriving school with a diverse community of talented and committed artists from around the world. Their faculty comprises acclaimed and internationally renowned artists, playwrights’ producers and scholars. New York is the home of this University, and it is one of the capitals of the world. They have a Theatre MFA Program which is designed collaboratively, internationally and interdisciplinary.
Acceptance Rate
5.45
Student to Faculty Ratio
6:1
The School in Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California is divided into seven divisions that work together to train the leaders, media makers and scholars of tomorrow. This school has a reputation for being on the forefront of advances in technology and entertainment. SCA is the only media school in the world that teaches all the major disciplines of the Cinematic Arts. This University claims that they can offer unique interdisciplinary learning experiences.
Acceptance Rate
11.42
Student to Faculty Ratio
9:1
Moore Norman Technology Center offers 32 career programs. Classes are led by experts and result in an industry certification. The center is located in Norman, Oklahoma. Classes are offered during the day, evening, and on weekends.
The center offers courses that help individuals grow professionally. The classes are offered in trimesters with classes scheduled during the day, evening and on Saturdays. Typically, over 48,000 individuals take part in courses on campus that help with professional development.
MNTC has established programs with Oklahoma State University and Rose State College that help individuals earn credit towards a degree in 25 different areas.
MNTC works with business leaders to ensure that students are acquiring the skills needed to be successful in the workforce. The curriculum helps students learn through hands-on education. This provides them with the opportunity to learn to apply the skills learned in the classroom. MNTC students often take part in internships or receive on-the job training.
At Moore Norman Technology Center, you will find a diverse set of individuals. They include adults, high school students, business owners, and senior citizens.
Many students attend programs that prepare them for college or to improve their skills. High school students take part in some of the programs. Courses are also offered online which are convenient for the working individual.
Moore Norman Technology Center offers accommodations for individuals with disabilities according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Counseling services are also available for students who need them.
Acceptance Rate
-
Tuition
$2,625 / year
Student to Faculty Ratio
28:1
The Department of English at Carnegie Mellon University has a degree in Film & Visual Media which allows for a complex blend of creative, professional and technical competencies. This program is designed to train skills in creating, analyzing and developing film. From theoretical framing and historical contextualization, it offers courses in film and visual media. Their Department is a combination of creative writers, digital humanities instructors, visual communication researchers and many more.
Acceptance Rate
15.44
Student to Faculty Ratio
10:1
CFILM (College of Film and the Moving Image) was founded in Wesleyan University’s liberal-arts tradition. It fosters the study and practice of visual storytelling. Major and minor are both offered in film studies in this department. The moving image in a collaborative manner that combines historical and cultural analysis with film making is what faculty and students’ approach in both beginning and advanced levels. Some of the courses emphasized in film studies are aesthetics, authorship and technology.
Acceptance Rate
16.48
Student to Faculty Ratio
8:1
Cinema Studies students at New York University are engaged with the moving image in all of its aspects, forms and platforms across the world. They don’t pay attention to the margins alone but also to its mainstream. They do not stop experimenting with exciting new forms of research. They become critics, creators and curators.
Acceptance Rate
16.2
Student to Faculty Ratio
9:1
In Boston University, COM Film & Television program, they teach their students how to create movies. The first thing they’ll teach their students is to hone their art of storytelling. They will study the art of writing, image creation, managing and producing. Studying about the theory and history of film and television will also be a part of their improving skills. With enough knowledge students will soon develop a deep understanding of the motion picture medium.
Acceptance Rate
18.94
Student to Faculty Ratio
10:1
University of Miami is producing and screenwriting with an innovative and independent streak through their study of film production. They guide their students while they concentrate in production, screenwriting and producing. They train their students to advance their skills both in technical proficiency and critical studies. They promote creative uses of technology, preparing the students with the business practices needed to bring their work to the expanding marketplace.
Acceptance Rate
27.13
Student to Faculty Ratio
12:1
The Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Media is offered at Emerson College’s Department of Visual and Media Arts. This program teaches how to work with image and sound in an aim to entertain, persuade, challenge, and inform with the use of traditional and emergent media forms. Their objective is to develop both creative professionals and media artists. They help students hone an understanding of the disciplines of audio, film, video, interactive and multimedia production.
Acceptance Rate
33.35
Student to Faculty Ratio
15:1
The degrees in Cinematography and Film at Florida State University will train the students in the craft of storytelling. They offer an immersive and project-centered approach to a graduate or undergraduate degree. They claim to have a tight-knit community where their students can work with industry professionals. As a result, they will gain intimate experience that will transform them into successful filmmakers.
