Certificate in Collaborative Filmmaking (CCF)

Greenlight your film career in one year

A 9-month alternative to a 4-year film school

The 30-credit Certificate in Collaborative Filmmaking program at Maine Media College provides participants with a hands-on, creativity-driven entry route into the film, television and web media industries.

Talk with an advisor who can help answer any of your questions, call 877-577-7700 or use our contact form:

Key Information & Dates

CCF Virtual Open House, December 6 at 7pm.

In this virtual event, meet with film program Chair Wayne Beach and CCF graduates to learn first-hand about this intensive, immersive experience.

Who Should Attend:

  • Individuals seeking an alternative to the traditional four-year film degree.
  • Aspiring filmmakers seeking the expertise, skills and connections to get started in their career.
  • Mid-career professionals pursuing a career change.
  • Filmmakers looking to expand their skills and deepen their knowledge of their craft in Directing, Editing, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Documentary, Production, and Audio.

Register for free here

Application deadline: Admissions are on a rolling basis. As the CCF Program is limited to 12 students, you are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
 
Key Dates:
 
  • March 25  Start of Spring Term
  • May 24  Final Day of Spring Term
  • June 17  First Day of Summer Term
  • August 23  Final Day of Summer Term
  • September 2  First Day of Fall Term
  • November 8  Final Day of Fall Term & screening of final projects

About the CCF Program

Over the course of nine months, students are prepared to work as independent filmmakers and in specific craft areas related to cinematography, directing, writing, lighting, sound, editing, and post-production. Graduates of the program can apply these skills to work in a number of media arts genres including narrative film and television, documentary, branded content, corporate video, music video, and web-based media creation, to name just a few.

Career Outcomes

Depending on the tracks and electives chosen, CCF graduates are poised to pursue some of the following career paths:

Director, Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Producer, Assistant Director, Line Producer, Production Manager, Camera Operator, Grip, Gaffer, Editor, Production Sound Mixer, and other areas of craft specialization.

Learn more about the Goals and Objectives of the program.

CCF Program Chair Wayne Beach gives an overview of the program.

What You Will Learn

Throughout the program, students will learn industry-standard processes, explore new modalities of expression in order to broaden their artistic range, strengthen their skills and techniques, and experience the dynamics of collaboration.

Students work at close range with instructors who are also experienced professionals in the craft areas they teach, and they will have access to industry-grade equipment with which to work. Instructed by accomplished industry directors, writers, cinematographers, and editors, students will also learn the nuances of navigating the industry as a professional.

Photo by Sebastiano Caccetta

Who Should Apply?

Watch recent filmmaking instructors share their experience working with students at Maine Media.

Conrad Hall teaching the first cinematography workshop in 1975.

Renowned cinematographer Conrad Hall teaching the first cinematography workshop in 1975. Hall worked on the notable films “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “American Beauty”.

Why Maine Media College?

Alumni Showcase

Notable Maine Media Filmmaking Alumni

These alums and many others credit Maine Media for the training and networking opportunities that helped them forge successful careers.

Our Faculty

Students learn from accomplished professionals in intensive, immersive, and intimate classes. Maine Media faculty include Oscar and Emmy Award-winning film professionals, directors, writers, cinematographers, and editors whose credits include classic films and iconic shows.

Wayne Beach

CCF Chair, Film Program Chair.

Recent Instructors

Uta Briesewitz

Director (Stranger Things, Westworld).

Allen Coulter

Allen Coulter

Director of The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Ray Donovan, Nurse Jackie, and House Of Cards.

Rachel Morrison ASC

Cinematographer (Black Panther, Mudbound) and the first woman to be nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar.

Paul Schrader

Legendary screenwriter and writer/director (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo, Mishima, and First Reformed)

Daniel Pearl ASC Profile Picture

Daniel Pearl ASC

The most nominated cinematographer at MTV Video Music Awards. Has shot over 400 music videos, 250 commercials, and numerous feature films.

Steven Fierberg ASC

Award-winning cinematographer (Emily in Paris, Entourage, The Affair).

