Meet Some of Our Filmmaking Students

The classes in the film program at Champlain are very hands-on. This hands-on approach has helped me learn film equipment. The professors in the program are so supportive, which makes the classes very enjoyable because they give me the confidence I need to feel successful not only in the classroom, but also when I am working on my projects outside of the classroom. 

The project I am currently working on, which is my senior film, has been very rewarding for me. My role for this film has been Executive Producer. I have taken producer-focused courses which have really helped me with this role. Working specifically in the position I love has been so rewarding as I am seeing the film come together.

I was a Production Assistant on the set of the Food Network over the summer. I would help set up and create the set pieces which were shown on TV. I also helped the art department paint the set pieces along with making sure everything was in the right place. I would help unload and pack up any film equipment needed for the show. 

I was very well prepared to go into my internship because of my classes and how much I learn in these courses. After taking my production courses where I learned about the different equipment I felt very confident in working on a real set.  I am now able to put this work experience on my resume which will show employers that I have experience actually working in the industry. This will show them I have had workplace experience outside of just taking film classes. 

I was particularly drawn to Champlain's small size. It's perfect because you get to know the people you're going to class with, and you become close with your professors and mentors. Those relationships allow you to learn as much as possible from the most inspiring people.

My favorite class was my first documentary class because that's where I found out about the type of work I want to pursue. I also got to work on my own for the first time, which was challenging but rewarding. My project ended up receiving an honorable mention at the Northeast Student Emmys. It made me realize the impact I can have on people by telling their stories to the world.

I'm involved in the Women in Film Club and the annual service trip to Uganda. Women in Film is a great space that inspires women and nonbinary students in a male-dominated field of study. We inspire each other to create change and make the future more inclusive for all people in the industry. 

I have also helped with the Uganda Service Trip for three years. It's a great way for students to learn intercultural intelligence while creating meaningful change and fulfilling relationships through service learning.

I chose the arts as my field because of my passion and drive to create. I didn't know I wanted to major in Filmmaking until I was told by an Admissions Counselor to focus on my day-to-day activities, that my calling was in there somewhere. I noticed that I'd already been watching and studying films way before I was remotely interested in going to school in that field.

I truly love the Upside-Down Curriculum—it gave me the opportunity to feed the beast that has been my artistic ambition since my first semester. The professors are a valuable and important part of my experience because they are all working professionals with an abundance of knowledge about how our industry is run. 

I also value the connections I built with my peers. Because of the need for collaboration in filmmaking, we were all working on each other's projects and bouncing new and fun ideas off of each other. The element of competition is removed from the curriculum, which is great because it allows us to help one another grow.

Champlain has taught me the patience, techniques, and networking skills that are essential to jump-starting my career. I've had opportunities to work on student films, indie films, and even industry commercial work. This experience paired with my degree will definitely give me a leg up over other candidates for similar positions. The Career Collaborative is also a great aid to students, especially those who want to get started early.

I am a Production and Camera Intern at Class Four Co. I help with most of the production-related work during gigs and in-house shooting. I had opportunities to learn new equipment, meet new people from the industry, and learn industry practices such as speaking with clients, getting paid by the gig, and other industry fluency.

My major is intimate enough that my professors and classmates know who I am, and can help me be who I want to be. That is probably the best part about Filmmaking at Champlain College.

Champlain has turned me into a very hungry person. Champlain offers lots of opportunity, and it gives me so many chances to navigate lots of possibilities for my future.

I was drawn to Champlain because of its amazing Filmmaking program, study abroad programs, and internship opportunities. Champlain has a really unique Filmmaking program in that it is very non-competitive and everyone wants to support each other. There's a great sense of community at Champlain, which makes it a great place to learn and grow as a filmmaker instead of just competing against your classmates. 


In addition, Champlain has smaller class sizes, which makes your experience personalized since your professors and classmates get to know you well and always want to see you succeed.

One of my favorite Core classes at Champlain was called Kid Heroes and explored the representation of kids as the protagonists in books, movies, and TV shows. I found this class fascinating, as it taught us about storytelling, examined how kids are represented as protagonists in media, and even explored philosophical questions like what it means to be a kid. I really liked how this class related a lot to my major, but also gave me a chance to work with other students who aren't Filmmaking majors and who I might not have met otherwise.

I always go to the Grind, which is Champlain's weekly open mic event. I met a lot of friends there and have performed quite a few times, usually playing guitar or ukulele and singing! One of my best friends and I have been performing together at the Grind since our first year at Champlain!

There are different types of major classes. One type is called a "production" class. In a production class, you are expected to make a film or documentary that will be finished by the end of the semester. Whether you direct a film or just work on someone else's, you are able to focus on the practical aspects of filmmaking for the majority of the semester. This also allows you great freedom to dive into projects that interest you and your creativity.

I studied in Auckland, New Zealand during the spring semester of my junior year. I was the only one out of my immediate friends who was traveling there, and that allowed me the freedom to make new friends in a new place. I was fortunate enough to have great roommates who came from all over the world, and I got to see a country that is very geographically different than the one I live in.

The Filmmaking program also tends to offer an abroad trip for a small group of students every winter break. The trip that I went on was to Saudi Arabia, where I produced a narrative short film with Saudi filmmakers. We spent two weeks in Jeddah, a coastal city on the Red Sea.

As a filmmaker and writer, every experience and every bit of knowledge that you learn can be pushed back into your work, and that's because our job is to replicate the world around us. The broader your perspective and the more open you are to learning, the more complex and moving your art can be.