Introduction

Paul and Lilly Merage are philanthropists and civic leaders.  They established the Merage Artists in Residence Film Program in 2005 to provide opportunities for low-income youth in Orange County interested in a career in filmmaking.  The program is for two weeks and free to 14 students admitted into the program. It will be hosted by Chapman University, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and is administered by Children First, A Merage Foundation.   

The Dodge College of Film and Media Arts believes that film is the literature of this century. Through the medium of film, people around the world learn about others – about cultures and traditions they would otherwise never encounter. Similarly, young people today gravitate toward film as the medium through which they wish to express their hopes and dreams. Just as young people once aspired to write the great American novel, today they dream of becoming filmmakers who will make films that will relate their very personal stories and touch the hearts of others. With a working knowledge of the tools of filmmaking, young people today are freed to use the medium they know best to explore the stories of their own lives and share those stories with others.

The Two Week Program:

The selected students will collaborate with veteran professors from the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.  During a two-week immersion program students will be engaged in activities that support the program goals. The students will:

• Learn the language of film: how images create meaning; how the tools of filmmaking (camera setups, editing, music etc.) contribute to the story.
• Develop a five minute film. This will include developing a story idea, writing a script, casting, filming, editing, and more.
• Learn to work in collaborative teams, thereby improving social and creative problem-solving skills
• Watch and discuss films with college film students and industry experts.
• Go on field trips in Orange County or Los Angeles. (Last year students went to Warner Brothers and also attended a seminar at the country’s largest cinema lighting facility.)
• Screen their own films for their family and friends at an end-of-the-session celebration at the Marion Knott Studios.
• Live in dorm rooms for the duration of the program.

The application is now available. Please click here to view the application. Feel free to contact Sue Cronmiller at scronmiller@meragefoundations.com or Harry Cheney at hcheney@chapman.edu with any questions regarding the program.