B.S. in Media Arts Production
Program Overview
Imagine: Lights. Camera. Action! Engage in a hands-on curriculum that meets the needs of today’s media landscape in our ever-changing world. The media industry demands occupational readiness through a larger and more varied skill set than ever before which our program provides. Convergence within the media marketplace has created a more fluid and open-ended production landscape in our region and nationally as content can be sent to any platform, including television, film, or digital.
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Why Study This Program
A B.S. in Media Arts Production allows students to gain a vast skill set both inside and outside of the classroom. Get in front of or behind the lens of the camera. Pick up a microphone. Develop production expertise, and gain a deep understanding of the tools and traits that mean success in the exhilarating and fast-paced industry of media arts production. Developing media is more relevant than ever so our majors learn every aspect of storytelling and content creation for broadcast and film, from concept to distribution: planning, writing, directing, producing, shooting and editing. Massive shifts in the media industry have created a new overarching term called “content creator.” Join our program to learn how to be a Content Creator, through communication, creativity and collaboration.
Program Objectives include:
- Develop an in-depth historical and conceptual understanding of the nature and function of the media.
- Critically examine media products and the interplay between media, culture, society, and political systems.
- Produce media projects with sophisticated content and technical prowess.
- Acquire knowledge and skills to write for different genres and environments including broadcast and new media.
- Understand clearly the dynamics of a production team and work effectively as a team member.
- Acquire knowledge and skills to work within media institutions.
- Develop leadership skills in directing and producing a wide range of media projects.
What Will You Learn?
Millersville University's Media Arts Production staff prides itself on offering a diverse and extensive courseload where students will expand their passion and skill set in the area of Media Arts production.
Our alliances with regional industry leaders and cross-disciplinary partners continue to provide an updated curriculum and rewarding opportunities for collaboration and networking.
The Media Arts Production program helps students learn to create original content across genres to inform, entertain, persuade and enlighten audiences by learning creative, management and production processes and hands-on experiences to build your portfolio of digital content. The curriculum is designed to help students practice and reinforce industry specific skills and standards in a professional media workflow while juggling projects, meeting tight deadlines, and collaborating with production teams. Your end goal is success in the regionally and nationally growing media landscape.
Collaboration across disciplines with other students, faculty, community partners, and industry professionals through internships, workshops, media productions, career networking and leadership experiences makes us unique in this region.
Our program is committed to delivering a high-quality, forward-thinking educational experience, providing innovative, academically challenging and professionally relevant learning opportunities. Students leave the program well prepared to be lifelong learners and contributing citizens to both the local and global community.
Beginning Your Program
In your first two years, you will enroll in hands-on classes that build your production and crew skills, producing and writing abilities in a variety of media types as you prepare to move on to more advanced class projects. You’ll also study the economic, political, social and cultural power of media to critically examine the media products you make.
Later in your program
In your third and fourth year, you will take advanced production classes and electives where you will complete internships and build your creative portfolio.
This program gives you exposure and practice with a variety of software, technologies and production gear for studio and on-location production in preparation for the media marketplace.
The Media Arts Production option is available as a Communication minor.
MEDIA ARTS PRODUCTION CURRICULUM
“I would not be where I am in my career without Millersville's Broadcasting program. The University's classes and club organizations like MUTV and NBS (National Broadcasting Society) allowed me to get hands-on experience, and face my fear of being in front of a camera. I was so lucky to have professors who cared about my success, too.”
- Samantha Galvez '13 | Broadcasting
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Career Opportunities
- Anchor
- Announcer
- Broadcast Engineer
- Broadcast Technical Operator
- Camera Operator
- Cinematographers
- Content Creator
- Copy Editor
- Digital Content Expert
- Digital Media Manager
- Director
- DJ
- Editor for broadcast, film and digital
- Floor director
- Gaffer
- Integrated Digital Specialist
- Manager for broadcast, film and digital
- Master Control Operator
- Media Producer
- Media Production Manager
- Media Relations
- OTT program Manager
- News Director
- Photographer
- Podcast Producer
- Production Crew for broadcast, film and digital
- Program Director
- Project Manager
- Reporter
- Screenwriter
- Stage Managers for studio and remote field work
- Sports Director
- Talent for entertainment, news and sports
- Technical Director
- Technical Operator
- Videographer
- Writer for fiction and non-fiction screenwriting
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Internship Opportunities
Radio:
- Citadel Broadcasting
- Clear Channel Radio Philadelphia
- Cumulous Media Group
- Echoes Radio Program
- Greater Media Philadelphia
- Hall Communication Radio Group
- IHeartMedia
