"Either you’ve got the fire or you don’t. Follow your heart. You’re lucky to be at a place where you have the tools, where you can watch films and make films."

Writer/director/producer Robert Zemeckis to Chapman University film students

At Chapman University, we believe that the film school experience must parallel the filmmaking experience. It must be driven by individual passion yet build on collaboration. It must be informed by a knowledge of film language and film history yet be brought to life by a hands-on knowledge of the latest digital technology. And it demands total, if not fanatical commitment, along with a realistic understanding of how the film industry works.

To make it in the highly competitive film industry today, we believe that this generation of students must be articulate, hard-working, flexible and driven. But commitment comes first. If you have the desire to tell your stories or to help others tell theirs--Chapman University can give you the knowledge, the tools and the connections to follow your dream.

We will teach you the craft, give you direct contact with Hollywood insiders, and put the equipment in your hands so that you can make your own films from the first day you come to campus. You’ll learn from an award-winning faculty which includes working professionals and visiting artists.

What we’ll expect is that you’ll immerse yourself in the world of filmmaking. We want you to see films, talk about films and learn more about how to make films every day you are with us. We want you to learn from your mistakes and interact with professionals who’ve been where you are and want to share what they’ve learned. And we want you to discover the excitement that we feel as we use the medium of film to explore the world we live in and to plumb the depths of the human heart.

If you’re ready for that kind of creative, intellectual, and life-affirming journey, the Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts may be just the experience you’ve been looking for.

Think of it this way. As with the films that move us most deeply, we may not know exactly what to expect when the lights go down, but somewhere in the dark interior of our very personal intersection with the filmmaker’s vision, a creative fusion takes place. We are transformed by our experience, and the world will never look the same again.

Are you ready to be a filmmaker? We’re ready for you.

Bob Bassett
Professor and Dean