Certificate of Achievement in Entertainment Craft

The Certificate of Achievement in Entertainment Craft prepares students with foundational skills for entry-level positions in the following entertainment, film, television, and digital media occupations: production assistant, runner, grip, boom operator, logger, camera PA, or assistant in lighting, camera, sound, editing, writing, wardrobe, postproduction, art department, or the production office. After completing this certificate, students will have a practical understanding and hands-on experience with the various behind-the-scenes specialties in digital film production, postproduction, photography, and technical theater, giving them a better understanding of their own aptitudes and interests.

Five students are estimated to complete the program per year at the end of the second year of program operation. Nine students estimated to complete the program per year by the fifth year of program operation.

The goal of this Certificate of Achievement in Entertainment Craft is to combine technical theater, digital film production, and photography to provide students with a comprehensive skill set and practical experience in the various areas of the entertainment industry. The objective is to teach and develop occupational competencies to prepare students for entry-level employment. Competencies include: hard skills, soft skills, creative expression, multidisciplinary training, portfolio development.

This certificate has five required courses (13 units), a craft elective (2-4 units), and a content elective (3 units). The required courses include Media Arts 101, Photography 047, Technical Theater 300, Technical Theater 305, and Technical Theater 342. The craft electives include technical/practical courses from the following disciplines: Animation, Broadcasting, Media Arts, Music, Photography, and Technical Theater. The content electives include film survey and/or writing courses from the following disciplines: Asian American Studies, Broadcasting, Chicano Studies, English, French, Music, Photography, Spanish, and Theater Arts.

All of the courses in this program are shared with at least one existing program, so this program will boost the corresponding enrollment. The students likely to earn this certificate are similar to existing students taking the required courses. In the elective courses, they are likely to be more interested and better able to be successful than current students.

This program will share and make more productive uses of existing resources (materials, facilities, staff, faculty, equipment, tutors, clubs, events, productions, employment assistance, guest lectures, class hours, etc.) primarily by building upon existing programs in Technical Theater and Media Arts. This reinforces a new direction for the college’s professional arts programs.

Cerritos College, LA City College, LA Valley College, Santa Monica College, and West LA College have programs in some or all of the related disciplines (Photography, Technical Theater, Media Arts), but they are not focused on an interdisciplinary approach to entry-level employment. College and university bachelor’s degrees though they may have some of the included classes and disciplines, are not aimed at entry-level crafts positions.

Approximately 245 students are estimated to enroll in these sections annually.

Required core courses:

MEDIA ARTS 101 - 2 sections

PHOTO 047 - 7 sections

TECTHTR 300 - 1 section

TECTHTR 305 - 1 section

TECTHTR 342 - 2 sections

This is a new program, and not a program modification.