FILM & TELEVISION

Screenwriting, Directing and Producing

A Letter from the Executive Director

As a newly launched MFA in Film, Television & Digital Media program in the Southeast, we pride ourselves on being outliers and trailblazers. Rather than following long-established film school models, we founded a distinct, interdisciplinary, boutique arts conservatory. Here, students not only write screenplays and TV pilots, but also write, direct, and/or produce at least three short films during their six semesters of year-round graduate studies, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and world-class production facilities.

Foundationally, we value Communication, Collaboration, and Community, creating a safe place for students to find and hone their unique voices and visions. Within this supportive environment, our exceptional faculty give students the creative tools and skills required for success, and challenge them to tell evocative stories driven by personal experience and passions. We don’t follow any prescribed formulas; instead, we present students with myriad ways to build a body of work of which they can be proud. Making art requires courage and stamina, and while our program is rigorous, our ethos is nurturing, constructive and always respectful.

These are dynamic and exciting times in the state of Georgia, currently the third largest production hub in the US and growing rapidly. This presents an unprecedented opportunity for the next generation of storytellers. More than ever, I believe in the power of story to change things for the better, whether those stories are set in the South, the US at large, or around the world.

I invite you to join us if you have what it takes: talent, tenacity, and a dream. Why you? Why not you?

– Neil Landau, Executive Director

Overview

Core Requirements
Production: Every student must complete at least two (2) short films during their first academic year (one MOS and one synch sound film).

Writing: Every student must complete at least one (1) original feature-length screenplay AND one (1) original television pilot (in any format) plus pitch deck, ideally during their first academic year.

Full details about program requirements can be viewed in our program handbook.

With guidance from faculty, students will choose one of the following tracks for their thesis by the end of their first academic year (by August 1):

Writer/Director Track

In addition to the above Core Requirements: thesis film (write and direct, and/or produce, and deliver a polished 10–15-minute thesis film). While most students will also edit their films, students have the option to secure an outside editor at their own expense or to collaborate with a student editor – in close consultation with production faculty for approval.

Writer/Producer Track

In addition to the above Core Requirements:

One (1) additional script, which can be either: a polished feature-length screenplay OR one (1) additional TV pilot with pitch deck. This additional script may be an adaptation (source material must be preapproved by your Screenwriting professor). Additionally, Writer/Producer Track students must produce at least one (1) thesis film directed by a filmmaker from within their cohort.

Rooted in Georgia’s Film Industry

At the end of two years, students will graduate prepared to build above-the-line careers as writers, directors and producers in film, television and digital media.

The first year of the program will introduce students to the skills and technology they need to transition to the second year of study at Georgia Film Academy facilities adjacent to Trilith Studios and, ultimately, to dynamic career opportunities in Georgia’s vibrant production environment, in Hollywood, or elsewhere in the global entertainment industry.

Courses will include writing, directing, producing, cinematography, sound, production design, editing, digital post-production, acting for the camera, and costume design, as well as possible internships and special topics courses led by industry professionals.

MFA by the numbers

2

Year Program

18

First Year Students Accepted

62

Total Credit Hours

16,000

Approximate In-State Annual Tuition

41,000

Approximate Out-of-State Annual Tuition & Fees

Our Facilities

Grady College and our partnerships with Athena Studios, Trilith Studios, and the Georgia Film Academy equip our students with state-of-the-art technology and resources.

Contact

For more information about the MFA Film Program, please contact Taylor Potter.

Taylor Potter

Executive Assistant
MFA program Film, Television & Digital Media
Grady College
Email: Taylor.Potter@uga.edu
Office: Journalism Bldg., 340 Peabody Suite

WANT TO GET STARTED?

This is the only MFA program for film production at a public university in Georgia and is offered to students at the same tuition rate as other graduate programs at UGA, making it one of the most affordable programs of its caliber in the country.

© University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602   |   706-542-3000

Images provided by Elizabeth Wampler, Nalani Dowling, Elise Nation, and Clare Methe.