Programs & Internships

Alright, getting great questions from a bunch of you so I'm going to talk for a bit in this blog about some of the notable programs here at Dodge and the Internship opportuinties outside of Dodge.

First off, Internships.
Let me just say... it's not a REQUIREMENT here, but it's strongly reccomended. As a guess (I don't have actual figures on hand, so don't quote me), I would think about 80% of students at the school take at least one internship (in L.A., or surrounding areas) before they graduate here. I know some who take multiple. Our thought is that it's important to do for the a.) work experience, b.) connections, for once you get outside of the (fairly broad) college community, and c.) resume - it's always good to have stuff for your work resume.

In terms of location, sure, we may not be in downtown L.A., but it's actually not too bad getting to L.A. (comparatively - getting into L.A. from ANYWHERE can be difficult on bad days or at bad times). If you have your own car, of course, it's much easier to do... otherwise you get a friend to drive you once in a while, or you take a bus or train (we have a train station right next to the Film Department). So while L.A. might not be just around the corner, it's actually not too bad at all. And besides - would you really WANT to be right in L.A.? I guess it's all a matter of your opinion. I personally like being in a quieter area; downtown Orange is quite old, homey and comfortable. And yet only a few minutes from Disneyland, the John Wayne Airport, Newport or Laguna Beaches, and only 30-45 minutes (on a good day) from downtown L.A.

So the short answer: No, I don't think it's inconvienent at all. I think it's actually nice not being right in the midst of L.A., but being close enough to commute to if necessary. And many people here do it. It does, of course, depend upon your class schedule, but it's very often that you'll have one free day in the week, or a few days with only one morning or evening class. So it's more than possible.


And now, some of Our Programs.
I actually had the unique experience of working at the Film School (Front Office) from day one of my being here at Chapman. It's a really cool job for me because I get to know the staff and faculty here much better than I might normally; also I get to know the regulations, procedures and processes much more intimately; finally, I get to know about things that are going on much more easily.

I found out, my first week on campus and on the job, about the Filmmaker in Residence program: basically, an industry guest (or two, some semesters) that stays with us for the semester to have individual meetings with selected students for the program to work on projects, etc. One of the programs INVOLVED with the program is the weekly screenings and dinners. Basically, other guests are brought in on Tuesdays & Thursdays to screen one of their feature projects on the big screen here. Weekly guests have included, most notably, Rob Reiner, John Carpenter, John Badham and more. They'll hold a Q & A with the audience and Filmmaker in Residence after the film (or TV episodes) screening... but here's the best part. DURING the film, ten students are invited to have dinner with the guest, to ask questions and have a personal, one-on-one conversation over dinner. The sign-ups are first-come-first-served, and have nothing to do with Senior/Junior/Sophomore/Freshman standing, or anything like that. You simply sign up at the front desk and can go to two a semester (or more, if there is room in the dinners). Many people overlook opportunities like these, so unless it's a REALLY well known guest like Rob Reiner, you can usually get into the dinner without any problem. I did, my first week on campus, and thought it was an excellent experience.

So weekly and monthly screenings and programs like this aren't at all hard to get into if you know what you're looking for and sign up early enough. I mean, yeah, you have to be proactive and not just wait for something to land at your feet, but that's true with anything in this business, I think. Postings are put up on bulletin boards around the school as well as sent out in weekly emails ("The Slate") so as long as you check them, there's plenty of things to do. Programs such as the Cambodia Documentary Program, which I was mentioning in earlier posts, can be more difficult to get into depending on the size - for Cambodia, there were about 50 applicants for 3-5 spots, so naturally it was a little more difficult. I haven't heard back yet (darn) so I am assuming I did not make it into that final, small cut. HOWEVER if it goes well this year it will become an annual program, so I can hope for better next year.

Other programs like the Filmmaker in Residence Meetings (or Location Filmmaking, held over interterm) all depend on the size, your strengths and abilities, and (once in a while) your class standing. But there are so many opportunities that I can't imagine you wouldn't get into at least one program that you'd be interested in if you worked hard enough for it.