The Program

Our program is designed to teach and mentor the making of vibrant, powerful productions on stage or with a camera. While there's more money and more jobs in the storytelling done with a camera, we believe the skills and experiences of making theater provides an invaluable foundation. So we teach and do both theater and digital filmmaking.

You may plan a course of study that suits your needs, goals and circumstances. You can receive your AA degree from Shoreline with an emphasis on drama, cinema or digital filmmaking, and go on to a BA at Washington State universities under a Direct Transfer Agreement . Some of our students already have degrees and want specialized training. In that case, we design an intensive schedule of courses and projects in your field of interest whether it is writing for film, acting, directing, editing, film or stage production. Or you can take one course at a time.

Foundation Program

At the heart of theater and film is acting collaboration and with other artists and craftspeople. We need to get people to work with us--and often for free. How do we inspire ourselves and others? What gets in the way of exciting collaborations that fly with new ideas and energy? How do we work with people effectively? What's our own authentic voice and style? How do we work with other styles? These issues are embedded in all the work we do and all the classes we teach, but are most effectively addressed in the Acting courses. So, on which ever side of the camera or curtain you intend to work, it is invaluable to understand the basics of the craft of acting.

The other two core classes that all students should take address global performative media--their history, technologies and range of genres. Both Cinema 201: Introduction to Cinema and Drama 101: Introduction to Drama provide critical foundations to understand the work of film and theater artists and to spark your own creative visions.