Film & Video Production, B.S.

Video equipment

  • With state-of-the-art facilities and integrated excellence across the College of Fine Arts, Millikin Film students collaborate with dancers, actors and musicians on a range of multidisciplinary cinematic endeavors!

    The B.S. degree in Film and Video Production readies students for a myriad of careers in fields ranging from motion picture, television and documentary filmmaking to commercial, corporate and web video production. Students gain hands-on experience exploring the elements and equipment necessary to create professional video and cinema. Throughout the program, students produce real-world projects that help them build the skills and knowledge they need for successful careers in the ever-growing world of professional video and cinema.

  • Why the School of Art & Creative Media?

    Film students gain hands-on experience creating professional video and cinema projects while collaborating with actors, musicians, dancers, and designers across the College of Fine Arts. Through opportunities such as 1901 Productions, the Aston Video Lab, internships, and multidisciplinary productions, students build professional portfolios and real-world experience before graduation. 

    • Students in Aston video lab

      Aston Video Lab

      Located in Aston Hall, the Aston Video Lab is a one-stop location, for motion picture creation, from concept to completion.
    • I hadn't even touched a camera yet when I first got to Millikin. Getting to jump right into classes while also joining the student-run company was magic. I was learning things in class and then immediately applying them on set with other students.
    — Hannah Uebinger, Film Major
  • Students in aston lab
    Students in aston lab
    Students in aston lab

  • Popular courses in the core include:

    • Production in Video and Cinema
    • Directing for the Camera
    • Screenwriting
    • Motion Graphics Animation
    • Visual Effects
    • Feminist Cinema History

  • Film & Video Production graduates pursue careers such as:

    • Film Editor
    • Producer
    • Director
    • Cinematographer
    • Videographer
    • Camera Operator
    • Content Creator
    • Multimedia Producer
    • Broadcast Producer
    • Documentary Filmmaker

    Illinois Salary Snapshot

    Film and Video Editors in Illinois earn approximately:

    • Entry-Level: $60,682
    • Median Salary: $74,488
    • Experienced Professionals: $93,897+

    These careers span entertainment, marketing, corporate communications, broadcasting, education, nonprofit organizations, and digital media industries. 

  • Film and Video Production (21 credits)

    • - AT 234: Directing for the Camera (3)
    • - AT 334: Production for Video and Cinema I (3) 
    • - AT 339: Screenwriting (3)
    • - AT 434: Postproduction for Video and Cinema I (3) 
    • - Film History or Film Analysis class (3). Choose from MM 306: Hollywood Cinema/MM307: Feminist Cinema/AR 360: Topics in Art — Film History or other as approved by Director. 

    Choose 6 credits from the following:

    • - AT 235: Director’s Vision (3)
    • - AT 335: Production for Video and Cinema II (3)
    • - AT 435: Postproduction for Video and Cinema II (3)
    • - AT 337: Cinematography (3) 
    • - AT 320: Motion Graphics Animation (3)
    • - AT 363: Topics in Video Production (3-9)
    • - Or an elective as approved by Director

    In addition to video, students will take classes in arts management, social media marketing, entrepreneurship, graphic design and audio production. This comprehensive approach provides students with multiple opportunities to learn modern content creation and distribution, while simultaneously giving them the versatility needed for success in the competitive worlds of film, entertainment and marketing.

    A wide variety of electives are available, including live sound, visual effects, international film, documentaries, film theory, animation and acting.

  • Students pursuing Film & Video Production may be eligible for talent-based scholarships through the College of Fine Arts.

    Portfolio submissions may include:

    • Short Films
    • Video Projects
    • Editing Samples
    • Screenplays
    • Storyboards
    • Photography
    • YouTube or Social Media Content
    • Other Creative Media Work

  • Film and Video Production Learning Goals:

    Students will:

    1. Explore the discourses that inform the aesthetics of visual and performing arts.
    2. Acquire, through Performance Learning, proficiency in essential arts technologies.
    3. Develop a collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset at the intersection of arts and technology. 

    Be sure to check out some of our student films shown at our Images in Motion Film Festival and view some of the awards won by our students.

    Take a look at Millikin’s student-run film studio 1901 Productions, as well as the University’s student-run media firm Millikin Creates.

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