The up-and-coming Creative Producing track at Woodbury University has created an exciting buzz for filmmaking students. Before 2021, the one and only film track at Woodbury was the typical Thesis track where students work throughout several semesters to write and direct an 8-10 minute short film. But this track isn’t for everybody. For those not interested in spending 3 semesters writing and directing a short film for their senior thesis, the new Creative Producing track option gives students a chance to instead focus on more of the business side of the industry. The track also gives more flexibility in what your Senior Thesis could be. In the Short Form Production Class currently instructed by Elizabeth Yarwood, students go into production and are able to produce any short-form content such as trailers, commercials, documentaries, short films, music videos, etc. I am currently a third-year filmmaking student who is on the typical Thesis track but also took the Short Form class in the Spring 2023 semester, and I got to see firsthand the benefits and downfalls of the new track in comparison to the old.
Short Form class Instructor, Elizabeth Yarwood, was excited to get the wheels turning in the newly constructed Short Form class and said, “The Short Form class gives students in the Creative Producing concentration an opportunity to create a project that can be a jumping off point for a future direction in their filmmaking careers. The project is accompanied by a pitch that they present to a panel at the end of the semester.” The opportunity to pitch your project idea at the end of the semester seems to be a big selling point in this new concentration and has the potential to help students start their professional careers. After the first Short Form class that served as the “capstone class for graduating seniors” comes to a close, Liz says, “I have been extremely impressed with the professionalism with which students have approached their projects. The students were able to develop their ideas and gear up for production very quickly.” As the concentration and short-form class progresses Liz says, “I am eager to hear feedback from students and other faculty as my focus is always on helping students grow and prepare for their future careers.”
Short Form class Instructor, Elizabeth Yarwood, was excited to get the wheels turning in the newly constructed Short Form class and said, “The Short Form class gives students in the Creative Producing concentration an opportunity to create a project that can be a jumping off point for a future direction in their filmmaking careers. The project is accompanied by a pitch that they present to a panel at the end of the semester.” The opportunity to pitch your project idea at the end of the semester seems to be a big selling point in this new concentration and has the potential to help students start their professional careers. After the first Short Form class that served as the “capstone class for graduating seniors” comes to a close, Liz says, “I have been extremely impressed with the professionalism with which students have approached their projects. The students were able to develop their ideas and gear up for production very quickly.” As the concentration and short-form class progresses Liz says, “I am eager to hear feedback from students and other faculty as my focus is always on helping students grow and prepare for their future careers.”
Creative Producing student and Short Form Production classmate, Julian Mercado, says, “I also enjoyed the idea of not having to shoot a thesis myself during the Fall of my senior year so I can help others in the thesis track produce and shoot theirs. As a producer, I want to focus more on the business and marketing aspect of filmmaking”. Having this separate track also allows students who want to be a producer, the opportunity to help the Thesis track students produce their short films in the first semester of the year as the Creative Producing students continue to work on the pitch and marketing aspect of their own short-form thesis. Julian says:
“The creative producing track focuses on your pitch that includes a visual piece - those types of pitches tend to do better. This track helped me refine my pitch, so I can raise money and have a plan for the future. And all of that is done in only one full year, not two.”
As opposed to the Thesis track, the creative producing track teaches you not only how to fundraise money for your project, but also where to put that money, and how to make it back properly. These skills are taught mostly in the Producing and Entertainment Business classes, however, the Producing class is not yet a part of the Creative Producing path. Julian stated how he feels like the Producing class should work in tandem with the Entertainment Business and Short Form class to make the path “so much stronger”.
As someone who has also taken the Short Form class but is also on the traditional Thesis track at the same time, I’ve noticed a few originalities of the new track. Creative Producing students don’t want to be directors. A large percentage of students in the typical Thesis track want to go on to direct their own feature films, TV series, etc. Therefore, directing a short film would be helpful to those students, and hopefully, go on to win some awards and gain recognition and experience. But for students in the Creative Producing track, that would not benefit them as much. Creative Producing students want to actually pitch and produce video content of any kind. They want to go on to be Producers, Unit Production Managers, Writers, etc. of anything ranging from Live Sports Networks to TV shows.
As someone who has also taken the Short Form class but is also on the traditional Thesis track at the same time, I’ve noticed a few originalities of the new track. Creative Producing students don’t want to be directors. A large percentage of students in the typical Thesis track want to go on to direct their own feature films, TV series, etc. Therefore, directing a short film would be helpful to those students, and hopefully, go on to win some awards and gain recognition and experience. But for students in the Creative Producing track, that would not benefit them as much. Creative Producing students want to actually pitch and produce video content of any kind. They want to go on to be Producers, Unit Production Managers, Writers, etc. of anything ranging from Live Sports Networks to TV shows.
So if Thesis track students graduate with a directing credit for their own short film, what do Creative Producing students get? That brings me to the next unique benefit I see in the Creative Producing track. Students in the Short Form class are able to, at the end of the semester, pitch their senior thesis to an industry professional. This is what I feel has the most potential for the track to be the most beneficial. A film graduate’s ultimate goal is to graduate with a job in the industry. These industry professionals have the ability to take a graduate straight into the industry even while pursuing their original pitch. Now while this is most definitely easier said than done, with enough eyes on the program and even on Woodbury as a whole, I believe that the program can get an outstanding panel of industry professionals every year who are open and excited to take these young students ideas and passions to the next level. Whether this means they like a student’s idea enough to consider getting it produced or even simply making a connection with a student that, as film students know, can last a lifetime.
After a few tweaks, the creative producing path is shaping up to be an amazing opportunity for students. I am looking forward to seeing how this program evolves and progresses over the years and I believe it has the potential to create careers for many motivated film students.
After a few tweaks, the creative producing path is shaping up to be an amazing opportunity for students. I am looking forward to seeing how this program evolves and progresses over the years and I believe it has the potential to create careers for many motivated film students.
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