Students interested in the Film and Video Production Major are urged to declare their major promptly upon admission to GVSU (do not wait for secondary admission to the Film/Video major) and to maintain regular contact with their advisor to ensure proper course enrollment and steady progress toward full acceptance.

In order to maintain high-quality instruction, the Film and Video Production major requires that students be accepted into the major through the Secondary Admission process. Once formally admitted, they are then allowed to take FVP 226 and FVP 227 as pre-requisites to all 300- and 400- level FVP production courses.

To apply for Secondary Admission, students are required to achieve a minimum 3.0 GPA in the two Film and Video Production pre-admission courses (FVP 123 and 125) and a 2.5 GPA for their overall courses.  

Keep in mind that your entire application package, as well as your overall performance in class, is considered at the time of application.  Simply meeting the required GPAs does not guarantee admission into the GVSU Film and Video Production major.

The following required pre-admission courses may be taken in any order.

• FVP 123 Survey of Media Production Modes
• FVP 125 Media Production I

Students are required to make formal application to the Film and Video Production major. Students submit admission materials upon successful completion* of the pre-admission course work (FVP 123 and FVP 125). Admission materials must be received before 5:00 p.m. on one of the following dates:

First Monday of November, April, or August

Students will be notified of decision by email within 2 weeks of the application date.

*EARLY CONSIDERATION

Applications will be accepted from candidates who will be completing the pre-admission courses in the same semester as the deadline date. However, because final grades for the current semester will not be available, we will review your application with CURRENT CALCULATED GRADES for FVP 123 and FVP 125, provided by your instructor/s.

The overall GPA stated on your transcript will be the GPA we consider at the time of application. For students with "0.00" GPAs, we will only use the average GPA of FVP 123 and FVP 125.

Admissions granted on the basis of current calculated grades are provisional - final admission depends on your final grades in the relevant courses. 
If your final grade/GPA fails to meet requirements for admission, your provisional admission will be rescinded, and you will be unable to take 200-level and above Film and Video Production courses.

If your admission is denied based on current calculated grades, re-application during a future round of admissions will be required.

PERMISSION TO SUBSTITUTE PRE-ADMISSION COURSES

Students may petition to substitute one or more of the two pre-admission courses on the basis of coursework completed at a post-secondary institution for which they have received a GPA at or above 3.0. High school training or other non-college training will not be considered the equivalent of course work at GVSU. 

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS

Your digital application must include the following. Failure to provide the following materials will result in an automatic decline of your application.

All materials MUST be in the "pdf" format.

COVER PAGE which includes:

• Your Name and Student “G” Number
• Your Faculty Advisor
• Year/Semester you started at GVSU
• Email Address
• Local and Permanent Addresses
• Phone Number
• Information about transferred credits or course substitutions that may affect your application. (Oftentimes transfer students have taken a FVP 125 Media Production I equivalent, so it should be noted on this page.)

TRANSCRIPT AND CURRENT CALCULATED GRADES:

• Provide the most recent unofficial GVSU “Transcript” (pdf. from myBanner – not myPath). This will show that you've taken or are taking the pre-admission courses and overall your GPA. We need your TRANSCRIPT, not your myPath record.)
   

ESSAY #1: INTEREST IN THE MAJOR  

Write a short essay on your interests in the Film and Video Production major (500-750 words, typed, double-spaced, pdf format)

Areas to address in your essay may include:

• Why do you want to pursue a Film and Video Production major, and what ideas do you hope to develop in your creative and scholarly work?
• What special interests or attributes do you bring to the Film and Video major community?
• In addition to Film and Video Production, what other primary interests would you like to explore while attending Grand Valley State University?

 ESSAY #2:  PRODUCTION WORK CRITIQUE 

Write a short critique on a project completed in FVP 125 Media Production I. Some areas might include:

• What are the strengths of the project now that you've had time to reflect?
• What aspects of it could be improved? We want to be confident that you are able to step back from your work and hold it to a high standard.
• What did you value most from doing this particular project?

Be specific and honest. Faculty will focus on your ability to articulate strengths and weaknesses using the language of the industry that you've learned so far. Please note: This critique is to be prepared specifically for this application. Do not submit class critiques that were required for the class project. Utilize media production terminology in order to demonstrate your ability to apply concepts learned in the two pre-admission courses.

We are looking for good writing skills in your Essay and Production Critique. We are interested in both your ideas and your ability to express them. Application materials containing numerous spelling and grammatical errors will not be considered.

SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS

If you have questions, please contact Professor John Schmit at [email protected] (Fall 2023) - or - Professor Anal Shah at [email protected] (Winter 2024)

Sample Application Essay (.pdf)

Sample Project Critique (.pdf)

Students can make a request to substitute pre-admission courses on the basis of course work completed at a post-secondary institution for which they have received a GPA above 3.0. Many colleges and universities have arranged established equivalencies, but if your school has not yet done so, see your advisor to make the request. In order to make the request, you must supply the syllabus for the course taken at the other institution.

High school training or other non-college training will not be considered the equivalent of course work at GVSU.

For questions about the Film and Video Production secondary admit, please contact:

FALL 2023:

Associate Professor Anal Shah
Professor of Film and Video Production
Dept. of Visual and Media Arts

[email protected]

WINTER 2024:

Associate Professor Anal Shah
Professor of Film and Video Production
Dept. of Visual and Media Arts

[email protected]