Not everyone wants to know why there are black holes in space, how to solve Riemann's Hypothesis, or what Shakespeare's psychological state was when he wrote, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” Some students don’t want to go to college because they think it will consist of more required classes that they have no interest in; foreign language, English, Math, Science… the list goes on and on. More hoops to jump through, more school, and more teachers. Of course statistics consistently demonstrate time and time again that the more college a person has, the higher his income level. But for one reason or another there are students who just don’t want another 2 to 4 years of school. And that’s ok, because there are other paths to take that will still give the student an edge over the person who graduates high school then goes straight into the workforce. One of those paths is a Certificate Program.

Yavapai College offers more than 40 Certificate Programs . This is a course of study that is total immersion in the subject of choice. No Chemistry, Spanish, English, or Algebra required, just following that particular individual’s passion. The programs are offered in a wide variety of subjects, such as automotive, landscaping, computers, early childhood education, emergency medical technicians, equine science, fire science, gunsmithing, paralegal, paramedic, construction, welding and word processing to name a few. And the best part is that students can still qualify for any of the financial aid packages that are offered to students pursuing a regular degree.

The Zaki Gordon Institute for Independent Filmmaking is a very unique Certificate Program. Located in Sedona and affiliated with Yavapai College, the film school is a wonderful opportunity for students who have a passion for filmmaking and don’t want to go to a large 4 year film school such as UCLA, USC or New York University. In addition to a much lower cost, students at Zaki focus solely on film. The nine month intensive course of study results in the students receiving a certificate and a completed short film. There are no text books, no classes in any subject besides producing, directing, writing, editing and sound. Students do not have to have SAT or ACT test prior to admission. Applicants come from all over the world and across the United States to attend Zaki Gordon. There are only 50 slots available per year.

Jeremy Hawkes gave a group of students from Prescott High School a tour of the facility in Sedona. The school was founded in the year 2000 by award winning screenwriter Dan Gordon. Gordon’s work includes “The Celestine Prophecy”, “The Hurricane”, “Wyatt Earp”, and “Murder in the First”. Hawkes explains that Gordon created the school as a memorial to his son Zaki who was following in his footsteps as a filmmaker. When Zaki passed away Gordon founded the school. The school is set up to reflect how Zaki approached filmmaking. Hawkes says that the basic idea is “if you have a camera and you have a computer you can make your own films without the studios, without a large budget.” Gordon wanted to teach filmmaking so that you didn’t graduate with a huge amount of debt. Hawkes estimates that USC or UCLA cost about $40,000 per year. (Arizona residents pay approximately $4,000 per year to attend Zaki Gordon.) Those schools have 4 year degrees and there’s no guarantee you’ll leave there with your own film to take to festivals or use as a resume to get in the door of studios. In addition, Hawkes says that the school will decide which film job category you fall into. “So you may never get a film made. Here we believe that you write your own film and you direct your own film.” Hawkes stresses that the school is very open to the student’s ideas and creativity. Also they believe that students need to have a film under their belts before going out into the production world. “You’ll be able to take you film, enter it in the film festivals, you’ll be able to get to know people at the film festivals.”

Though this is a highly intensive program, Hawkes stresses, “It’s a great time. You’re only here for 9 months. It’s a boot camp here. So we hope that you have no other life. When we bring you in we ask that you are dedicated to want to be a film maker for the next 10 years to the rest of your life. We really like the dedication of people who make it through those 9 months because it’s very intense, we throw a lot of information at you.”

There are no textbooks or traditional homework in the program. Students are expected to practice their craft. Hawkes says the students need to “Grab the camera and go shoot your movie. Come back and we’ll tell you how to do it better. That’s our philosophy here at the school. So when you leave here you get a Certificate of Digital Filmmaking and you have a short film that you’ll be able to take to theatres, show to 120 people and have the experience of those people reacting to your story. It’s a really cool experience. It’s something that a lot of artists like as well as business people because they’re in the business of entertainment.”

The school year starts with basic orientation and then classes for each of the four basic filmmaking crafts. Dan Gordon flies in to teach screenwriting. Others teach cinematography, production, and direction. There are also many workshops taught by industry professionals throughout the year. There is a 4 week program that is hands on for each of the crafts. Students rotate through every position. Hawkes says “You pick the script on Tuesday and go find your actors, find locations, check out equipment and Wednesday you shoot. On Thursday you come back, bring your film, we watch the raw footage that you’ve shot, we critique it, tell you how you can do it better. And then Friday you go edit.” All of the production and post production equipment is supplied by the school. That means cameras, lighting equipment, sound gear, editing facilities, and sound booths plus there’s an area for Foley.

Getting into the school involves pitching yourself to the admissions group. Hawkes continues, “At Zaki we like to bring you in because you’re a dedicated filmmaker.” Students must write a 1000 word essay about the kind of film they’d like to make, and be able to pitch it to the group. During the interview they’d like the student to set that piece of paper aside and pitch us that story and see how well they know their story.” The process also includes the student composing a cover page where they explain where they came from, why they want to be a filmmaker, and what they’d want to be in the future. You can email the Zaki Gordon Institute for the complete application package.

As Hawkes finishes telling the group how much work they will be in for if they are accepted into the film school, he can’t help but smile. It’s obvious he’s seen the end results of that hard work and it’s positive. He says, “When it’s all said and done the students have the time of their lives.”

The Zaki Gordon Institute for Independent Filmmaking is just one of the Certificate Programs available from Yavapai College. The programs are definitely the way to go if the student has a passion for a particular field and is anxious to get into the work force, yet wants something beyond a high school education.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed