<p>My daughter is a first year at SLC, and one of the main reasons she chose to go there is its excellent film department. For an LAC, its course offerings are quite extensive with classes in both theory and production. Additionally, SLC’s conference system allows you to incorporate film work in your non-film classes. My daughter can not say enough good things about her professors. They are dedicated teachers as well as active filmmakers. If you haven’t had a chance, I’d recommend a tour of the film facilities. You’ll find that they are serious about film. </p>
<p>There are requirements on the number of classes you can take in a given department your first year. This is to provide the academic breadth that is part of a liberal arts education. Having said that, there are ways to have your cake and eat it too. My daughter has had a class in the film department each semester. Also, her first year seminar has a film studies component. She has another class outside the film department where film plays a prominent role, and the students are all working on making films for their conference projects. She has also created a short film as part of SLC’s “Thank the donors” project. So that’s three films her first year, in addition to the films of her classmates that she has helped with.</p>
<p>At SLC, there are no specific requirements for a film concentration, so you could graduate without having ever taken a film theory or film studies class, and focus just on production. However, in my mind, one of the great things about studying film at an LAC as opposed to a film school is that you don’t just learn about the mechanics of making films, you learn what makes a film great. SLC has the additional benefits of fantastic professors and proximity to NYC.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>