Acceptance Rate
35.97
Student to Faculty Ratio
21:1
Binghamton University claims that they can develop future artists and creative thinkers in film and video. They claimed that they can shape a person to be willing to explore the experimental. In this department, you’ll learn how cinema works both from a social and historical standpoint to the mechanics of making movies. They focus not only on the development of technical proficiency but also on the artistic discovery and expression.
Acceptance Rate
40.53
Student to Faculty Ratio
19:1
The Department of Transmedia at Syracuse University focuses on independent filmmaking, providing an exceptional education on the film production process from development to post-production. Students pursue various modes of production including documentary, animation, experimental and narrative through their facilities. For their students to develop conceptual, critical and aesthetic skills, they are required to take history and theory courses. This will empower them to be the future top filmmakers.
Acceptance Rate
44.38
Student to Faculty Ratio
15:1
American University states that media only matters if it is compelling. Their SOC Film and Media Arts division teaches their students how to tell people a powerful story that reaches the heart. They train them in shaping a bold narrative that can persuade the mind of the viewers. To produce something to watch that demands action.
Acceptance Rate
36.08
Student to Faculty Ratio
12:1
Mid-Florida Tech, located in Orlando, Florida, was founded in 1963 to provide residents of Orange County vocational and technical training opportunities. The school maintains relationships with area employers to provide work opportunities to graduates and internships for current students. The school occupies 106 acres in southwest Orange County, and its facilities are among the most modern and advances in the state of Florida.
Academics
Mid-Florida Tech offers career training through technical and vocational educational programs. Students are asked to think critically and apply developing skills in a practical setting. The goal of the programs is to prepare students to work in professional environments within their area of study immediately after graduation. The school assists in placement where it can through established relationships with community based employers. Additionally, the school is home to the Central Florida Fire Academy, which trains individuals in firefighting and emergency service.
Programs offered include:
- Culinary Arts
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Air Conditioning Technology
- Automotive Service technology
- Applied Welding Technology
Admissions and Financial Aid
Individuals interested in enrolling at Mid-Florida Tech must be sixteen years of age and no longer in high school, must demonstrate proof of residency, and must complete a basic skill test. Applicants to the firefighting, medical technician or emergency vehicle driving programs may have to fulfill additional requirements. Students seeking financial aid must visit the financial aid office and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Orange County Public Schools Career and Technical Education Financial Aid Checklist. Financial ais is available in the form of private scholarships and federal PELL grants.
Acceptance Rate
-
Tuition
$2,240 / year
Student to Faculty Ratio
15:1
Southern Methodist University offers BA and BFA degree programs in Film and media Arts. The B.A. in Film and Media Arts is designed to prepare students on entering careers in the media industries. This can also open the way to conduct post graduate work in film and media studies. The B.F.A. in film and Media Arts gives stress in developing the unique creative voice of each student.
Acceptance Rate
47.29
Student to Faculty Ratio
N.A
Cinema Studies at San Diego State University helps their students build connections with potential employers as well as collaborators. Students will receive the chance to fulfill first-stage positions and apprenticeship. They will successfully obtain postgraduate training. Completion of this program also leads to a master's degree in Fine Arts.
Acceptance Rate
34.13
Student to Faculty Ratio
27:1
Fashion Institute of Technology offers a degree in Film and Media where students learn nuts-and-bolts filmmaking. Cinematography, editing, animation, and screenwriting are just some of what they can expect to learn here. Students will get the opportunity to explore the media landscape from broadcast TV to YouTube and to whatever might come next. They will develop the ability to create demo reel which highlights their technical skills and creative vision.
Acceptance Rate
53.89
Student to Faculty Ratio
16:1
University of Central Florida prepares their students for life beyond the classroom. They will be given the chance to experience a wide range of opportunities. Their students will be taught by world-renowned faculty. They will gain first-hand experience in internships nearby through networking with top employers across Central Florida. But students who change their degree programs then select BA in Film must adopt their most current catalog.
Acceptance Rate
44.36
Student to Faculty Ratio
30:1
Chapmans University’s Field Production degree builds a foundation in all aspects of filmmaking and expertise in a specific area of their student’s choice. They provide professional-level facilities with state-of-the-art equipment. Students will create a thesis film in their senior year that consists everything that they had learned in this program. The film that they will produce will serve as their calling card to the industry.
