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, workshops and master classes are periodically held with top professionals in areas such as producing, directing, screenwriting, production design, cinematography, editing, post-sound, film scoring, Panavision and Arriflex cameras, Steadicam, etc. 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 the serious visual storyteller of tomorrow. Admission to the program is portfolio based and highly competitive.

Placement in the different levels of the Production Workshop, Acting for the Camera, Directing 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 required, Moving Pictures majors are expected to provide their own computer, printer and supplies—paper, toner cartridges, etc. Students should also bring a 35mm or medium-format camera capable of manual adjustment for class exercises.