- WIOV FM
- WJTL/Creative Ministries
- WLAN FM
- WMMR
- WROZ-FM
- WXTU-FM Radio
TV:
- Blue Ridge Communications
- FOX 43
- LCTV 66
- PCN-TV
- WFMZ-TV
- WGAL-TV
- WHP-TV
- CBS-21
- WHTM TV ABC 27
- WITF-PBS
- WPHIL TV 17
- WPVI ABC 6
Sports Industry:
- Baltimore Orioles
- FC Sports Lancaster Inferno
- Hershey Bears Hockey Club
- Lancaster Barnstormers
- Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Millersville Athletic Communications
- Millersville Sports Information
- NBC Olympics
- NFL Films
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Reading Royals
- Wilmington Blue Rocks
Marketing & Advertising:
- Lupeer Marketing
- Matrix Marketing
- Millersville Communication and Marketing
- Stoner Bunting Advertising
- Synapse Marketing Group
- Weber Advertising and Marketing
Media Production:
- aideM Media
- Aurora Films
- Evolve Productions
- Glass Entertainment Media
- Greenfish Labs
- Lavon Films
- Rock Lititz
- Triode Media
- VIMBY
Other:
- ITS Modeling and Talent Agency
- Millersville Technical Operations
- Music for Everyone
- On-Line Publishers
- SACA
- Second Fiction LLC
- Susquehanna Style Magazine
- Ware Center
- Winter Visual and Performing Arts
- World Café Live
- YWCA-Lancaster
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Student Clubs and Activities
- Alpha Epsilon Rho National Broadcasting Honor Society
- MUTV 99.1
- Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Student Media Club
- Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)
- The Snapper
- 91.7 WIXQ-FM
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Faculty and Advisement
Faculty that teach Media Arts Production courses:
Advisement:
A program Faculty member will serve as your academic advisor, helping to guide and support you as you navigate your way to success. Students have created documentaries, narrative short films, sportscasts, play-by-play experiences, dramatic programs, talk shows, news, sports, and entertainment shows, reporter packages, live streams, podcasts, music videos, PSAs and digital shorts for social media.
Majors have access to a fully-equipped television studio, digital video and audio computer editing suites, two computer labs with current video and sound editing software and a media equipment lab with cameras, lights, sound equipment and on-location production gear.
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Industry Expert Advisory Group
Andrea Campbell
Andrea Campbell is an Emmy award-winning director, producer, editor and videographer. Natural Light Films, Inc., established by Andrea in 1999, specializes in documentary and personal profiles for broadcast and internet. NLF produces feature films, shorts films and very short films. Andrea has filmed all over the globe. A curiosity about cultures, lifestyles, humanity and nature has led to filming projects in India, Indonesia, Israel, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bukina Fasso, Niger, Tanzania, Uganda, Spain, UK, Nicaragua, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and across the US. NLF is also adept and experienced at capturing the beauty and emotion of live performance, including poetry, theater, and music. Andrea's first fiction film, Fake Clouds, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003.
Maitee Cueva
Maitee Cueva joined A&E Networks in 2021 as Executive Producer, Development & Production.Most notably known for being part of the original team to launch the Oprah Winfrey Network, Cueva started at OWN in 2010 as Executive Director, Programming & Development, and was quickly promoted to VP, Programming & Development. In 2015, she was promoted to SVP, Programming and Development and oversaw the unscripted division. Cueva’s passion and leadership was key in building the network's popular and successful Saturday night programming which included: “Livin’ Lozada” featuring Evelyn Lozada (“Basketball Wives”), “Raising Whitley” featuring comedian and actress, Kym Whitley, and one of OWN's longest running unscripted series, “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s.” Prior to joining A&E, Cueva produced Spanish speaking series for Amazon and Netflix. She also directed the 6-episode series for the winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” Season 1 – “The Vivienne Takes on Hollywood,” which premiered on BBC3 and WOWPP. Cueva started her career at MTV Networks, where she held several creative positions, ultimately serving as Director, Programming & Development, working on such popular series as "Parental Control", “NEXT!”, and Randy Jackson's "America's Best Dance Crew."
Lauren Flowers
Since graduating from the Film & Television Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Lauren Flowers has worn many hats in the non-fiction television industry over the last 10+ years. From previously casting, field producing, and post supervising, she's contributed to hundreds of hours of content for networks including Animal Planet, Discovery, History, HGTV, Bravo, CMT, and MTV. She's had the pleasure of working alongside Big Bird on Sesame Street, the Blue Man Group, and thousands of exotic fish on TANKED for Animal Planet. Now, Lauren works exclusively with Glass Entertainment Group in Philadelphia, currently as the Executive Producer of a brand-new show for MTV International set to air in 80 countries around the world in 2021.
Josh Ford
Josh Ford was born and raised in Lancaster, PA. He attended Boston University for TV/Video. After working freelance videography, Josh returned to Lancaster PA where he began his career at WGAL, a local broadcast television station owned by Hearst Television, as a part time Camera Operator. From that role Josh had been promoted through production roles at WGAL to the position of Operations Manager where he supervised and was hiring manager for production and master control staff. Among his responsibilities were special events, remote setups and studio lighting. He has been promoted to Assistant Chief Engineer at WGAL's sister station in Baltimore MD, WBAL.