Patrick Cady teaching cinematographer students

Patrick Cady ASC DGA

Cinematographer & director (Bosch, Rectify)

Chris Wairegi

Award-winning Cinematographer (VICE, Survival of the Thickest, Black Girl Beauty).

Kristi Zea

Oscar-nominated producer (As Good As It Gets) and production designer (The Silence of the Lambs, Goodfellas).

Geary McLeod ASC DGA

Director and cinematographer (Empire, Grey’s Anatomy).

Steve Ramsey teaching on location at a stained glass windowed church in Thomaston, Maine

Steve Ramsey

Gaffer (Joker, West Side Story, Bridge of Spies).

John Toll ASC

Oscar-winning cinematographer (Braveheart, Legends of the Fall)

RACHEL MORRISON ASC, cinematographer (Black Panther, Mudbound) and the first woman to be nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar.

POLLY MORGAN ASC BSC Cinematographer. (A Quiet Place Part 2, Where the Crawdads Sing, American Horror Story)

PAUL SCHRADER, legendary screenwriter and writer/director (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo, Mishima, and First Reformed)

LESLI LINKA GLATTER, Oscar-nominated director whose credits include Homeland, The Leftovers, and Mad Men.

STEVE YEDLIN ASC, cinematographer (Knives Out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi).

CATLIN ADAMS, Performance coach for Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, Darren Aronofsky, Brad Pitt, and other A-list stars and directors.

JOHN COLES, award-winning director and producer (House of Cards, Homeland, Justified).

RODRIGO PRIETO, ASC Three-time Academy Award-nominated cinematographer (The Wolf of Wall Street, Brokeback Mountain).

DAVID TEDESCHI, Martin Scorsese’s documentary editor and co-producer (No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, George Harrison: Living In The Material World).

NATALIE KINGSTON Emmy-nominated award-winning cinematographer. (Apple TV’s Black Bird, Billie Eilish videos).

ERIC MOYNIER, Cinematographer (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Boardwalk Empire, The Blacklist, award-winning VR projects).

ELAINE McMILLION SHELDON Oscar-nominated and Emmy and Peabody-winning documentary filmmaker.

ED LACHMAN ASC, director and cinematographer for films by Todd Haynes, Wim Wenders, Steven Soderbergh and Paul Schrader.

LUIS ZERON  Editor, series for HBO and Netflix.

ALEXIS OSTRANDER  Emmy-nominated director (American Horror Story, Supergirl, Riverdale).

PATRICK CADY, ASC, DGA  Cinematographer & director (Bosch, Rectify).

JON WEIMAN  Award-winning commercial director (Samsung, Infiniti, McDonald’s, Google, Facebook).

IGOR MARTINOVIĆ ASC Award-winning cinematographer  (House of Cards, The Night Of, Man on Wire).

KRISTI ZEA, Oscar-nominated producer (As Good As It Gets) and production designer (The Silence of the Lambs, Goodfellas).

JESSICA BESHIR, documentary filmmaker (Faya Dayi)

EUGENE GEARTY, Oscar-winning sound designer (Hugo, Fargo, Malcolm X)

MARK ULANO CAS, Oscar-winning production sound mixer (Titanic, Kill Bill, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

CHRISTOPHER TELLEFSEN, editor (A Quiet Place, Moneyball)

IMOGEN SARA SMITH  Film historian, The Criterion Channel

PAUL TAYLOR,  Acclaimed Steadicam instructor.  The world’s first Steadicam classes were held at Maine Media.

NELSON RYLAND, Emmy-winning film editor whose work has been seen on HBO, Netflix, Showtime, PBS, Hulu, and The Sundance Channel.

TOMMY MADDOX-UPSHAW ASC, cinematographer (Snowfall, Empire).

TOM GASEK, stop motion animation master (Coraline, The Wrong Trousers).

EMILY HUBLEY  Accomplished experimental animation filmmaker.

MAURICIO HANDLER Natural history documentary cinematographer and producer (CNN, BBC, NatGeo, ESPN).

