ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Did you know a film school once called “one of the best in the country” by Steven Spielberg is located in east Orange County?
Valencia College’s East Campus offers an Associate of Science in Film Production Technology. Students can earn the degree for less than $10,000.
News 6 Anchor Julie Broughton toured the school and met with Professor and Program Chair Eric Fleming.
“It’s the best-kept secret. I don’t know why,” Fleming said.
He explained that a unique feature of the program is that students work as cohorts during their second year. In the program’s 30-year history, students have worked on more than 50 feature films.
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“What’s unique about this program is that we partner with professional productions. So we loan them our gear which is an extensive package of cameras, lighting, LED lighting, post-production, editing suites,” Fleming said.
“So how unusual is it for students to get to work on productions like this, as far as like, in school?” Broughton asked.
“Oh, it’s nearly impossible. Getting that first job sometimes is so difficult. I mean I went to film school. Went to Los Angeles. It takes years sometimes to get on a decent production and we give them a tremendous kickstart,” Fleming explained.
Students work hands-on with industry-standard gear, including Arri, Red, Sony, and Canon cameras. They learn LED lighting, special effects, and sound mixing as well. Valenica’s facility is only one of three in Central Florida with a Dolby Atmos theatre, mixing stage, and 4k projector.
“The quality of stuff we work on and the gear that we have. And the students, too. It’s a diverse student body. It’s not just rich kids that have trust funds who go to USC,” Fleming said. “These kids really have an opportunity to encourage diverse voices in cinema.”
If you’d like to learn more about Valencia’s Film Production Technology program, visit them online here.
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