(Ashland, Ore.) — It’s official: Southern Oregon University’s Digital Cinema program makes SOU one of the best film schools in North America. The current edition of MovieMaker magazine, which bills itself as the world’s most widely read independent film magazine, includes SOU among its picks for the “30 Best Film Schools in the U.S. & Canada.”
“When we launched the Digital Cinema program in fall 2019, one of our big aspirations was to become a nationally-ranked film school,” said Andrew Gay, a professor of Digital Cinema and director of SOU’s School of Arts & Communication. “This is a huge achievement, especially for a program of this size, based outside of a major production center.”
The MovieMaker article – which lists the 30 top film schools alphabetically rather than in a ranked order – points out that SOU’s Digital Cinema program gives students opportunities to hear from accomplished speakers from the film industry and to network with professionals at organizations including Film Southern Oregon and the Ashland Independent Film Festival.
“The curriculum merges theory with practice, emphasizing hands-on learning through the moviemaking process, leading to a professional portfolio upon graduation, all supported by the Digital Media Center, an 8,500-square-foot teaching and production facility, as well as an equipment office loaded with state-of-the-art gear,” the magazine story says.
SOU is the only Oregon school to make the MovieMaker list, and one of just two from the Pacific Northwest – the other is the Vancouver Film School, in British Columbia. SOU and the University of Colorado at Denver are the only two four-year programs on the list that participate in the Western University Exchange – an initiative that makes tuition discounts available to students from 16 Western states and territories. The MovieMaker listing for SOU also includes a photo of students on location during a production for the program’s annual “Crew Experience” project – one of just nine photos from the listed schools.
“I’m excited to finally see the recognition of one of Oregon’s best kept (and now known) secrets: SOU’s film and media programs,” said Tim Williams, the executive director of Oregon Film. “I have been lucky enough to watch the amazing growth of this program in such a beautiful part of our state, and then work with the talent that has graduated from it and into our industry. We are grateful and lucky to have SOU in every way.”
SOU’s Digital Cinema program offers three bachelor’s degree options – including Oregon’s only bachelor of fine arts degree in film production – and nine stand-alone certificates that prepare graduates for careers in film and entertainment. Program highlights include its Credit for Prior Learning option, which offers many incoming students academic credit for the knowledge and skills they have gained through previous life experiences, and its groundbreaking, 12-credit annual immersion project called “The Crew Experience.” Student filmmakers in the Crew Experience spend an entire term learning on location and collaborating under the supervision of experienced professionals on the set of a significant film project.
Students can also pursue a dual-degree pathway beginning this fall – a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Film Business, and a bachelor of fine arts degree in Digital Cinema Production Arts with a concentration in Producing & Production Management.
The Digital Cinema program is rooted in the film school tradition but is highly experiential and embraces entrepreneurship and innovation as it prepares students for dynamic careers in an expanding world of video arts and entertainment.
SOU is a member of the Green Film School Alliance – a collaboration of leading film schools that have committed to industry-level sustainable production practices in their programs.
MovieMaker magazine – which is geared toward the art and business of filmmaking – has named Ashland a “best place to live and work as a MovieMaker” since 2014, citing picturesque filming locations such as Lithia Park and Mt. Ashland, and an influx of moviemakers and actors to the area.
“Southern Oregon is home to a film community rich in expertise and love – it’s a haven for artists who don’t want the Hollywood life – and SOU exemplifies its commitment to real filmmaking,” said Tim Molloy, editor of MovieMaker magazine.
He called the area “a cinematographer’s dream,” with easy access to “some of the most lushly beautiful locations on the planet.”