Photo by Amanda Piela

Program Schedule & Curriculum

Students seeking to earn a Certificate in Collaborative Filmmaking must complete all three terms of the program in their entirety. Terms must be taken in sequence, but a student may have up to three years to complete all three terms. Click each term offering to learn more.

Spring Term (Mar-May, 2024)

The first term immerses students in the key dynamics of filmmaking. Learning and experiencing the components unique to each discipline equips them to effectively communicate with colleagues across craft areas. Students collaborate on exercises and short films, supporting their peers in diverse production roles, and learning to be well-rounded filmmakers.

A 4-Week Film School provides a foundational understanding of visual storytelling, cinematography, directing, and editing. Students quickly move into hands-on exploration of key dynamics. Each student creates at least one short film. Subsequent classes take students more deeply into the techniques and aesthetics of filmmaking as they explore Film History & Theory, Story Structure & Character Development, and Production Dynamics. A two-week Spring Film Project Lab allows each student to implement techniques they have studied over the preceding weeks as they make a short film. The term concludes with The Art of Editing, in which students examine the dynamics of the craft with a professional editor while they also edit their spring projects.

Core Classes:

The second term allows students to focus on crafts of specific interest to them. In consultation with their advisor, students select ten electives from the extensive array of Maine Media summer week-long workshops taught by film industry professionals and masters. Workshops offer specialized instruction in aspects of cinematography, directing, editing, screenwriting, documentary, and more. From these, students may elect to join a “track” and fully immerse themselves in their chosen facet of film production, or they may select an array of diverse workshops and continue to develop skills as a well-rounded filmmaker (See workshops below). Building on the foundation afforded by the first term, students are guided by accomplished professionals as they work both collaboratively and independently, learning the practical nuances of each craft.

The following represents a typical array of summer workshop offerings from which CCF students choose ten:

Directing

  • The Director’s Craft
  • Directing Actors for the Camera
  • 2-week Directing Master Class
  • Creating & Directing Branded Content
  • The Camera and Visual Storytelling

Cinematography

  • The Art of Cinematography
  • Grip & Electric
  • Framing the Narrative
  • The Camera and Visual Storytelling
  • Nonfiction Cinematography
  • The Steadicam Workshop
  • Cinematography Master Class
  • Creative Lighting for Film & TV
  • DIT on Set
  • The Art of Lighting & Shooting Interviews
  • Shooting Commercials & Music Videos

Editing & Post Production

  • Digital Workflow
  • Adobe Premiere
  • Adobe After Effects
  • DaVinci Resolve
  • Advanced DaVinci Resolve
  • The Art of Editing
  • Film Editing Master Class
  • Advanced Adobe After Effects
  • Editing the Documentary
  • Editing Commercials & Branded Content
  • Color Grading

Documentary

  • Documentary Camera
  • Documentary Producing: A Real World Guide
  • Conducting the Interview
  • Observational Filmmaking
  • Writing & Developing the Documentary
  • Documentary Master Class
  • Experimental Documentary
  • Editing the Documentary

Screenwriting

  • Story Structure and Character
    Development
  • Screenwriting Retreat
  • Writing & Developing the TV Show
  • Writing & Producing Training Videos

Production

  • Creative Producing for Film & TV
  • The AD/UPM/Line Producer Workshop
  • Script Supervision

Audio

  • Production Sound Mixing
  • Audio Post Production

Animation & Experimental Filmmaking

  • Stop Motion Animation
  • Animating the Inner Landscape
  • Experimental & Alternative Filmmaking Processes
  • Experimental Film Intensive

Guided by staff and mentors, each student focuses on the production and editing of a culminating portfolio project, a short film of less than 10 minutes. This may be a narrative fiction film, a short documentary, a commercial, or a music video. An individually customized week-long Fall Project Development unit allows students to finish writing and developing the fall project under the guidance of a mentor. A week-long unit of Professional Development helps students prepare to launch into the film, television and media marketplace. Professionals from different areas of the industry will offer insight on pursuing career goals and how to get started. Additionally, CCF students will be able to choose two fall electives to help them prepare for their fall projects. These may include Adobe After Effects, Screenwriting Retreat, Audio Post-Production, or other relevant workshops.*

CCF students will prepare and produce their final fall projects during the 4-Week Fall Final Project unit. This is followed by a 2-Week Editing & Post Production Lab during which they finish their projects. With the guidance of staff, students work independently and collectively during these weeks of preparation, production and post-production while living on campus. They make use of resources available with regard to crew, equipment, talent and the support of program staff. CCF students should expect to incur $600-1,000 of out-of-pocket expenses for production of their fall project films, depending on the logistics required by their scripts.

