I’m psyched,” said Michael Campbell, one of the new students to walk through CCCA’s doors for the start of the 2011- 2012 film program.

At Orientation, a select group of forty-nine students and many of their parents crowded into Classroom II for lunch and to meet faculty and staff.   The energy level was palpable and the excitement was infectious while students and parents toured the campus and learned more about what the upcoming year would bring.

The increase in students represents a doubling of growth in the CCCA program.   For the first time, there are two cohort program schedules with classes being taught simultaneously.  Some of the students have come from as far away as Alaska and Colorado.   All have come for the same reason:  to learn the art of storytelling through the eye of a camera.   During introductions each student had the opportunity to share information about themselves, including where they are from and what they would like to do in the industry.  Some want to become directors.  Others producers.  Some want to become editors or cinematographers.  Most want to learn everything about the film production business.

“Our conservatory education environment sets the stage for hands-on learning,“ said CCCA President, Keri Lowe addressing the audience.  “We don’t accept everyone.  But you’re not everyone, you all have unique talents as filmmakers.  Welcome to Compass College!”

Each member of the staff and faculty also spoke briefly.  CCCA Chairman of the Board, Guy Sawyer, addressed the student body and told them about the history and future of the college and how they will play a part in the entertainment industry.

During Orientation, students and their families joined in small breakout groups to learn more about the film program and expectations.   One mother, Cheryl Pontius, watched her son making new friends as all of the students were in deep discussion about the art of filmmaking, and she said, “He was born an artist, and this is the college for him.”

Following dinner, the students were divided into groups and taken downtown Grand Rapids where they became part of a fast and furious scavenger hunt.

“This is my kind of college,” said Travis Babbitt when he learned they were going on a scavenger hunt.

The idea was to begin the team-building strategy that is crucial to working as a creative team on film and television sets.  Also, since many of the new students are from out-of-state or from different areas of Michigan, they had a chance to walk through parts of the city to learn more about Grand Rapids.  The scavenger hunt helped acclimate many students to downtown, giving them a feel for where CCCA will be moving to its new campus at 41 Sheldon Boulevard in a few weeks.

Students began classes the day following Orientation and are excited about the year ahead.

CCCA is definitely “movin’ on up” as the college has moved into its downtown location at 41 Sheldon Boulevard.

“This is exciting,” says CCCA President, Keri Lowe, “because the new location provides for the growth of Compass College and gives our students an environment better suited for our curriculum.”

The new building, which was the former home of the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, before their move to a nearby location, has been extensively renovated. The facility includes a large sound stage, a 159-seat theater and motion picture screen, two classrooms, two editing suites, a specialty sound/music studio, graphics studio, library and more.

CCCA occupies two floors, with most of the administration on the first floor and the faculty taking office space on the second floor closer to the classrooms and labs. The entire building has been fitted for 4G wireless Internet service for more efficient cloud-based communications.

The new location is in the very heart of downtown Grand Rapids, making it easy for students to walk to the many venues that are found in the core of the city. The original building was erected in 1905 and, at one time, housed a car dealership. Today, the building is a brand new model that will be the new campus to some of the most creative students in the nation—the filmmakers attending CCCA from all across the country. CCCA will share the building with ArtPrize.

It’s been said that there are no “new stories,” only unique and new approaches to the stories that have been told for decades. With that said, it is the art of story, in all of its flavors and forms, that is still the backbone of film and television programs. Although the core of great storytelling may be immune to change, the tools used to tell stories are always changing. The latest curriculum expansion at CCCA reflects the newest developments in the film industry.

“Our goal in the Film Fundamentals course is to provide students with a strong foundation and a relevant tool-set to create a knowledge base that will launch their careers in the entertainment industry,” said Tom Greenberg, CCCA Instructor of Cinematography and Post-Production. “The revamping of the course will help achieve that goal as it reflects the most recent digital changes in the industry.”

