Film and Video Production

The film program at Cape Fear Community College was first started in the fall of 2002. Since then it has grown from a certificate graduate program to a diploma and now a two year Associates in Applied Arts. Classes like Make-up/Wardrobe, Intro to DEA and Screen Writing were added. Now, the small group of students that started the program pales in comparison to the average of nearly fifty students a semester.

Pre-Production

Everything begins here. Before anything is shot it needs to be taken through the proper steps of pre-production. Our program brings you from script writing using Celtex, scheduling and budgeting using Entertainment Partner’s professional software all the way to storyboarding each scene shot for shot. From this point we teach you how to set up shoots by getting all elements of production together. A few of these
things are – casting calls, securing locations, hiring crew, scheduling equipment use, and gathering props.

Production

Students in Film and Video Productions use several types of cameras to shoot their class projects. We have seen the market shift to digital photography formats and our philosophy is to keep up with industry standards so we offer an arrange of HD cameras for our students. These include Panasonic HVX-200’s on 16 g P2’s, Cannon T2i’s, and for our 2nd year students, a RED ONE digital cinema camera. In this program you will learn how to build, operate, and light for these cameras. In addition to the cameras, three light kits complete with accessories, tripods, field monitors, filters, booms mics are all available to gain an understanding of all aspects of filming.

Post-Production

The editing stage is also covered. In the classroom adjacent to the course’s lab room, Intel MacPro’s, Macbook Pro’s, Powerbooks, several top-of-the-line 8-Core Mac Pro computers. These are complete with a variety of software used for editing. Final Cut Pro is one of the primary programs used as it covers a broad area in basic editing. This program will teach you the complete post-production work flow using this
software. Including – transcoding of digital files, non-linear editing theory and application, sound mixing and final export of projects to DVD or Internet formats. Other Software used: After Effects for special effects, Motion for creating unique text and titles, Sound Track Pro and Pro Tools which are used for creating music and sound effects, and DVD Studio Pro.

The technology available to use in these classes is more than helpful to gain an understanding of film and video production from soup to nuts. For matting and special effects, students use a portable 8′ by 20′ green screen. The sound studio gives students hands on opportunity to learn about recording and mixing music and other audio media. Our classroom set, donated by Dawson’s Creek, is in a continual state re-construction with episodes of “Zeke’s on the Levee” and “The Tuition Mission” recently being finished.

Students will look forward to a hand-on learning experience with a project-based curriculum designed to build a foundation for future film-makers and videographers to grow on. The FVP Department has done well in film festivals around the country as well as here in Wilmington. Our Students are a big part of the Cucalorus Film

Festival, the Final Cut Film Festival, and have had several entries accepted to numerous other festivals. Our classes are diverse, taught by local professionals, offer a rare and valuable insight into what it takes to become (and make a living) a member of Wilmington’s Film Community.