Following the VSU mass media student groups’ trip to Trilith Studios in Atlanta, VSU has finally gotten the opportunity to have a collaboration with the Georgia Film Academy. 

Georgia Film Academy has partnered with multiple schools in the University System of Georgia, including University of Georgia, Kennesaw State University, Georgia State University, and many more. 

Because of certain roadblocks in the way of VSU working with GFA in the past, this collaboration was not able to happen sooner. 

Before the collaboration officially takes place, there is still a lot of progress to be made to ensure that the mass media students are well prepared and are just as experienced as those at GFA. 

Georgia Film Academy provides courses such as film and television production and post-production, Digital entertainment, game development, costume design, and other classes that could advance the curriculum in the mass media program. 

“My belief is that mass media students learn skills that translate well to the film industry, as well as television, radio, and social media. GFA provides more specific skills for the film industry to fill immediate needs,” said South Georgia Film Festival director Jason Brown, who is also a mass media professor at VSU. 

With this collaboration there will be an overflow of opportunities for students, especially in internships and available job positions after graduation for undergraduates. The opportunities will help students take a big leap into the real field of production and filmmaking where no role is too small. 

“Having a BFA in mass media not only provides a certain set of credentials to move forward, we believe that it also provides experiences and opportunities to take leadership roles in the future – not just being the second assistant director on a film set or assistant editor during postproduction, but being a producer developing a project or running a prop house or collaborating with a finance company on the needs of productions,” said Brown.

Although VSU has not officially announced the big news yet, students may be able to expect the introductory courses during the 2024-2025 academic year. 

Written by Jasmine Hightower, Entertainment Editor. Photo courtesy of Jasmine Hightower.