Film and Digital Media

Students participate in and regularly receive accolades from film festivals around the world, including The All American High School Film Festival, Student World Impact Film Festival, North Hollywood CineFest, Toronto International Women Festival, Berlin International Art Film Festival, Rome International Movie Awards, LA Shorts International Film Festival, and more.

Advanced students have the opportunity to take their pitching practice out of the classroom and into a Hollywood studio environment, where industry professionals provide valuable feedback and coaching, helping students to refine this important skill. Pitched projects can include shorts, documentaries, newsreels, radio shows, new media, music videos, TV pilots, social media campaigns, PSAs, and more.

The Film & Digital Media department leverages key industry connections to host frequent masterclasses that enhance the classroom experience by providing access to professional producers, directors, screenwriters, grips, cinematographers, and more.

Students can build robust professional portfolios by working on special projects that generate career exposure, such as music videos, commercials, and PSAs. Most recently, students collaborated with the Idyllwild Arts Fashion Department to create a video projection for the runway show at New York and Los Angeles Fashion Week events.

After nine months of hard work on their film projects, students end the school year with a wildly popular screening and awards event, complete with red carpet and formal attire. This celebratory occasion draws audiences from near and far, including VIP industry guests.

Recognizing the demands of Idyllwild Arts’ rigorous dual curriculum and the extremely competitive admission landscape in higher education, we intentionally provide the time, support, and resources that Seniors need to prepare their reels and other materials for college or the next step of their careers.

Students enjoy full access to the state-of-the-art Bruce Ryan Sound Stage, complete with a Foley sound design and recording room, green room, and editing and color correction bays. Students have access to leading-edge equipment, technology, and tools including iMac Pro computers (with industry standard previsualization, production, and post-production software), Black Magic cameras, professional field recording sound equipment, and more.