If you’re considering a career in film or television, it’s important to understand that there are many different roles in the field, so there are lots of opportunities where your interests and skills can be a good fit. Perhaps you enjoy directing others to perform a certain way. Maybe you’re a wordsmith who wants to pursue work in scriptwriting. Or you might like to design animated characters.

 Full Sail University offers many different areas of study that could lead to careers in the realm of film and television. While they focus on different aspects, all of Full Sail’s courses are designed to mimic the workflow found across various industries, ensuring students are prepared to pursue their desired career interests. Let’s explore some of these educational offerings.

Certificates


Film & Video Undergraduate Certificate: This certificate covers foundational knowledge in digital video and film production. Students learn industry terminology, technical flexibility, scriptwriting, motion picture history, and postproduction. The program prepares students for independent video production, web video development, and media creation.

Associate Programs


Digital Cinematography: In recent years, digital technology has led to an explosion of innovation in cinematography. Full Sail’s online Digital Cinematography associate program provides students with a strong introduction to equipment in digital video and filmmaking production. You’ll get hands-on opportunities to learn digital photography, HD video production, lighting, and audio mixing.

 Film: Compared to digital cinematography, the on-campus Film associate program introduces students to the traditional film production process. Courses are built around an industry workflow, so you’ll discover how to navigate a set, collaborate with others on a crew, and work on a wide range of projects across the production cycle.

Bachelor’s Completion Programs


Audio Arts – Show Production Concentration: Ever dreamt of a career in live event production, helping to put on memorable shows for audiences watching in person or via broadcast? In this curriculum, you’ll learn practical skills in audio and visual production, how to apply them to help take live performances to the next level, and what dynamics move an audience. 

Communications – Creative Writing Concentration: Do you love telling stories by exploring the furthest reaches of the human experience? Studying creative writing will help you learn how to share these narratives across various mediums. You’ll learn how to incorporate visual elements, explore different genres, and examine the types of publication and distribution for stories of all kinds.

 Visual Arts – Computer Animation Concentration: Artists use eye-catching computer graphics in nearly every aspect of today’s entertainment industry, such as developing crowd scenes in a movie or designing landscapes for a video game. When you study computer animation, you’ll be guided through the same production pipeline used in professional studios – from storyboarding, sketching, and visual development to modeling, character animation, and compositing.

Visual Arts – Digital Cinematography Concentration: In today’s digital age, content creators must be able to adapt their ideas for a variety of mediums. The online digital cinematography curriculum pairs knowledge of the latest technology with a strong foundation in visual storytelling. You’ll learn digital video and filmmaking production techniques through hands-on experience with digital photography, HD video production, lighting, and audio mixing. You’ll also gain experience in directing, filming, postproduction, and distribution.

Visual Arts – Film Concentration: Studying film on the Full Sail campus will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the film industry and workflows. You’ll learn to navigate a film set by exploring the various departments that make up a film crew. While cinematography is one part of this curriculum, other courses examine writing, directing, producing, sound, editing, casting calls, and makeup. Students also receive hands-on experience with cameras and editing software while working in state-of-the-art production facilities.

Keep in mind that the bachelor’s completion programs at Full Sail are comprised of an associate program featuring courses that set the foundation for your studies, followed by a bachelor’s completion program designed to prepare you with more advanced skills and knowledge in your chosen field.

Master’s Programs


Film Production MFA: Looking for a graduate degree program in this area of study? The Film Production master’s program focuses on advanced concepts in screenwriting, visual storytelling, directing, editing, producing, and business strategies. Students will learn to produce, staff a crew, and package a professional feature-length or short film that’s ready for distribution.

The Benefits of a Full Sail Education


Full Sail’s approach to education offers hands-on experience with the same industry-standard facilities and technology used by professionals who work in your desired field. You will also have daily interaction with instructors and professionals in the field you are hoping to enter, providing lots of insight into the latest trends and skills you’ll need to succeed. In addition, thanks to industry-leading companies that often partner with Full Sail students and faculty on projects, you’ll have the chance to add real-world experience to your resume and make meaningful connections for your professional network. Finally, Full Sail’s Career Development department walks alongside students and graduates through their journey. This helps to ensure they are empowered with as much information as possible to find professional opportunities of interest to them. Career Development’s support starts as soon as the student enrolls in their first class and continues all the way through post-graduation.

Examples of Film & Television Grads



Full Sail has proudly had numerous alumni go on to notable careers and win awards in various aspects of the film and television industries.

Nina Lopez-Corrado has directed episodes of several hit TV series. She has served as a producing director and guest director on programs like The Mentalist, Supernatural, A Million Little Things, Perry Mason, and The Nevers. She was also tapped to direct an episode of the Emmy-winning show The Last of Us.

Gary A. Rizzo, who has won Oscars for his work on Inception and Dunkirk, was recently nominated again for serving as a Re-Recording Mixer on the 2023 summer sensation, Oppenheimer.

Another grad, Ricardo Ramos [LINK: https://www.fullsail.edu/about/full-sail-stories/grad-works-as-producer-on-apple-tvs-lionel-messi-docuseries], has gone on to help produce documentaries, including Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend on Apple TV+.

Many Full Sail grads from the film and television areas of study have been nominated for and won some of the most prestigious awards in the entertainment industry. At this year’s Oscars, a total of 100 graduates were credited on 23 projects, including 12 graduates who worked on five winning projects. For the 2023 Emmys, more than 270 grads were part of nominated and award-winning projects. This year, more than 190 grads are part of Emmy-nominated projects.