Film & Media

Film & Media—Production Concentration, Film & Media—Studies Concentration, Applied Film and Media Major, Minor

Academics / Departments & Programs / Communication / Academics Film & Media Major—Production Concentration

Degree Overview

The end. As the credits roll, you blink back into reality and stretch out of your seat. For two hours, you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes.

To create that immersive experience requires visionaries whose technical skill matches their storytelling drive. It requires you.

At Calvin, you’ll have the opportunity to do real filmmaking, gaining practical experience in directing, acting, editing, and more. In media production classes, you'll learn how to guide an idea to its full expression. You'll learn what separates a merely good screenplay from a world-changing one and how to manage cameras and audio tools to best tell a story. When you graduate, you’ll have all the skills and experience you need to make your mark.

Program Distinctives

Learn from the pros - You'll learn from professors who understand how to bring stories alive on the screen. From Hollywood screenwriting to documentary filmmaking, our professors have real and relevant experience.
Follow your passion - Do you plan to create great films or to study and analyze them? Choose the production or studies concentration, and learn how to apply your experience and insight into different careers.
Find your community - Use your skills to inspire the Calvin community outside the classroom. Join Student Video Productions or the Visual Arts Guild, or even enter your work in the 60-Second Film Festival.
Work with your hands - You'll learn and create using cutting-edge production facilities that rival local television and radio stations. Here, you can take advantage of spacious TV control rooms, video and audio editing suites, and film production studies.

Degree Information

Film & Media—Production Concentration
  • Courses
    Loading...
  • Advising
  • Careers

    What can you do with a major in film and media studies?

    As a CAS major you have the opportunity study audio/visual media and how it communicates in film, television, radio, new media platforms, advertising, and other digital media arts. The rise of online video hosting services, podcasts, independent film studios, video advertising, and other digital media production centers is making these creative and technical skills more relevant every day.

    • The film industry is one of the largest players in the global entertainment field and its value is growing by the billions every year. Film majors go on to produce big budget movies, compelling social justice documentaries, influential advertisements, and countless other multimedia ventures. Jump-start your career by working with filmmakers in Grand Rapids, collaborating on projects with your professors, or even completing an internship in Los Angeles.
    • As new web companies are beginning to produce high-quality television content to compete with cable company giants, television studios are evolving to keep up. Use your production skills to break into this rapidly developing field.
    • Other institutions like youth ministry, nonprofits, and eCommerce sites need creative individuals who know how to use digital media to reach a diverse array of audiences.

    Here are just a few of the careers you could consider:

    • film maker
    • producer
    • director
    • editor
    • cinematographer
    • critic sound technician
    • screenwriter
    • film and media analyst
    • educator
    • media/web producer

    See job placement rates for Calvin grads.

    Film & Media—Studies Concentration
    • Courses
      Loading...
    • Advising
    • Careers

      What can you do with a major in film and media studies?

      As a CAS major you have the opportunity study audio/visual media and how it communicates in film, television, radio, new media platforms, advertising and other digital media arts. The rise of online video hosting services, podcasts, independent film studios, video advertising, and other digital media production centers is making these creative and technical skills more relevant every day.

      • The film industry is one of the largest players in the global entertainment field and its value is growing by the billions every year. Film majors go on to produce big budget movies, compelling social justice documentaries, influential advertisements, and countless other multimedia ventures. Jump-start your career by working with filmmakers in Grand Rapids, collaborating on projects with your professors, or even completing an internship in Los Angeles.
      • As new web companies are beginning to produce high-quality television content to compete with cable company giants, television studios are evolving to keep up. Use your production skills to break into this rapidly developing field.
      • Other institutions like youth ministry, nonprofits, and eCommerce sites need creative individuals who know how to use digital media to reach a diverse array of audiences.

      Here are just a few of the careers you could consider:

      • film maker
      • producer
      • director
      • editor
      • cinematographer
      • critic sound technician
      • screenwriter
      • film and media analyst
      • educator
      • media/web producer

      See job placement rates for Calvin grads.

      Applied Film and Media Major
      Minor

      Advisor

      Samuel Smartt's staff picture
      Samuel Smartt

      Showcase your skills

      Share your creativity with Calvin’s supportive film community. The Calvin Media Showcase screens the best work made by film and media majors each semester.

      Promotional banner for the Greatest Showcase on Earth
      Pie chart showing the amount of household debt accumulated by percentages of the graduating student body
      Family income distribution for students applying for financial aid.

      You can afford a Calvin education.

      You’ve heard a lot about the high cost of a university education. But a Calvin education is much more affordable than you think. Most Calvin students pay far below the sticker price—and graduate with less debt than you might expect.

      Explore affordability at Calvin »

      U.S. News & World Report ranks Calvin as a Best Midwest Regional University for 2022.

      A reputation for excellence.

      There’s a reason Calvin gets top marks from U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, and more. Calvin graduates are in demand at grad schools, med schools, and careers in every field.

      Discover the Calvin advantage »

      SOCIAL MEDIA

      The latest sights & sounds | #calvinuniversity

      Female student wading in Plaster Creek, examining a sample of water, holding it up to the sky.

      ACADEMIC OPTIONS

      With over 100 majors and programs, you’re bound to find something you love.

      Browse by category

      × CLOSE DRAWER
      A dramatic view looking up at the Calvin's Crossing bridge, with a perfect blue sky overhead.

      Apply to Calvin

      It all starts here! We accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. All completed applications receive equal consideration.

      Start your journey × CLOSE DRAWER
      A female and male student walking side by side down the Calvin's Crossing bridge, conversing with each other.

      Visit Calvin

      Find the visit option that works best for you and get a taste for life at Calvin!

      Browse Visit Options Launch the virtual tour × CLOSE DRAWER
      Students huddled around, lighting sparklers with a beautiful evening sky behind them.

      Request Info

      Learn why Calvin’s dedication to faith and discovery have earned it the rank of #3 among regional Midwest universities.

      Loading...
      × CLOSE DRAWER
      Graduates in their robes, tossing their caps high into the air, laughing.

      Costs & Financial Aid

      Families from all economic backgrounds—many just like yours—are making Calvin work. Scholarships, grants and loans are the tools that make Calvin possible.

      Explore financial aid & Scholarships How much does Calvin cost? × CLOSE DRAWER
      Top