In a sudden rush of popularity, the Ohio University School of Film has found itself graced with high praises from various publications.
In its poll of the best film schools in the United States, OU’s film program was ranked No. 7 by Videomaker Magazine, ahead of highly acclaimed film schools such as USC, UCLA and the University of Texas at Austin in its August publication.
Not long after, Education Portal ranked OU’s film school at No. 3, listing the Honors Tutorial College program.
“I take ranking systems of all kinds with a grain of salt,” said Steve Ross, director of the School of Film. “That said, I’m happy we were recognized. It becomes an affirmation of the good work the school and students are doing.”
Videomaker Magazine stated that “the most important factor in the decision making process will undoubtedly be your budget.”
While Ross remains cautious about the school’s sudden presence in these publications, he agrees that their good praises will give the School of Film a good name for future students.
“It spreads the word on OU and our programs, and will hopefully help in recruitment,” Ross said. “Grad programs are constantly trying to reach potential students. Now that we are mentioned, people are going to read it and connect.”
Meanwhile, students and alumni are ecstatic about the school’s listing in the publication.
“The faculty of the school understands filmmaking as a whole, so you learn all parts of the process of filmmaking,” said Mariana Quiroga, a 2007 alumna of the School of Film. “Moreover, I believe there’s no other film school in the U.S. that offers scholarships to international students.”
Quiroga also believes the school’s ability to allow students to work on lots of film shoots creates “the only way to really learn filmmaking.”
“The years I spent there thinking about who I am as a filmmaker, artist and academic collaborating with my peers and professors away from the pressures of the industry were invaluable to my growth as an artist,” said Ruth Gregory, a 2005 School of Film alumna. “That is one of the reasons why the school is so great and I am happy to see that others, like Videomaker, are catching on.”
wa054010@ohiou.edu