Students leave the program with industry-ready skills, a firm grasp of the dynamics that lead to effective collaboration, an understanding of what it takes to develop a sustainable professional practice, and having produced portfolio-level work.

* If students wish to take certain higher-priced cinematography electives during the Fall Term, a tuition surcharge may apply. This surcharge would not apply to students taking cinematography electives during the Summer Term.

Financial Aid at Maine Media College

We are a fully accredited higher-education institution. Financial aid options are available for students in the CCF program.

Tuition & Fee Information

We have a rolling admissions plan and are accepting applications for study in March 2024. Ready to apply? Apply here.

For any questions relating to tuition and fees, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

General Fees

Application Fee $75
Enrollment Deposit
(due on acceptance, applied to initial billing)
$600

Program Costs

Tuition and Fees
(30 weeks, billed by trimester)
Spring: $9,950 – Summer: $17,500 – Fall: $9,950
$37,400

Meal Plan

Spring Term
No food services offered. Communal kitchenettes are available in residence hall for self-providing.
Summer & Fall Terms
Includes weekly meals, Monday breakfast to Friday dinner.
$3,250 per term

Accommodations

Student residences are located on-campus.* Rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. All rooms include a queen bed, private bath, mini-fridge and wifi.
Spring Term (10 Weeks) $1,850 per term
Summer & Fall Terms $525–$850 per week
For rates and options, contact the Registrar at 207-236-8581 ext. 303 or [email protected]
* Students are not required to live on-campus. Private accommodations may be made.

More Tuition & Fee Information:

Loans
Direct Federal loans are available. Fill out your FAFSA and choose Maine Media College. Learn more at www.studentaid.gov.

Work study
Work study programs are available on a limited basis.

Scholarships
Maine Media College provides limited scholarships. Learn more about the scholarship applications here.

For a complete overview of our financial aid and scholarship options, visit our Financial Aid & scholarship options page.

Students will incur additional costs, including field trips, additional materials, books, weekend meals, admission to events, concerts and films, and personal items. A more complete list of books, materials, equipment and items each student must provide is sent to pre-registered students a few weeks before each term begins.

Students should expect to incur $600-1,000 of out-of-pocket expenses for the production of their fall project films, depending on the logistics required by their scripts.

Post 9/11 GI Bill®

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has approved Maine Media College’s Professional Certificate Program, the Certificate in Collaborative Filmmaking, and the MFA degree program as educational programs eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill®.  Veterans who performed active service duty after September 10, 2001, as well as current military members and eligible dependents, seeking training in the fields of filmmaking, photography, or multimedia, can visit www.gibill.va.gov/ for benefit information.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Maine Media College is authorized to assist enrolled students in obtaining an F-1 Student Visa. The registrar will gladly help international students with securing visas and necessary documents.

For more information, please contact the registrar at 207-236-8581 ext. 303 or at [email protected].

A credit card or check security deposit of $1,000 is required from all students to cover the use of school equipment from the Technical Department, Digital Service Bureau and Studio. A Student must leave a check or have a credit on file in the business office in order to work with the school’s equipment in production classes. Credit cards are not charged at this time, but are authorized for $1000. There must be $1000 available at this time. Debit cards are not accepted. Students receive a receipt to bring to the Technical Department or Digital Service Bureau in order to check out equipment. Students are not able to participate in production classes until these requirements are met. A great deal of trust is placed upon Maine Media College students to use equipment safely and to treat the equipment with great care and never leave it unsupervised. Students are only charged if equipment under their supervision is lost or damaged. All film students must go through the “proper equipment care and etiquette” tutorial with the Technical Department before equipment can be checked out.

