More than any single art form, the motion picture is an amalgam of all the arts – which makes Idyllwild Arts a unique environment for the study of film. It is our philosophy that the basic, most important element of any film is the story, and all Moving Pictures majors are required to take a screenwriting course every semester. In addition to the regular course work, special workshops and master classes are periodically held with top professionals in areas such as producing, directing, screenwriting, production design, cinematography, editing, post sound and film scoring. With the continuing advances in digital technology, unprecedented opportunities have opened up for emerging filmmakers. We believe this new technology is not only the wave of the future, but also an ideal way to train and nurture serious visual storytellers of tomorrow.

Every Moving Pictures major is required to take a screenwriting class every semester in addition to a least two semesters of Film History. Moving Pictures majors are also required to take at least one semester of Acting for the Camera and two semesters of Production Workshop. Placement in Production Workshop, Acting for the Camera, Directing, Cinematography, Post Production and Screenwriting is based on faculty evaluation of student needs, developmental levels, and readiness to do the work.

Because of the amount of writing and production paperwork involved, Moving Pictures students are expected to provide their own computer, printer and supplies—paper, toner, ink cartridges, etc. Students should also bring a 35mm or medium-format film camera capable of manual adjustment in addition to a digital still camera (7 Megapixel or better).

Enrollment and placement in all classes is at the discretion of the Moving Pictures department faculty.