Acceptance Rate
55.65
Student to Faculty Ratio
13:1
Programs for Cinema Studies and Filmmaking are both available at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Their interdisciplinary program in Cinema Studies devotedly promoting visual literacy and cross-cultural exploration. BFA degree program in Filmmaking trains students in all aspects of film production. They put effort just to provide opportunities for students to help them build a wide array of professional and marketable skills.
Acceptance Rate
61.22
Student to Faculty Ratio
16:1
Orlando Tech offers an outstanding education in sunny Florida. The campus is tech friendly and in downtown Orlando. There is a lot to do on and off the campus. At Orlando Tech, you will find outstanding instructors and affordable programs. Programs are offered in culinary arts, health sciences, and digital technology.
The school features outstanding multimedia resources. Training is available in a variety of areas. Programs are offered in audio-visual technology, arts, education and training services, Business Administrative Services, and Health Services. Eighteen technical training programs and two licensure programs are offered to residents.
Courses are available for teachers that offer industrial certification for a number of Digital Media Arts programs. Orlando Tech has been designated as an Adobe Certified Training Center, offering coursework and certification in a variety of Adobe software applications.
Orlando Tech offers adult basic education programs. The school also offers GED courses, ESOL courses, and applied academics for adult education. The purpose of the Applied Academics for Adult Education Laboratory (AAAE) is to assess, evaluate, and remediate an individual's aptitude and achievement in relation to his/her goal for technical skills training. Diagnostic tests are given which determine the individual's educational level in mathematics, language, and reading.
If you don’t have time to attend class in the downtown Orlando campus, Orlando Tech. offers online study options. Online courses allow working adults to achieve their educational goals. This allows individuals to meet working and family obligations. Courses are offered in professional development, continuing education, GED preparation. All courses are taught by experienced instructors.
Acceptance Rate
-
Tuition
$4,740 / year
Student to Faculty Ratio
9:1
The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising offers a degree program in Digital Cinema. Bachelor of Arts program in Digital Cinema is a 91-unit degree program that can be taken by students with an AAS or AA Professional Designation degree in Digital Media from FIDM. Students with Associates degrees in a related field from different colleges of university that are accredited are also welcome to this program. Completion of this program qualifies you from a wide range of specialized careers in digital media.
Acceptance Rate
36.24
Student to Faculty Ratio
18:1
The BFA program at Compass College of Cinematic Arts offers their students direct access to industry professionals. They can spend over 1,000 hours experience on set and enjoy the benefits of expanding their network of connections in the industry. They guarantee that their graduates received everything that they need to jumpstart their career in film and digital media. They have been empowering visual storytellers for more than 20 years now.
Acceptance Rate
66.67
Student to Faculty Ratio
12:1
BA degree in Theatre, Film, and Digital Production is available at the University of California-Riverside. This program allows the students to practice acting in student productions, class presentations, and faculty-directed shows. Advanced students are offered to make special projects and studies where they will produce their original work or study in more depth acting, directing, or playwriting. The ongoing goal of this program is to continue providing a comprehensive and world-class program in the performing arts.
Acceptance Rate
56.52
Student to Faculty Ratio
23:1
Why Attend Film School?
You may be considering attending a top film school online or on-site for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons students elect to attend an accredited film school include the following reasons:
Academics Students looking to take their career to the next level can benefit greatly from an accredited curriculum taught by qualified professors. During their studies students will gain knowledge in the cinematography field, acquire specialized skills, and advanced tools of the trade.
Professional Contacts The best film schools in the country offer an array of degree programs and certificate programs that include a school-approved externship or apprenticeship. These externship programs offer students a unique opportunity to learn from film professionals and develop lifelong relationships and professional contacts. These contacts can link you to other influential professionals in the trade to help you land your dream job or ideal project.
If you are thinking about attending film school to study cinematography, it is important to establish a personal priority list to help you chart a course. Finding the best film school for you may not be a linear path. In fact, the top film schools near you may not be the best choice given your career objectives leading you to look outside your immediate area to find the best film school for you. To help you get the most out of your film school journey, we recommend you read the following books to help make the process more efficient: The Complete Guide to the College Admission Process and Crush the Odds by Getting into Your Top College.
Top Degrees in Cinematography and Film Studies
There are a number of degree and certificate programs to choose from when considering a future in film and cinematography. Below we have listed the degree types and programs in the industry that you can further research. The degree programs in cinematography and film include:
Certificate Studies in Cinematography and Film School
Certificate programs offered by cinematography and film-schools can help students and working professional gain specialized knowledge and upskill in the film industry. Programs are typically shorter in nature than a degree program and can range from a few weeks long up to two years. A cross-section of online certificate programs offered by cinematography and film schools include: photography, filmmaking, acting for film, producing for TV, screenwriting, documentary filmmaking, major movies producing, game design, graphic design, broadcast journalism, 3D animation, cinematography, and musical theatre.