Dan Giangiulio
Dan Giangiulio is a self employed Director of Photography and Producer, with 15+ of experience in creating compelling content. Dan spent nearly a decade at Aurora Films, producing content for A-list musicians and high-end clients. Prior to that, he honed his skills as a multimedia editor at MLB Advanced Media in Manhattan and as a Control Room operator at QVC in West Chester, PA. Dan has worked in all phases of production and his dedication to collaboration shine through in his work and in organizing the Lancaster Film and TV meetup group, which has over 2,800 members on Facebook and focuses on networking and collaboration within the industry.
Bryan Gracia
Los Angeles area native Bryan Gracia has seventeen years of experience in scripted television and is currently a writer/producer on Mayans MC on FX. Starting as an unpaid intern, he worked his way up in the industry as a Writers Assistant and Script Coordinator on several successful network television shows such as One Tree Hill, Vampire Diaries and Once Upon A Time. He’s since parlayed that into work as a writer on other successful network and cable shows like NBC’s Chicago PD, and SyFy Channel’s Defiance.
Jon Haile
Jon Haile currently serves as Senior Editor and Head of Post Production at the Lancaster-based production house TCmotion. Projects have taken him from cow fields in Hershey to factories in Brazil. He helped shoot and edit a #1 ranking video on target.com, edited first-place winning 48hour Film Fest entries multiple years running, even travelled to Cape Verde to help film an ethnomusicology documentary. With non-profit, high end food, comedy, horror, medical, animation, manufacturing, live concerts, corporate, local and national commercials to his credit (to name a few), at this point it might be easier to list markets he hasn't tapped.
Kyle Djavan Johnson
Kyle Djavan Johnson is an Emmy-nominated creative professional and owner of KDJ Perspective. His journey started with WGAL News 8 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania before an NABJ Convention shifted his trajectory to the No. 1 media market with a role at Bleacher Report in New York City. The projects he produced during his tenure in local news and digital media have seen viewership in the tens of millions. KDJ Perspective has photographed world-renowned talent, provided director of photography services, and produced talent/features that have appeared in Vogue Italia, ESPN, Showtime and The Grio.
Brad Kenyon
With nearly 30 years of film and video production experience, Brad Kenyon is a co-founder and managing partner of Aurora Films, a full-service content production company based in Central Pennsylvania. Aurora recently moved into a new a state-of-the-art, 25,000 square foot production studio on the campus of Rock Lititz. After college, Brad began his professional career producing, shooting, and editing corporate media for a company owned by a National Geographic underwater cinematographer. He has also worked as a freelance producer, cinematographer and editor, primarily on independent films and corporate videos.
Rob Kuestner
Rob Kuestner is a 19-time Emmy Award winner and Murrow Award winner. But as he tells us, before you get too excited about the Emmy’s, they are the local kind. And smaller than the real ones :). Currently, Rob serves as the Senior Philadelphia Eagles Content Producer for NBC10, serving in this role since helping launch the partnership in 2015. His primary responsibilities are three weekly specials: Eagles Gameday Kickoff, Eagles Gameday Final and Philly Live: Sports Edition. When it’s not Eagles season, Rob goes into hibernation and only comes out when he sees his shadow. Kidding. He actually produces a variety of Special projects that showcase topics such as: Phillies baseball, Women’s and Black History, Olympics, July 4th and the Philadelphia Eagles Autism Foundation. Rob began his career after graduating in 1995 from Millersville, helping produce shows that aired on Prism. When Comcast SportsNet took over Prism, Rob helped launch that network and spent 17 years there. Rob lives with his wife and daughter in Southern New Jersey.
Bart Makatche
Bart Makatche joined Glass Entertainment Group in October 2005 and is currently the Senior Vice President of Programming & Production. With a background in both field production and post-production, Bart has played a key role in growing and managing both the production and post-production departments. From script to screen, Bart oversees every Glass Entertainment Group production and makes sure all projects are delivered on time to networks, which included more than 10 major cable clients in 2020. Bart worked previously in mobile TV production, coordinated production for a high-profile Washington, DC advertising and public relations firm, and produced non-fiction programming for various cable networks.
Tanisha Slater
Tanisha Slater is a talented freelance Casting Director, Producer and Editor, with over 15 years experience in the unscripted TV industry. She has worked for countless notable and established production companies (iTV America, Leftfield Pictures, Original Media, Sony Television Pictures) and networks (ABC, MTV, Spike, History Channel and Animal Planet). Most recently she serves as Senior Casting Producer/Editor for ViacomCBS/MTV, where she is instrumental in identifying talent, producing story and editing casting packages to pitch to network executives. Her most notable shows include The Queen Latifah Show, Wife Swap, Room Raiders, Counting Cars, Ink Master and the Teen Mom franchise.
Vance Spicer
Vance has been working in production for 15+ years in NYC. His experience has led him to the camera department that allows him to fill many roles on a crew, including, but not limited to: Director of Photography, Camera Operator, Gaffer, Grip, Assistant Camera, Media Manager, and even teleprompter. Small crew documentaries have been his main focus with these recent projects: HBOmax's On The Trail, CNBC's Street of Dreams, Showtimes' The Reagans, and multiple programs for the ID Network.