Film and Video Studies at George Mason University is a community of cinematic storytellers that fosters creativity, analysis, and diverse perspectives, professional practice and socially conscious filmmaking.
Welcome
The Film and Video Studies program offers a strong foundation in filmmaking and interdisciplinary opportunities to more than 200 undergraduate students. Our student filmmakers study the processes of cinematic storytelling, which includes development, pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution.
We begin the year with our Welcome Back and Production Fair, where students sign up to work on each others’ crews. Trying something new is central to the learning process and that includes choosing the people with whom you want to work. Working with new faces gives more students opportunities to try out new technical and producing roles and explore cinematic storytelling through sound, light, producing, and art departments.
In a recent essay in Moviemaker Magazine, director DeMane Davis encouraged inclusive crewing, “When I think of ‘inclusive crew’ on a practical level, I think it means including people you normally wouldn’t include in your creative process. … Including new people will only make whatever you’re making better.”
Crewing up includes faculty and students working together. Last fall, our Mason Film Lab welcomed showrunner and director Colette Burson (Hung, The Riches, Little Black Boot).
Our Mason Film Lab films from previous semesters (collaborations and learning opportunities between faculty, students and guest directors) are continually exhibiting and being submitted to festivals. Professor Benjamin Steger is moving forward on a documentary series, Vibrations, through collaborations with his student research assistant. And for a sneak peek behind the scenes of our recent faculty-student collaboration, The Pick Up, check out the video edited by Amanda Bowen (Film and Video Studies, BA '17) and Britney Flores (Film and Video Studies, BA '18).
We encourage you to visit our program and reach out to our academic advisor if you're interested in applying. We represent one of most diverse educational communities of cinematic storytellers in the country. With 140 student films shooting each year, there are ample ways in Film at Mason for you to find your crew and explore your role on set.
