Production » School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
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A video production set where a camera operator is focused on a camera. In the background, there is a vibrant display of products, suggesting a lively filming environment.

Program Overview

Foundational courses in production and screenwriting lead to specialized courses in directing, cinematography, editing, sound, production management and production design. With extensive opportunities for collaboration and networking, including a field placement option, students work with professional actors in world-class facilities on campus and at Cinespace Film Studios to create short fiction, documentary and experimental films. Working in crews and learning how to collaborate creatively is one of the most important experiences of the 4-year program. Courses in film history and cinema theory empower students to develop their ability not only to make moving images but to think, talk and write about them, and to understand the historical and theoretical framework in which they are produced. 

Sample Courses

As a Production student you can take courses like:

Career Possibilities

As a Production student you can become:

  • Film Director 
  • Cinematographer 
  • Producer 
  • Lighting or sound designer 
  • Film editor 

Degree Level
Undergraduate

Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Department
Cinema and Media Arts

Duration
4 years

Evaluation process
Questionnaire, Portfolio, Interview

Entry Options
Fall or Summer

Next Steps

We’re excited that you’re considering applying to York University's School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD). Check out our step-by-step guide to submitting an application.

Student & Alumni Testimonials

What I really love about this program is the network that you create with your classmates. From first year all the way to fourth year you're with a great group of students that you'll spend time with both in and outside of the classroom. As a Film student, I also really appreciate being able to take courses outside my own discipline.

Chifundo Thangata

Fourth-year Production student

International Student - Kenya

I wouldn’t be the filmmaker I am today without my time at York. It gave me a great balance of theoretical and practical training that made me a more well-rounded filmmaker.

Albert Shin, BFA 2006

The theory and fundamental skills I gained at York for creative movie-making through development and production prepared me for my career. I would suggest that students absorb the experience and learn by forcing mistakes, pushing the limits and networking. As one of my third-year professors said, ‘When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’

Bill Bannerman (BFA ’83)

Executive Producer, known for The Twilight SagaThe PredatorMasters of the Universe and more.

I was able to screen the rough cuts in class and get feedback from my peers and professors, and if it weren't for the criticism and advice I received, the film wouldn't be what it is.

Abraham D

Current student - Production

My film education at York helped me prepare to work in this industry. In particular, the hands-on experience provided by Professor David Roebuck was invaluable and instilled a deep work ethic in me. Meet like-minded people and never stop dreaming!

Howard Barish (BFA ’83)

President/Executive Producer - Kandoo Films, an Oscar nominated, Emmy award-winning entertainment company

Program Highlights

Access to state-of-the-art filmmaking technologies and facilities.

Opportunity to produce your own short films and to build a showreel, building the tools you need to showcase your work and develop your career.

Strong mentoring by internationally recognized and productive faculty.

Study film in Canada's cultural capital - Toronto. With hands-on learning that helps you thrive in the competitive film and television industry.

Small class sizes, ranging from 25 students in first-year to 10-15 students in upper years.

More than 50 years of nurturing creative, bold and meaningful work by new generations of filmmakers and scholars.

A collage of images showcasing a performance and filming in colorful, illuminated spaces.

Learning Outcomes

Share your story, find your vision, build the future

Building a Solid Foundation

  • Building a solid foundation with Introduction to Filmmaking, camera work and sound recording, technical aspects of film and video production, screenwriting essentials, and production planning. 
  • Understand cinema history in a cultural and economic context. 
  • Recognize cinema as an education in global citizenship. 

Determine your specialization

  • Determine your specialization through hands-on experience in multiple genres (fiction, documentary, experimental film). 
  • Acquire in-depth training as a director, cinematographer, sound recordist, production manager or picture & sound editor. 
  • Apply your learning with outreach into the film and television industry with field trips, internships and guest lectures, providing a doorway to a life of reflective and productive engagement in the industry. 

Get in Touch

Reach out to us for more information on our programs, upcoming events, open houses, and applying to AMPD. We're here to assist you with any questions you may have and to help guide you through the application process.

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FAQs

Answer Yes, they are required to. Screenwriting students will also make films in their first year.

Every year approximately 175 undergraduate student works are produced in our department.

BFA graduates are known and respected throughout the Canadian industry for their technical and creative proficiency. As active professional filmmakers and media creators, the faculty are involved in the industry, allowing us to bring that experience and understanding into the classroom. The size of the department, its extensive facilities, its broad curriculum, the scale of student productions and perhaps most of all the extraordinary talent and dedication of our student body, all combine to create an accelerated learning experience like no other. York is located in the heart of the GTA, one of Canada’s primary film centres, and our Department is actively involved in the Canadian film, television and media industries. Professionals from all sectors of the industry regularly make their way up to visit our students. Upper level students may participate in a summer internship program that gives them on-the-job experience. For a significant number of students, their internship has led directly to employment with prominent companies in the film and television industry. Every year the Toronto International Film Festival includes York talent, with features and short films produced by alumni, faculty and often also current students. A university is very different from a training program which focuses solely on technical instruction.

York faculty are not only active in the industry but have chosen to work within the university setting because we like to think about what we do. The university experience is about much more than finding a job. At the same time, we believe the all-around experience York offers makes our graduates employable in a wider range of positions. This is demonstrated by the successes of our alumni, who include not only prominent directors, cinematographers, producers and editors, but also industry executives, casting directors, special effects designers etc. Our BA/Cinema and Media Studies graduates have gone on to positions as film critics, publicists, curators, educators, film festival organizers, book and magazine editors, teachers and professors. They have found a variety of jobs in the cultural industries working for film production houses, museums and galleries, in the broadcasting sector (TVO, History Channel, VisionTV, CBC etc) and (in two recent cases) setting up their own publishing company devoted to independent cinema. Some of our students have received prestigious scholarships to go on to graduate school to train as cutting-edge media researchers and film scholars.

Screenwriting students take the first year production course. Outside of class they are encouraged to work on the shoots of upper level production students to become more familiar with the production process.

Immerse yourself as much as you can in thought and activity related to film and media! Watch films outside the mainstream. Learn about the Canadian film industry and film communities. The students who do best in our admissions process tend to be those who have tested their own interest and discovered that it is a passion.

BA applicants are admitted based on their GPA. Once BFA applications have been reviewed and assessed, we invite a portion of the applicants to the campus for an in-person interview. The interview day also includes a tour of our facilities and screenings of students’ films. If you are invited for an interview but live more than 300 km away and are unable to come, we will arrange a phone or Skype interview.