University of Kansas

[temerson]

The University of Kansas has an ever-growing film program, with success stories coming fast and furious. Former alumni include Alex Graves (executive producer, co-producer The West Wing), Chris Martin (Visual Effects Coordinator, The Clubhouse), as well as current faculty including Kevin Willmott (director, C.S.A. Confederate States of America - Sundance 2004), and Matt Jacobson (cinematographer, C.S.A. Confederate States of America). Students are actively involved in KU FilmWorks, the movie production organization, as well as KU Television Production Club, the television production organization, as well as projects independent of the school. In the past several years, KU has been on the Top 20 list of film schools in the nation, and is gaining rapidly. The best part about attending this film school, located in Lawrence, Kansas, is the potential for greatness. With alumni, faculty, and current students so heavily involved in production from the first day of freshman year, experience is not hard to find for even underclassman. While it may not have the public prestige of schools like USC or NYU, thanks to the film school, the area from Kansas City to Lawrence to Wichita is quickly becoming the Austin of the midwest. Outside of school, the independent film community has hundreds of members and production companies producing shorts and features, documentaries, commercials, and the like. It is also located a mere hour and a half from the Tallgrass Film Festival, and twenty minutes from the Kansas International Film Festival and the Kansas City Jubilee. If you are looking for a school that is relatively inexpensive, offers hours of one-on-one time with faculty, and the ability to get your hands on a camera the first day, I highly recommend looking at the University of Kansas.