Columbia State Community College is now only one of three colleges in North America to use the ARRI Alexa camera to train undergraduates enrolled in the film crew technology program.
“The ARRI Alexa is one of the highest camera technologies in the world,” said Read Ridley, program director and instructor of the Film Crew Technology (FCT) program.
“The reason we needed this camera is because this is where the future of motion picture production is going,” Ridley said. “The Alexa produces a clear, true image, and more motion pictures and television shows are now shot on the Alexa than any other camera.”
The Alexa has been used to film movies such as “Skyfall,” “Gravity,” “Life of Pi,” “Iron Man 3,” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” as well as television shows.
Ridley and his crew named their new Alexa “Sarah,” in memory and honor of Sarah Elizabeth Jones, a second assistant cameraman who tragically lost her life in a train accident while on the set of the independent film, “Midnight Rider,” a biopic about Gregg Allman starring William Hurt. The fatal February 2014 accident was the result of cutting corners on set, which has led to an industry-wide campaign for more attention to safety on movie sets.
Columbia’s FCT program is a high-intensive 12-month certificate program instructed on a California Industry Standard. Students in the program receive training in electrical (lighting), grip, art department, HD cinematography, sound and post-production and non-linear editing using Final Cut Pro by motion picture professionals. The program also includes 180 hours interning in the field.
After completing the program, film crew technicians are qualified to go into the industry and apprentice for a year, after which they can work as a second assistant cameraman and be well on their way to becoming a first.
FCT classes are limited to 16 students per year, giving Columbia State students the competitive edge to find work in the industry. With the shortage of trained technicians in Tennessee, Ridley commented that his placement rating is high, and his enrollment has increased approximately 125 percent since the program began six years ago.
Since 2009, students and graduates of the FCT program have worked on every major film production in Tennessee, including ABC’s “Nashville.” The program has also earned more than 14 awards in the 48Hrs Film Challenge including Best in Genre, Best Cinematography Overall, and Audience Award, and they have been the main crew on movies such as “Red Rose of Normandy,” “Code 207,” and “Like a Country Song.”