Associate Degree in Cinematography and Film
An associate degree in cinematography and arts can be conferred as an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), or Associate of General Studies (AGS) depending on the school and their curricular design. The online associate degree offered by film schools include a combination of general education studies such as English composition, communication, and philosophy with core film classes. Core classes in an online associates degree program will depend on the program offered by the school and your area of concentration. The associate degree bachelor track can help students create a runway for a career in cinematography beyond the traditional college associate degree.
Bachelor’s Degree in Cinematography and Film
The online bachelor degrees offered at film schools can be conferred to students at a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) relative to the curriculum and program emphasis. Cinematography bachelor degree is a 4-year undergraduate degrees will delve deeper into film specialties and provide students with a broad-based swath of general education classes to help students think differently about the world around them. Specialties offered within the bachelor degree programs in the cinematography realm may include programs such as: acting, visual effects, 3D animation, film, graphic design, performing arts, musical theatre, broadcast journalism, movie set design, digital editing, cinematography, game design, documentary, game design, producing, screenwriting, visual arts, directing, and virtual reality. Bachelor degree master programs are available for qualified students looking to level-up and take their careers to the next level above and beyond bachelor degrees cinematography.
Master’s Degree in Cinematography and Film
At the masters film degree track is designed for students looking to advance their career with specialized knowledge in cinematography and film. Programs at this level are conferred as a Masters of Arts (MA) or Masters of Fine Arts (MFA). Masters degrees are 1-2 year programs of additional matriculation for those already meeting lower-level requirements. Online master degrees can be found from accredited colleges and universities in a number of disciplines including game design, screenwriting, producing, cinematography, acting, photography, documentary, and filmmaking. During matriculation at the masters degree level, students will be immersed in project-based learning to help apply field-specific theories, practices, and business principles in the visual arts and performing arts.
Doctorate Degree in Cinematography and Film
The doctorate-level programs in cinematography and film are highly specialized degree programs conferred as PhD in Cinematography and Film or as a Doctor of Philosophy. Students considering the doctorate-level track in cinematography will typically be geared to teach at the college-level in a defined area of cinematography or perform research to advance the field of film. The PhD programs will vary in length but will often take students four to six years to complete with a board-approved dissertation taking a substantial portion of the program.
Educational Requirements for Film Students
A degree in cinematography and film will educate a film major in the art of making movies. The process of making a film is complicated, and an understanding of the technical, financial and artistic aspects of production is necessary in order to complete a project. One can obtain the basic skills necessary to enter film production through a two year associate's program or continue toward higher level degrees which will offer a greater understanding of history, technology, aesthetics, and theory.
Cinematography and film curriculum may include:
- Introduction to Cinema
- Sound
- Film Production
- Film Genres
- Video Editing
Schools Other Students Requested Information From:
Employment Paths & Popular Careers in Cinematography
Those looking to pursue a career in film production will have many options available to them as productions require many people with different skills. Movement through various facets of film production is not uncommon, and as an individual gains more experience he or she will begin to see higher pay and more responsibility. Experience in filmmaking in its many facets is highly valued, particularly among positions that require an individual to supervise or manage a team and to coordinate with other portions of production. Individuals wishing to reach the higher level of production, such as director or producer, should take on positions that allow them to become familiar with professionals in those positions.
Careers in films and cinematography arts may include:
- Art Director
- Gaffer
- Grip
- Director
- Camera Operator
- Editor
- Producer
- Production Assistant
- Cinematographer
- Director of Photography
Job Growth in Film and Cinematography Arts
The salary of a person working in film is highly dependent on the position of the individual and the production he or she is currently on. Skill and experience are highly prized, and a person attempting to enter the industry should be willing to take on any roll in order to obtain that experience. Job growth is expected to increase as newer technologies become more commonplace requiring trained individuals to work with them as well as the increased role of entertainment increasing the overall number of productions, thus work opportunities.
Film Arts Resources for Students
Individuals interested in cinematography and film may also be interested in photography, film studies, and photo journalism. The American Society of Cinematography (ASC) may be an organization of interest. Associations such as the ASC help to provide members a place to learn, grow, and connect to other like-minded professionals.