Film Requirements

CSSSA FILM REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS – 2024

The CSSSA Film Department welcomes applicants from a wide ranging and diverse backgrounds. If you have never made a film before, or if this is your 10th film, all are welcome to apply. Applicants to the Film Program must submit completed application and teacher recommendation forms, and upload the required assignments below, A through D.

Written Response Section A-C: Please answer the following written prompts in however short or long you need.

A. Describe the role you want filmmaking to play in your life – as well as your beliefs on what filmmakers have to offer to society.

B. Describe a film or television show that has inspired you. Why is this work important to you? Avoid writing only about the surface level elements and instead, dive deep into the analysis. What excites you or incites you?

C. Discuss a filmmaker or artist whom you find inspiring, and share what is compelling to you about their work.

D. Submit one film that you have CREATED, with a maximum running time of ten minutes. Music Videos, School/Club group projects, and PSA’s are NOT accepted! You may submit a previously completed project or create a new one for this application. Submissions may be shot on anything from your Phone to an ARRI ALEXA LF— It is not the tool that makes the artist. Video links will not be accepted. You may be the director, editor, writer, cinematographer, producer, or any combination of these roles– but your role must be clearly stated in your submission.

You must include the following items in addition to the film:

A description of your project — two sentences maximum.

A short statement that describes your creative process.

What was your budget, what equipment was used, and what resources were at your disposal?

What role did you have on the project? (e.g., writer, director, producer, cinematographer, or editor.)

RETURNING STUDENTS ONLY:

Previous attendees must submit original work completed after the summer session which reflects your growth as a film artist. In addition, you must submit a brief statement of your specific learning objectives and reasons for wanting to return to the school. If you previously attended CSSSA in an artistic discipline other than Film, you must submit a letter of recommendation from a CSSSA instructor in that department.

FOR ALL STUDENTS, PLEASE NOTE:

Please save your assignments with your first initial and last name followed by the appropriate letter for each of the submissions. For example, John Smith would save his work as follows:

jsmith_A
jsmith_B
jsmith_C