Full Sail graduates are no stranger to film and television awards season: The red-carpet shows seem to always have the university’s film and television grads credited on their nominated projects. For decades, Full Sail's hands-on education model, state-of-the-art facilities, and experienced course directors have prepared students to work on a wide range of productions, so it's no surprise that the school's grads frequently assist on Hollywood's award-worthy hits.

The Academy Awards

More than 120 Full Sail graduates were credited on 27 Oscar-nominated projects across 20 categories at the 2023 Academy Awards. A number of grads were credited on nominees like Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Avatar: The Way of the Water for their work in production, sound, visual effects, and editing. When the Oscar winners were announced, 85 graduates were credited on nine Oscar-winning projects in 18 categories, including Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The Primetime Emmy Awards

Overall, 278 grads were credited on 199 nominated projects in 109 categories at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. Grads contributed to shows like The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Ms. Marvel, and Succession.

Grads Working on Nominated & Winning Projects

Full Sail grads played integral roles on a number of 2023's Oscar-nominated films. For instance, alumnus Pravin Mahtani was credited on Best Picture-nominee Top Gun: Maverick for their work as a Lead Digital Artist, and grad Phillip Fuller was the Chief Sound Engineer for Best Animated Feature Film-nominee Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.

For the Primetime Emmy Awards, graduate Jake Cenac was credited for their work as a Senior On-Set Technical Director on The Last of Us, and grad Thomas Wingrove was the Visual Effects Art Director on House of the Dragon.

A Full Sail Education

Full Sail is designed to produce alumni who are ready to work as high-performing professionals as soon as they graduate. The school's seasoned faculty, industry-aligned course content, and expansive production facilities combine to make a Full Sail education a unique proposition among film schools.

Experienced Educators

"If one thing can be said about Full Sail's faculty, it's 'They have done it,'" says Rick Ramsey, Full Sail's Visual Arts Education Director. "Full Sail faculty have worked on Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, and have even trained NASA astronauts how to shoot video in space. That level of experience is priceless."

Some of Full Sail's standout film and television instructors include Department Chair TJ Doctor, who brings students and grads with him to the Sundance Institute's Feature Film Directors Workshop; film and digital cinematography Lab Specialist Larry Katz, who worked with students and graduates on Disney+ series The Right Stuff; and digital cinematography Course Director Michael Hanly, who uses his years of eclectic experience as a day player and editor to show students the power of film.

In-Depth Classes

Students studying film at Full Sail create a movie from the ground up. They put their ideas together in Scriptwriting Techniques, learn to tell visual stories in Composition & Visual Design, decide what role they'd like to play in the production process in Film Positions I, form a film crew in Advanced Production I, and assemble their final portfolio reel in Project & Portfolio VII: Film, among other courses.

The Film Production master's program builds on core filmmaking skills to help students produce a higher-level portfolio project. They take a deep dive into dramatic narratives in the Script Production & Analysis course, edit the visual and audio elements of their completed movie in Film Production Thesis IV: Film Assembly, and master the practical side of the film industry in Business of Film, among additional classes.

Students learning about digital cinematography discover how to become entrepreneurs in the film industry by developing "jack of all trades" skills. They explore the art and business of filmmaking in History of Motion Picture Arts, complete a film shoot in Fundamentals of Production I, consider the camera's visual needs in Art Design & Location Shooting, get a bird's eye view of filmmaking in the Directing course, and create a branded website for their production company in Project & Portfolio VII: Digital Cinematography, among other courses.

Industry-Standard Facilities

Full Sail's campus gives students the tools they need for every step of the film and television creation process. Students get a feel for audio and visual equipment in Full Sail's Camera Lab, then they build the set of their dreams on the indoor film soundstage or take advantage of pre-built sets on the campus Backlot. The Backlot has facades of a gas station, a suburban home, New York City-inspired brownstones, and a stretch of European-style buildings nicknamed "Amsterdam," among other options. Once shooting is complete, students learning about film and television tackle post-production in one of several purpose-built lab facilities.

In 2022, Full Sail also opened the doors to a brand-new facility focused on the future of filmmaking. Studio V1: Virtual Production is one of the largest and most technologically advanced virtual production studios on any college campus in the US. The studio combines live event production, traditional filmmaking techniques, and Unreal Engine (a real-time 3D creation tool) to help students and clients create movies, commercials, and more.