Graduate Creative Materials

Resume

Your resume is a document that highlights your education, creative endeavors, activities, travel, employment, and service work as they apply to your aspirations as a filmmaker and your chosen area of specialization (no longer than 3 pages).

Statement of Purpose

A 500-1000 word essay describing who you are as an individual and what past and current life experiences have motivated you to pursue a career in the filmmaking industry. Use this statement as an opportunity to demonstrate your unique voice and personality in addition to your passion for storytelling and your chosen area of specialization.

Writing Sample

A two-page non-dialogue scene about a person trying to kill a spider. Writing samples should be typed in 12-point Courier in standard play or screenplay format.

Creative Portfolio

A sample of work demonstrating your ability and commitment in the area in which you hope to specialize. Strong samples contain visual or written material that demonstrates your creativity, imaginative expression of thought, and the potential for visual storytelling. You are welcome to include a brief description that provides perspective on your submitted materials. No physical materials (faxed or mailed) will be considered. Choose one or more of the following (no more than 3 media):

• Film, video, animation, documentary or experimental work. Submissions must not exceed 15 minutes in length and can consist of reels, short films and/or clips from feature films. You must be part of the original creation of the work. Please be clear about your specific contributions for each project.
• Drawings, paintings, sculpture, costume or set design that illustrates your creative vision and style. Limited to 10 images total.
• Photography that demonstrates your visual storytelling through up to 10 images.
• A writing sample composed of one of the following: a short play or screenplay, the first 20 pages of a full-length play or feature-length screenplay, a narrative short story, a feature article, or poem that exemplifies your ability to engage readers, up to 15 pages.

Video Pitch

Create a video that introduces yourself and demonstrates your ability to author a simple compelling story. The video pitch should be no longer than 3 minutes total running time, and you must personally appear on camera pitching a story with the following three parameters:

No more than 30 seconds: Introduce yourself by telling us your name, where you are from, and a bit about your background.

No more than 120 seconds: Pitch us an original story idea that you would like to see made into a film.

No more than 30 seconds: Finish your pitch by telling us in one or two sentences what the audience should ultimately learn from the story.

3 Letters of Recommendation

Enter the names and emails of three recommenders, and we will send email requests to each of them. All recommendation letters must be submitted online. Your recommender can include a teacher, professor, guidance counselor, mentor, employer, or someone you’ve worked with on a creative project. The recommender should be able to speak to your ability to succeed in our program and your passion for storytelling. We do ask that no close family members write a letter of recommendation for you.