The equipment is good, though faculty film evaluations at the end of each project can be devastating. First year students make a short 16 mm film. The next year, several short projects are followed by such assignments as making a film inspired by Plato's allegory of the cave. Each student must draft a personal manifesto, and many experiment with other art forms. In year three, students focus on making a thesis film.
Students make documentary, narrative, and experimental films in roughly even numbers.
Students at SF State are learning flatbed editing, optical printing, and even how to hand process their own film. Tuition is surprisingly inexpensive, but students say equipment can be temperamental and the dotcom economy has made the cost of living in the heart of the city all but impossible for most in attendance. A recent infusion of cash due in part to a new dean and a new president has meant new equipment. Students say there's slightly more emphasis on documentaries. Temple also boasts a diverse student body and very personal filmmaking, whether documentary or narrative.