Lauren Kacura

Lauren Kacura, Director of Admission for Dodge College.

I am excited to announce that we are making some changes to our B.F.A. Film Production application for applicants applying in Fall 2018! We have had our “self-introductory” video prompt for many years, so our faculty admission committee felt it was time to update our requirements to make sure we are getting the material that is most helpful to evaluate applicants for this program.

So, what are the changes? We are retiring the video essay prompt, and are now asking for a written and visual sample from applicants. There are still specific instructions for each piece, so make sure to read carefully! Here they are:

Writing Sample

In no more than one page, write a true story about something that has happened to you or someone you know. Use this story to show your unique storytelling skills as well as illustrate your creativity in telling a story. Stories should be typed, single-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, one-inch margins on all sides.

Visual Sample

Without the use of dialogue or voice over, make a film that is less than two minutes long about a character making a difficult and dramatic decision.  Show that the character is pulled in two different directions at an emotional level, visualize their process of consideration, and show that they make a decision.

When evaluating applicants, it is important for us to see how well the student can tell a story. These two new requirements will allow us to see your storytelling ability in both written and visual form. It is important for applicants to really think about the stories they want to tell, and use stories that are personal to them and their storytelling style. You also want to make sure you are following story structure and make the stories original and clear to understand. We encourage you to think outside of the box and really have fun with the application, while also making sure to stay within our guidelines.

Lastly, we are also asking for students to write a short response (less than 150 words), to explain why they have chosen the area of emphasis (cinematography, editing, directing, production design or sound design) indicated on the application, so make sure look out for that question as well.

Don’t forget that the deadline for Film Production is November 1st for freshman applicants and February 15th for transfer students! Our application will be live in August, so keep checking our website for other updates on our application process.

You are always welcome to contact our office with any questions at either (714) 997-6765 or dodgecollege@chapman.edu. We are excited to see the stories you tell, and look forward to reviewing your applications!