In the case of loss or extensive damage to equipment, students may be responsible for actual repair or replacement costs in excess of the deposit.

All fees are to be paid in US. funds.

Payment must be received within 14 days of invoice unless prior arrangements have been made. Payment can be made by credit card, personal or company check, or Title IV Direct loan funds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the details of the Certificate in Collaborative Filmmaking program. Can’t find the answer here? Contact us to request more info.

Due to the hands-on, collaborative nature of the course, the CCF program is offered in person here on our campus in Rockport, Maine.

The course runs for 30 weeks, broken into 3 trimesters, each lasting for 10 weeks. There is a break between semesters where students may choose to return home, or stay on campus.

Depending on tracks and electives chosen, CCF graduates are poised to pursue some of the following career paths: Director, Screenwriter, Cinematographer, Producer, Assistant Director, Line Producer, Production Manager, Camera Operator, Grip, Gaffer, Editor, Production Sound Mixer, and other areas of craft specialization.

Each week on campus is fairly intense, with filming on-set or out on location often later into the evenings. There is some classroom time as well, but be prepared to live this experience 24/7.

Classes at Maine Media are generally small (up to 12), giving the student maximum access to the instructors. You will work at close range with instructors who are also experienced professionals in the craft areas they teach.

We encourage you to bring your own equipment, including a laptop; however, while in the program, you will also have access to industry-grade equipment with which to work from Canon, Arri, Panavision, Panasonic and others.

Yes! Maine Media is committed to providing financial assistance to students attending our certificate or degree programs. Please visit our Financial Aid – Title IV, Scholarships & Other page.

Yes. All programs of study at Maine Media College are approved by the Maine State Approving Agency for Veterans’ Educational Programs for enrollment of those eligible to receive benefits under Chapter 33, Title 38, United States Code, section 3676. The determination for Chapter 33 funds is made directly through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Additional funding may, at times, be obtained through Maine Media College via funds donated specifically for Veterans or through other private scholarship funds. The determinations for these funds are made through the respective organizations.

No, room and board are separate costs. More information on cost is available above under Tuition & Fee Information.

Maine Media College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).

Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the Commission should be directed to [email protected]. Individuals may also contact:

New England Commission of Higher Education
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100, Burlington, MA 01803-4514

(781) 425 7785
E-Mail: [email protected]

Learn more about our accreditation here.

To apply for admission to the program you will need to provide:

  • A completed application form
  • Official college transcripts, or high school transcripts if no college degree
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • A portfolio/reel of your work
  • A statement of interest and intention
  • Your resume
    The non-refundable application fee of $75.00
  • A personal interview is strongly recommended, but not required

The program begins in March each year. We have a rolling admission plan which means you can apply anytime you’re ready. However, we recommend that you apply no later than February 1st of the year in which you want to enroll.

Once you have submitted all of the collateral required, the decision is made fairly quickly. You should hear in approximately 10 days.

Students seeking to earn a Certificate in Collaborative Filmmaking must complete all three terms of the program in entirety. Terms must be taken in sequence. While ideally completed in the same year, a student may have up to three years to complete all three terms.

A recent cohort of students in the CCF program ranged in age from 18 to 40. We encourage diversity in all respects, including age. This is true for all of our workshops and programs. While it’s ideal to have some college experience upon entering the CCF program, students who have only a high school diploma are welcome to apply. Students must be a minimum of 18 years of age with a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent from your country of origin.

An advisor is appointed for each CCF student. The advisor will consult with each student throughout their time in the program and help them choose classes that are well suited to their creative and professional goals.

Given our small class sizes and the opportunity that students have to work with instructors at close range, CCF students typically develop important mentoring relationships that continue for years beyond their time in the program. Given the constant presence of visiting professionals in residence on campus, we encourage students to use these opportunities to network and build relationships that can be vital as they transition to entering the industry. Many jobs and professional opportunities have grown out of engagement with Maine Media classes and programs.

Greenlight your film career in one year! Apply today!

We want to help you find the right fit. Not sure if CCF is for you? Have questions about the curriculum, faculty, gear, or other elements of the program? We’re here to help!