The entire structure of Film Fundamentals now is more deeply integrated with the curriculum of CCCA’s other courses and also more closely aligned to match the developments in the industry as digital storytelling continues to evolve and great content is sought after in both corporate and commercial entertainment.

“A good example of the revamped Film Fundamentals course is found in our Core Shoot Production,” Greenberg added. “We’ve gone to great lengths to set this as a new model or template for students to use in everything they do in this business. We’ve expanded the Core Shoot into a ten-week process that includes various methods for students and faculty to measure the progress along the way. The production process is performance-based and staggered to give students a lot of hands-on experience.”

The core of the Core Shoot includes enhanced story development, producing, directing, sound design, lighting, post-production, cinematography, and set design. The production structure has been streamlined to give students more time and increased opportunities to work together as a team.

“The fundamentals of story in script form are being reinforced, too,” said Cort Langeland, who teaches story and artistic vocation. “We’re putting more emphasis on theme, concept, plot, and character in story and how the aesthetics of great cinematography can best capture all of these in every project the students create.”

A bill written in 1944 is helping military veterans in the class of 2012. For the first time in CCCA’s history, the G.I. Bill is playing a role in financing the education of three new students. The military veterans can use the benefits under Chapter 31 and 33 of the G.I.  Bill. CCCA Vice President, Jill Postma said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for our veterans and those recently returning from deployment overseas to use benefits under the G.I. Bill as they pursue careers in film and television production.  We are thrilled to be in a position to offer our veterans these educational benefits.”
Under the provisions of Chapter 31 in the G.I. Bill, disabled military veterans can explore ways in which to use their benefits not only to help finance their education, but to purchase equipment that can help them start businesses in film and television production. One new student, a veteran, is doing just that.  He said that after he graduates from CCCA, he wants to use his education and benefits to produce documentaries about returning war veterans, including their journeys and the struggles that sometimes follow them as they adjust back to civilian life.
A bill written in 1944 is helping military veterans in the class of 2012. For the first time in CCCA’s history, the G.I. Bill is playing a role in financing the education of three new students. The military veterans can use the benefits under Chapter 31 and 33 of the G.I. Bill. CCCA Vice President, Jill Postma said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for our veterans and those recently returning from deployment overseas to use benefits under the G.I. Bill as they pursue careers in film and television production. We are thrilled to be in a position to offer our veterans these educational benefits.”

Under the provisions of Chapter 31 in the G.I. Bill, disabled military veterans can explore ways in which to use their benefits not only to help finance their education, but to purchase equipment that can help them start businesses in film and television production. One new student, a veteran, is doing just that. He said that after he graduates from CCCA, he wants to use his education and benefits to produce documentaries about returning war veterans, including their journeys and the struggles that sometimes follow them as they adjust back to civilian life.

Jason Pierce is a globetrotter. Since graduating from CCCA two years ago, he has been on production shoots in Zambia and Guatemala and now he is heading to Nicaragua and Israel. Pierce is on a global mission in a world without borders to tell stories of people who are making a difference. To do this, he founded Better Way Productions, which is focuses on featuring people doing something to make the world a better place.

“It’s all about good storytelling,” says Pierce. “Compass taught me that. I feel that this type of documentary storytelling is what I’m called to do. Our Guatemala trip is the first of many as we produce a documentary around the work that Ron Morin and Pray America are doing with orphans and widows.”

In Zambia’s border town of Livingstone, Pierce is documenting the stories of people trying to lift women from the squalor of prostitution. Working with a church mission, he hopes to travel to Zambia each year to continue telling the stories of refugees and women forced into prostitution to survive.

In Israel, Pierce will document the lives of Israeli and Palestinian families who refuse to become embittered by the politics of the region. One family he will profile, a family with roots that go back hundreds of years, lives in a cave and still maintains compassion and love for the people that share the land.

These are the stories of courage—positive stories, and Jason Pierce is finding a better way to tell and share them.

For more information:  jasonpierceproductions.blogspot.com